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Legislative Process Continues for Environmental Testing and Analysis Act

In January this year the MOENV’s draft of the Environmental Testing and Analysis Act (環境檢驗測定法) was submitted to the Executive Yuan for review. Handled alongside it was formulation of important sub-laws and related legal regulations. The bill aims to improve the environmental testing and analysis system, strengthen management of organizations, personnel and equipment in the environmental testing and analysis industry, and enhance quality of testing and analysis data. After it takes effect, the Act will be able to enable integration and improvements to the management of environmental testing, making it more comprehensive.

Background

Environmental testing and analysis is an important part of environmental protection. Accurate testing and analysis data are required to establish a basis for various types of work such as formulation of environmental laws and regulations, environmental impact assessment (EIA) investigations, environmental quality monitoring, pollution prevention and controls, and inspection and control of public nuisances.

Following the Executive Yuan’s policy direction, the MOENV’s Environmental Analysis Laboratory (EAL), has developed an implementation plan in accordance with a medium-term implementation plan and an approved budget. The plan also took into account current social conditions and the EAL’s future development. The four current objectives are as follows:

1. Development of standard environmental testing methods

2. Strengthening management of environmental testing and analysis organizations

3. Conducting sampling and testing for environmental quality and pollution sources

4. Promoting quality control and management to improve the level of environmental testing technology

The first objective is to develop standard environmental testing methods. the MOENV aims to formulate and refine environmental testing standards, improve the quality of environmental data, and facilitate development of the environmental testing Industry. Other goals include improving the mechanism for issuing penalties at different levels based on severity of violations. It is therefore necessary to change legislation to enable the new management measures, hence the drafting of the Environmental Testing and Analysis Act.