The Supreme Administrative Court rejected Thursday a government appeal against a lower court ruling that temporarily suspended the development of the Central Taiwan Science Park's Houli branch because of flaws in its environmental impact assessment (EIA). Although the government said the court's decision will not affect the project because a new assessment has been completed by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), environmentalists have threatened to file a new suit against the new assessment. The following are excerpts from local media coverage of the issue: Liberty Times: Upholding a July 30 verdict by the Taipei High Administration Court, the Supreme Administrative Court said the EIA for the Houli branch did not pass a second review and a health hazard evaluation, and that if the development project were to go ahead under these circumstances, it would cause 'irreversible damage' to the environment and the health of residents in the area. The court also said the development permit for the project is invalid because the EIA had already been revoked by the Supreme Administrative Court in January. According to environmental lawyer Chan Shun-kuei, the ruling does not carry any substantive effect now that the EPA has completed a new EIA for the project. However, he said, the new EIA is just as casual and indiscreet as the previous one and has not been subject to a second phase of strict review. Environmental groups are expected to file the new suit next week to demand that the new EIA be revoked. (Sept. 3, 2010). United Daily News: As long as the park passes a new EIA and obtains a new development permit, the Houli project will not be affected. Yang Wen-ke, director-general of the science park administration, said the National Science Council is expected to issue a new development permit for the project following the approval of a new EIA by the EPA Aug. 31. According to the EPA, the new EIA has placed special emphasis on the criteria of 'health hazard' and 'public participation, ' which allows the people to voice opinions as part of the EIA process. (Sept. 3, 2010). China Times: The passage of the new EIA for a new development permit is equal to renewing the administrative processing for the Houli project. This is delinked from the lawsuit over the old EIA. A focus of the issue is whether a new suit and dispute will arise. Lin San-chia, the lawyer who filed the previous suit on behalf of farmers in Houli, said the judiciary has repeatedly sent out a message of 'environmental justice' since the old EIA was first revoked by the Taipei High Administrative Court in 2008, but President Ma Ying-jeou and his administration opted to turn a deaf ear to this message. Calling the administrative branch 'the source of the disaster, ' Lin said legal action will be useless unless the Ma administration repents for its mistake. (Sept. 3, 2010). 