Miaoli County river polluted by oil from construction trucks

A river in Miaoli County was discovered yesterday to be polluted by heavy oil that had spilled from tanker trucks.

Environmental officials said that they had removed some of the spilled oil and blocked the remainder -- about six tonnes in total -- at a certain part of the river, which would be removed entirely by today.

Early yesterday morning, residents of Touwu township discovered that a large number of spiral shellfish in Houlung Creek (後龍溪) were dead.

A pungent smell led curious residents to two trucks belonging to BES Engineering Corp (中華工程), the source of the heavy oil, parked near irrigation ditches leading to the river.

The residents reported the matter immediately to the township office, claiming that the two trucks had been parked there for three months.

Environmental inspectors and police immediately examined the trucks to find out why they had suddenly released large amounts of oil.

"Engines [for pumping oil] connected to oil tanks on the trucks were stolen. Unskilled thieves separated the engines from the trucks, causing the oil spill," an environmental inspector said, adding that the spill probably began on Thursday evening.

Environmental inspectors said that an approximately 200m-long section of Laotienliao Creek (老田寮溪) and 6km of irrigation ditches leading to Houlung Creek had been polluted.

Houlung township Chief Chiang Chia-hsiun (江嘉勳) said that they had asked for help from the Chinese Petroleum Corp (中油) to block the floating oil by placing booms on the water's surface.

"I don't think the oil spill will result in any negative environmental impact," Chiang said.

Environmental Protection Administration officials said yesterday that BES Engineering Corp would be punished under the Waste Disposal Act if it did not clean up oil left on land and floating in the river.

The administration recommended that the company, which is engaged in highway construction in Miaoli County, use cotton or saw dust to absorb the remaining oil.