/ Staff writer, with CNATaiwan’s air quality reached unhealthy levels on 45 days this year, down from 177 last year, but higher than 2020’s record low of 15, the Environmental Protection Administration （EPA） said on Tuesday.
Taipei, Dec. 27 (CNA) There have been 45 days where air quality reached unhealthy levels in Taiwan in 2022, down from 177 last year but still higher than 2020's record low of 15, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said Tuesday.
The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday announced revised guidelines that would require local governments to activate air pollution command centers when air quality is poor.
The mechanism would be triggered when the air quality index exceeds 150, which indicates unhealthy levels of air pollution, Department of Air Quality Protection and Noise Control Director-General Tsai Meng-yu (蔡孟裕) told a news conference in Taipei.
The agency is increasing its focus on unhealthy levels of air pollution as part of Taiwan’s efforts to improve air quality, Tsai said.
The nation’s efforts have so far made pollution levels exceeding 200 on the air quality index increasingly rare,
Nearly 700 tickets for vehicle noise have been issued this year through a new “noise camera” initiative that officials say has proven popular with the public.
Starting on Jan. 1, local governments nationwide began installing devices that automatically take a snapshot of any vehicle emitting more than 86 decibels of noise on roads with speed limits of up to 50kph, or in excess of 90 decibels on faster roadways.
Fines range from NT$1,800 to NT$3,600 (US$64.49 to US$128.98), with a possible additional fine of between NT$3,000 and NT$30,000 if the vehicle is found to have been illegally modified.
From Jan. 1 to the