Formosa Chemicals' Compensation Case Retrial Begins; Civic Groups Urge Defense of Changhua Residents' Health

(CNA, by reporter Hao Hsueh-ching, Taichung, 9th) The retrial for the national compensation case filed by Formosa Chemicals (FCFC) began today at the Taichung High Court. The case stems from the shutdown of FCFC's Changhua plant after the Changhua County Government rejected its application to extend its coal-burning operating permit. Before the hearing, several civic groups called on the judge to uphold justice, and Changhua Mayor Lin Se-hsien was also present to show his support.

According to the civic groups, the FCFC Changhua plant was shut down in 2016 after its coal-burning operating permit failed to meet environmental review standards, and the Changhua County Government lawfully rejected its renewal. This freed Changhua City from years of acidic odors and a fixed pollution source. However, FCFC filed a national compensation lawsuit. The case went through a first trial that awarded NT$470 million in compensation and a second trial that reversed the decision, finding no compensation necessary. In March of this year, the Supreme Court remanded the case for a retrial, which convened today at the Taichung Branch of the Taiwan High Court.

Civic groups including the Changhua County Environmental Protection Union, Taiwan Healthy Air Action Alliance, Changhua County Medical Alliance, and Taiwan Water Resources Conservation Union gathered in front of the Taichung High Court this morning. They chanted slogans such as "Judges, uphold justice and protect people's health," with Mayor Lin Se-hsien also attending to lend his support.

Mayor Lin stated that the law must return to its original spirit, and the spirit of the Air Pollution Control Act is to protect air quality and public health. He noted that although the High Court adopted this fundamental spirit, the decision was overturned by the Supreme Court for a retrial. He added that the Changhua County Government and its citizens were already being lenient by not seeking restitution of undue profits from FCFC, yet the company still filed for national compensation.

Lin pointed out that the issuance of FCFC's coal-fired boiler operating permits was illegal from the very beginning decades ago. Therefore, the government should not be bound by the principle of trust protection. He stressed that the matter must be debated based on the law, thanked the Taichung High Court judges for upholding the principle of protecting people's health, and hoped the Changhua County Government would persist to the end.

Shih Yueh-ying, secretary-general of the Changhua County Environmental Protection Union, stated that the FCFC Changhua plant compensation case is not merely a matter of business losses from a shutdown. It is a major public interest event involving long-term air pollution in downtown Changhua, environmental impact assessment commitments, fixed pollution source operating permits, profits from cogeneration electricity sales, and health risks to county residents.

The civic groups emphasized their support for the local government's lawful administration, stating that the Changhua County Government's rejection of the non-compliant coal-burning permit was entirely legal and compliant. They argued that the judiciary should act as a bulwark for local governments' authority to defend the environment, not as an accomplice to corporations. Data confirms that air quality in the Taichung-Changhua-Nantou area improved significantly after the plant's shutdown. They concluded that health and environmental rights are public interests that cannot be overridden by any commercial interest. (Edited by Chen Ching-fang) 1150609