petrochemical air pollution

Greenpeace says more than 9-million people here in Taiwan live within
5-kilometers of petrochemical production facilities, placing them in
high-risk zones for air pollution exposure.

Greenpeace says it has identified 191 facilities across 13 counties and
cities - and high-risk zones cover almost 40-per cent of the population.

Greenpeace project manager Chang Kai-ting says 1.15 million children and 1.59
million elderly residents reside within these areas.

Chang says the areas also have over four thousand institutions that service
these demographic groups, including kindergartens, elementary schools, junior
high schools and elderly care centers.

The Greenpeace reports shows that Kaohsiung has the most petrochemical
plants, with 50 facilities affecting about 1.6 million residents.

While Taoyuan and Tainan both have 31 such facilities, placing about 1.98
million and 1.58 million people respectively in high-risk zones.

Chang says if the exposure range is expanded to 10-kilometers, the number of
people affected rises to 15.72 million, or about 70 percent of Taiwan's
population.

The Ministry of Environment says it has launched investigations and pollution
reduction plans.