Taiwan: Asia Cement has denied that it expanded a quarry serving its Hualien plant following accusations by a filmmaker that mining has intensified at the site. Documentary filmmaker Chi Po-lin made the comments in May 2017 whilst filming a sequel to his aerial photographic documentary ‘Beyond Beauty: Taiwan From Above.’ According to the China Post newspaper. Chi subsequently died in a helicopter crash on 10 June 2017 but his aerial footage of the site has caused public outcry.
However, Asia Cement says it has slowly been reforesting the active mining site since 2012. The Ministry of Economic Affairs has also released time-lapse photography supporting the cement producer.
The quarry, which is partly located in a national park, supplies one of the country’s largest cement plants. Its mining lease was set to expire in 2017 but was extended until 2037. The Environmental Protection Administration has also issued assurances that quarry excavations will not occur within the national park area.