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Update Date: 2008/06/11 09:10
(Central News Agency Information Service 20080611 09:09:30 Taipei)
The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has proactively conducted pollution surveys on 50 sites of abandoned factory lands that were previously operated by industries with high pollution potential. It has been confirmed that 13 sites have clear evidence of soil pollution and will be directly announced as contaminated sites or required to improve within a specified period. Additionally, 24 factories are suspected of being contaminated and will undergo further verification.
Among the contaminated sites discovered this time are the Cathay Resin Factory in Taipei County (total petroleum hydrocarbons exceeding control standards), Hou Sheng Chemical Tucheng Factory (copper, total petroleum hydrocarbons), Handa Enterprise Factory in Taoyuan County (chromium), China Processing Lead Factory in Kaohsiung County (lead), Kaisheng Metal Qiaotou Factory (arsenic, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, zinc, dioxins, and furans), Juguan Metal Factory (chromium, zinc), Niuxin Enterprise Gangshan Second Factory (chromium, copper, nickel, zinc), Nanying Steel Factory (arsenic, chromium, copper, lead, zinc, total petroleum hydrocarbons), Fusheng Industry Dafa Steel Products Factory (chromium, copper, nickel, total petroleum hydrocarbons), Lilong Steel Factory in Kaohsiung City (zinc, chromium, total petroleum hydrocarbons), and Qianyou Steel Chaozhou Factory in Pingtung County (arsenic, chromium, copper, nickel, zinc), Quanyu Industry Factory (lead, total petroleum hydrocarbons). Additionally, the Taiwan Wood Preservation Factory in Hsinchu City has confirmed groundwater contamination (arsenic, naphthalene, trichloroethylene) in addition to soil contamination (total petroleum hydrocarbons).
The EPA stated that the pollution at these sites is mainly characterized by heavy metals and total petroleum hydrocarbons. Heavy metals are not easily mobile in underground environments, and total petroleum hydrocarbons, mostly high-carbon-number fuel oil types, have high viscosity and are not easily mobile or dispersible. They also contain fewer volatile organic compounds with high health risks, thus unlikely to spread and endanger the surrounding environment. The possibility of groundwater pollution is also relatively low, but further verification is needed to confirm.
The EPA stated that during the investigation process, if any site pollution is found to potentially affect residents' health, immediate emergency response measures will be taken in coordination with local environmental protection bureaus. In addition to requesting county and city governments to announce the sites as pollution control sites or requiring operators to complete pollution improvements within a specified period, the EPA has instructed local environmental protection bureaus to expand inspections to determine if residents near the contaminated factories are using groundwater, planting edible crops, or engaging in aquaculture. Necessary measures such as prohibiting use or destroying the crops will be taken.
The EPA said that the focus of soil and groundwater pollution management, besides pollution prevention, is the investigation and remediation of existing pollution. Therefore, since 2004, the EPA has planned to use a scientifically quantified evaluation system to select and investigate factories with high pollution potential in stages, aiming to prevent hidden contaminated sites from unknowingly harming public health and the environment.
Provided by: Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Fund Management Board
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 080611/ 5/ 11033. html
EPA Investigates Pollution at 13 Abandoned Factory Sites
(Central News Agency Information Service 20080611 09:09:30 Taipei)
The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has proactively conducted pollution surveys on 50 sites of abandoned factory lands that were previously operated by industries with high pollution potential. It has been confirmed that 13 sites have clear evidence of soil pollution and will be directly announced as contaminated sites or required to improve within a specified period. Additionally, 24 factories are suspected of being contaminated and will undergo further verification.
Among the contaminated sites discovered this time are the Cathay Resin Factory in Taipei County (total petroleum hydrocarbons exceeding control standards), Hou Sheng Chemical Tucheng Factory (copper, total petroleum hydrocarbons), Handa Enterprise Factory in Taoyuan County (chromium), China Processing Lead Factory in Kaohsiung County (lead), Kaisheng Metal Qiaotou Factory (arsenic, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, zinc, dioxins, and furans), Juguan Metal Factory (chromium, zinc), Niuxin Enterprise Gangshan Second Factory (chromium, copper, nickel, zinc), Nanying Steel Factory (arsenic, chromium, copper, lead, zinc, total petroleum hydrocarbons), Fusheng Industry Dafa Steel Products Factory (chromium, copper, nickel, total petroleum hydrocarbons), Lilong Steel Factory in Kaohsiung City (zinc, chromium, total petroleum hydrocarbons), and Qianyou Steel Chaozhou Factory in Pingtung County (arsenic, chromium, copper, nickel, zinc), Quanyu Industry Factory (lead, total petroleum hydrocarbons). Additionally, the Taiwan Wood Preservation Factory in Hsinchu City has confirmed groundwater contamination (arsenic, naphthalene, trichloroethylene) in addition to soil contamination (total petroleum hydrocarbons).
The EPA stated that the pollution at these sites is mainly characterized by heavy metals and total petroleum hydrocarbons. Heavy metals are not easily mobile in underground environments, and total petroleum hydrocarbons, mostly high-carbon-number fuel oil types, have high viscosity and are not easily mobile or dispersible. They also contain fewer volatile organic compounds with high health risks, thus unlikely to spread and endanger the surrounding environment. The possibility of groundwater pollution is also relatively low, but further verification is needed to confirm.
The EPA stated that during the investigation process, if any site pollution is found to potentially affect residents' health, immediate emergency response measures will be taken in coordination with local environmental protection bureaus. In addition to requesting county and city governments to announce the sites as pollution control sites or requiring operators to complete pollution improvements within a specified period, the EPA has instructed local environmental protection bureaus to expand inspections to determine if residents near the contaminated factories are using groundwater, planting edible crops, or engaging in aquaculture. Necessary measures such as prohibiting use or destroying the crops will be taken.
The EPA said that the focus of soil and groundwater pollution management, besides pollution prevention, is the investigation and remediation of existing pollution. Therefore, since 2004, the EPA has planned to use a scientifically quantified evaluation system to select and investigate factories with high pollution potential in stages, aiming to prevent hidden contaminated sites from unknowingly harming public health and the environment.
Provided by: Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Fund Management Board
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 080611/ 5/ 11033. html