- Date:2026-01-08
- Department:Hazard Control Division
The Ministry of Environment (MOENV) held a press conference on December 30, 2025 to announce the establishment of Environmental Incidents Specialist Teams in Hualien, Nantou, and Kinmen, with joint unveiling ceremonies conducted in collaboration with the National Fire Agency, local environmental protection bureaus, and fire departments. Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming stated that the establishment of these three teams will shorten response time for chemical substance incidents in their respective regions, strengthen on-site handling capacity, and further enhance the density and effectiveness of the nationwide environmental incident response network. Minister Peng also revealed that the ministry is actively promoting the transformation of these technical teams into an administrative corporation, with the aim of setting up a dedicated unit for chemical disaster prevention and response that will integrate cross-ministerial resources to create a highly efficient, professional, and stable national-level technical support system.
Building upon the existing response framework, MOENV will continue to pursue the goal of “strengthening frontline response and safeguarding communities,” said Minister Peng. In cooperation with the National Fire Agency of the Ministry of the Interior on environmental incident prevention and emergency response, as well as international professional training, MOENV aims to comprehensively strengthen nationwide chemical disaster preparedness by enhancing the three key pillars of protection: industry self-preparedness, joint prevention and mutual assistance, and governmental support. The agency is currently advancing the establishment of the National Chemical Safety Center (CSC) as an administrative corporation. With an independent budget and personnel system, the Center will attract professional talent and build a long-term, stable operational mechanism to address emerging disaster risks.
Hsiao Huan-chang, Director-General of the National Fire Agency, also attended the event to show support. He noted that the Central Taiwan Toxic Substance Emergency Response Training Center under the Chemicals Administration, together with the Taiwan Fire Academy in Zhushan (TFAZ), is actively seeking certification through the US-based National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), aiming to elevate Taiwan’s firefighting training to international standards and position the island as a compound disaster training hub in the Indo-Pacific region.
MOENV further explained that, to reduce the risk of chemical substance incidents and ensure the immediate deployment of professional detection and response support, the Chemicals Administration has continuously strengthened the national environmental incident response network since its establishment. Leveraging the existing framework of 10 professional technical teams in the northern, central, and southern regions, Taiwan has steadily enhanced its toxic chemical disaster support mechanisms. In view of transportation challenges in remote and outlying areas, which may be further exacerbated by natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons, potentially delaying emergency response, the addition of response teams in Hualien, Nantou, and Kinmen will further bolster disaster preparedness in these regions and step up coordinated disaster prevention efforts between central and local governments.
The Hualien team is located at National Dong Hwa University; the Nantou team is based at the MOENV Central Taiwan Toxic Substance Emergency Response Training Center in the Taiwan Fire Academy in Zhushan; and the Kinmen team is housed at the Environmental Protection Bureau of Kinmen County. Each team is outfitted with specialized instruments, equipment, and tools required for emergency response. During non-incident periods, the teams assist local authorities in guiding operators handling toxic and concerned chemical substances to strengthen incident prevention preparedness. In the event of an incident, they can be rapidly deployed to conduct environmental detection, propose response action plans, and provide post-incident recovery recommendations.
The establishment of response sites in Hualien, Nantou, and Kinmen underscores the close cooperation between central and local governments in implementing chemical disaster prevention and response measures, jointly building an environment that is safe, secure, and livable.
