The July 25-26 fire at the huge complex in Mailiao has prompted calls from residents for at least a suspension of operations and a cancellation of expansion plans.

Su, a member of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, took a delegation of local residents up to Taipei yesterday to show how the fire had damaged farmers' livelihoods. Later, she accompanied the residents for a protest outside the gates of the heavily guarded Executive Yuan compound, where Premier Wu Den-yih has his office.

Kneeling in the street outside, Su demanded an apology from Wu. Both the premier and President Ma Ying-jeou have come under fire for failing to show support for the people of Mailiao. Protesters also threw shellfish damaged by acid rain allegedly caused by the fire over the barrier into the Executive Yuan courtyard.

The sixth naphtha cracker contains 1,800 unexploded bombs, Su said, alluding to the oil reserves at the plant. Last weekend's fire was the second within a month and the 19th incident at the plant over the past eight years, according to Su. The central government should immediately conduct a general industrial safety review and levy a carbon tax to reduce the pressure on the environment, she said. Su also called for the formation of an independent investigation committee.

Academics said the Environmental Protection Administration had been too quick in declaring that the pollution from the fire was not toxic. The government department responded that the final report had not been published yet.

If Wu bothered to visit the plant, he would see with his own eyes how there were problems everywhere, the Yunlin County chief said. The local government also lacked funds and manpower to deal with the dangers of accidents and pollution, she said, calling on the central government for assistance.

The government says it is investigating the cause of the blaze but has so far not responded to calls to stop the expansion of the plant. Wu said it was the role of local government to fight the fire and investigate the cause.

He said the FPG complex should set up a service center for quick responses to emergencies. The Ministry of Economic Affairs said the center would be operational by the end of next month.

Responding to Su's demands for a visit, he said he would take top Cabinet officials to the plant once FPG was ready with its report about the fire.

In Yunlin County, local politicians also demanded the publication of a report about the health of local residents. Relatively higher cancer levels have been blamed on pollution from the naphtha cracker. The county's environmental authorities denied they had delayed the release of the report.