Taiwan Cabinet pushes NT$1 billion plan to manage forever chemicals

台灣行政院推動新台幣10億元永久性化學物質（PFAS）管理計畫

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Cabinet is moving ahead with a NT$1 billion (US$31.9 million) plan approved in June to strengthen controls on polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of long-lasting chemicals, CNA reported Thursday.

Speaking while chairing a National Chemical Substance Management Board meeting, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said the plan will fund PFAS regulation, monitoring, research, and the development of safer alternatives. PFAS are man-made chemicals often called “forever chemicals” because they break down very slowly and can remain in the environment for long periods.

The Cabinet first approved a PFAS management action plan in October 2024. Cho said global regulations are increasingly shifting toward controlling PFAS as groups rather than regulating individual chemicals one at a time, per UDN.

Cho said government agencies will continue reviewing laws, expanding monitoring, and supporting research into safer alternatives. He said policies will also be adjusted based on monitoring results, domestic implementation, and international regulatory trends.

The meeting also covered chemical disaster response and emergency training. Officials demonstrated two robot dogs designed to enter hazardous areas after chemical leaks, assess risks, and send live images and data to emergency teams, per Newtalk.

Cho said unmanned equipment could reduce risks for emergency workers. He asked government agencies to adopt more disaster-response technology and support Taiwanese companies developing equipment suited to local needs.

The government is also building chemical disaster training centers in northern, central, and southern Taiwan, the premier noted.