Environmental officials said yesterday they would not allow the country's international image to be sullied by allowing shipments of hazardous waste to the Solomon Islands.
The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) dismissed concerns that a Taiwanese company plans to ship up to three million tonnes of industrial waste to the tiny Pacific island state.
"We will by no means issue such an export license," an EPA spokesman said. "Taiwan's international image must not be damaged. We'll see to it that this will not happen," he said.
The spokesman said the EPA had alerted customs after receiving a tip-off in November. But he added there was little the government could do before a license for the waste shipment is sought.
"After all, the concerned Tai-wanese company has not registered with the government and has not taken any illegal measures," he said.
Reports earlier in the month quoted a Solomons government official as saying that a Taiwanese company was attempting to dump factory waste in the Solomon Islands that could lead to pollution.
Haura Development Investment Holdings Import and Export Company Ltd, based in the Solomon Islands, said it was importing from Taiwan up to three million tonnes of "humus soil" to dump on Makira island, a largely untouched and densely wooded swamp also known as San Cristobal.
According to reports, Daniel Vagatora, principal quarantine officer, said the Solomons' Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock was advising against the importation plan, saying the "humus soil" was factory waste containing heavy metals that could cause pollution.
Yesterday, the EPA said it had been keeping its eye on a Kaohsiung-based company involved in the controversy.
EPA officials said they had been aware Primeval Forest Enterprise Co planned to ship industrial sludge as "humus soil" overseas. The agency said it had asked local environmental officials to investigate.
"We have to stress here that the company has not actually solicited clients locally, even if it did successfully build channels overseas," said Leu Horng-guang (
Leu said local environmental inspectors and customs officials have been particularly cautious in handling export applications to the Solomons filed by Primeval Forest.
Environmental officials at the Kaohsiung City Government said the company claims to deal solely in the export of "reusable humus soil," sludge and non-hazardous chemical solvents.
Officials also said that when Haura Development Investment Holdings received its five-year import permit from the Solomons government in August, Primeval Forest did not yet exist on paper. The company was registered on Jan. 22 this year.
Chang Juu-en (
"Companies should not defy the law," Chang said. They shouldn't "damage both the environment of other countries and Taiwan's reputation," the official said.
Earlier this month, Greenpeace Australia issued a press release raising alarms about the plan to ship hazardous waste to Solomon Islands as "humus soil." Environmentalists said dioxin and heavy metals contained in the waste could indeed create environmental pollution.
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