Nantou Plans Waste Incinerator, Opponents Spray Foam, Jump on Tables to Protest
At a meeting regarding Nantou County Government's planned waste incinerator, opponents from Mingjian Township protested fiercely, spraying foam and even jumping on tables to voice their strong opposition. They accused the county government of crude administrative procedures and demanded the plan be withdrawn.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 13:16
- 🔍 Collected: May 12, 2026 at 13:31 (15 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 14, 2026 at 06:32 (41h 0m after Collected)
Central News
(Central News Agency reporter Hsiao Po-yang, Nantou County, 12th) The Nantou County Government today convened a second-stage environmental impact assessment (EIA) scope determination meeting for its waste treatment center. Groups including the Mingjian Township Anti-Incinerator Self-Help Association attended, with opponents at one point crossing tables and being stopped by police. Some residents stood on tables to spray foam, and the crowd loudly expressed their opposition.
Nantou County currently lacks a waste incinerator and must rely on other counties and cities for waste disposal, with approximately 310,000 metric tons of waste accumulated throughout the county. The county government plans to construct the Nantou County Waste Treatment and Renewable Energy Center in Xinmin Village, Mingjian Township. Last March, the National Property Administration of the Ministry of Finance allocated 7.5 hectares of state-owned land designated as "special agricultural zone" to the Nantou County Government through paid appropriation. The county government will subsequently need to apply to the Ministry of Agriculture for agricultural land re-zoning.
Previously, the county government had held four second-stage EIA scope determination meetings. Today's meeting was a continuation, attended by groups such as the Mingjian Township Anti-Incinerator Self-Help Association, residents, and outsiders. At the beginning of the meeting, residents loudly voiced their opinions. During the meeting, Mingjian Township Mayor Chen Han-li even crossed a table to confront officials, and some residents sprayed foam and pushed against police, leading to a tense situation.
Chen Han-li stated at a pre-meeting press conference that the Nantou County Government's Environmental Protection Bureau's administrative procedures were crude and rushed. "Did you ask the people of Mingjian if an incinerator can be built there?" He criticized Environmental Protection Bureau Director Li Yi-shu as being full of nonsense, demanding a change of director and replacement of attending scholars. Mingjian Township residents demand a fair and just meeting, and that the decision on whether to build an incinerator in Mingjian Township be made by the people of Mingjian.
Shih Chih-chung, head of the Mingjian Township Anti-Incinerator Self-Help Association, said that the county government's official document stated the meeting's focus was on alternative plans and items for environmental impact assessment. However, when they proposed discussing alternative plans, EIA committee members and the Environmental Protection Bureau reportedly said, "We have already discussed it; we will not discuss it again." He questioned whether it was deceptive that the meeting should have discussed alternative plans but completely stopped discussing them with the public.
The Mingjian Township Anti-Incinerator Self-Help Association stated that they demand the county government withdraw the plan. However, Nantou County Magistrate Hsu Shu-hua not only ignored public opinion and insisted on building the incinerator but also emphasized acting according to law, scientific data, and public opinion polls. The self-help association aims to expose these lies, alleging that the county government's use of environmental funds to purchase land is a false adherence to the law, and that selecting the wrong model for air pollution simulation is false science. Furthermore, they accuse the county government and the meeting chairman of various administrative violence and bullying, disregarding the multiple alternative waste treatment methods proposed by residents.
Li Yi-shu, Director of the Nantou County Environmental Protection Bureau, stated that the EIA scope determination meeting is precisely for discussing alternative plans, technologies, EIA scope, and investigation items. He said that alternative plans had been discussed in previous meetings, and the Environmental Protection Bureau is committed to incorporating feasible alternative plans proposed by environmental groups into the evaluation. Therefore, the discussion on alternative plans has been completed and will be included in the evaluation, with absolutely no "skipping of discussions."
Regarding public doubts about the legality of the incinerator site acquisition, Li Yi-shu said it was not an acquisition but rather a paid appropriation of state-owned land through a formal procedure. Approximately NT$100 million was allocated in the 2025 (Ming Dynasty 114) fund budget and approved by the Nantou County Council, which is not "illegal" as claimed by councilors and groups. Environmental funds can be used for necessary expenses related to constructing new incinerators, making the application for paid appropriation completely legal. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150512
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(Central News Agency reporter Hsiao Po-yang, Nantou County, 12th) The Nantou County Government today convened a second-stage environmental impact assessment (EIA) scope determination meeting for its waste treatment center. Groups including the Mingjian Township Anti-Incinerator Self-Help Association attended, with opponents at one point crossing tables and being stopped by police. Some residents stood on tables to spray foam, and the crowd loudly expressed their opposition.
Nantou County currently lacks a waste incinerator and must rely on other counties and cities for waste disposal, with approximately 310,000 metric tons of waste accumulated throughout the county. The county government plans to construct the Nantou County Waste Treatment and Renewable Energy Center in Xinmin Village, Mingjian Township. Last March, the National Property Administration of the Ministry of Finance allocated 7.5 hectares of state-owned land designated as "special agricultural zone" to the Nantou County Government through paid appropriation. The county government will subsequently need to apply to the Ministry of Agriculture for agricultural land re-zoning.
Previously, the county government had held four second-stage EIA scope determination meetings. Today's meeting was a continuation, attended by groups such as the Mingjian Township Anti-Incinerator Self-Help Association, residents, and outsiders. At the beginning of the meeting, residents loudly voiced their opinions. During the meeting, Mingjian Township Mayor Chen Han-li even crossed a table to confront officials, and some residents sprayed foam and pushed against police, leading to a tense situation.
Chen Han-li stated at a pre-meeting press conference that the Nantou County Government's Environmental Protection Bureau's administrative procedures were crude and rushed. "Did you ask the people of Mingjian if an incinerator can be built there?" He criticized Environmental Protection Bureau Director Li Yi-shu as being full of nonsense, demanding a change of director and replacement of attending scholars. Mingjian Township residents demand a fair and just meeting, and that the decision on whether to build an incinerator in Mingjian Township be made by the people of Mingjian.
Shih Chih-chung, head of the Mingjian Township Anti-Incinerator Self-Help Association, said that the county government's official document stated the meeting's focus was on alternative plans and items for environmental impact assessment. However, when they proposed discussing alternative plans, EIA committee members and the Environmental Protection Bureau reportedly said, "We have already discussed it; we will not discuss it again." He questioned whether it was deceptive that the meeting should have discussed alternative plans but completely stopped discussing them with the public.
The Mingjian Township Anti-Incinerator Self-Help Association stated that they demand the county government withdraw the plan. However, Nantou County Magistrate Hsu Shu-hua not only ignored public opinion and insisted on building the incinerator but also emphasized acting according to law, scientific data, and public opinion polls. The self-help association aims to expose these lies, alleging that the county government's use of environmental funds to purchase land is a false adherence to the law, and that selecting the wrong model for air pollution simulation is false science. Furthermore, they accuse the county government and the meeting chairman of various administrative violence and bullying, disregarding the multiple alternative waste treatment methods proposed by residents.
Li Yi-shu, Director of the Nantou County Environmental Protection Bureau, stated that the EIA scope determination meeting is precisely for discussing alternative plans, technologies, EIA scope, and investigation items. He said that alternative plans had been discussed in previous meetings, and the Environmental Protection Bureau is committed to incorporating feasible alternative plans proposed by environmental groups into the evaluation. Therefore, the discussion on alternative plans has been completed and will be included in the evaluation, with absolutely no "skipping of discussions."
Regarding public doubts about the legality of the incinerator site acquisition, Li Yi-shu said it was not an acquisition but rather a paid appropriation of state-owned land through a formal procedure. Approximately NT$100 million was allocated in the 2025 (Ming Dynasty 114) fund budget and approved by the Nantou County Council, which is not "illegal" as claimed by councilors and groups. Environmental funds can be used for necessary expenses related to constructing new incinerators, making the application for paid appropriation completely legal. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150512
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The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.