Although the blaze released chemicals into the air, the fire at a fertilizer plant in Taichung on Sunday did not cause any significant damage to the quality of the air or water in nearby areas, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said yesterday.
The fire injured at least 16 people and caused a great amount of financial losses. Although the fire was extinguished, it spontaneously re-ignited yesterday morning, before being put out again.
The EPA's air quality report yesterday suggested that levels of chemicals in the air remained normal, and public anxiety over the fire would eventually subside. The monitoring data collected yesterday morning showed that levels of methanol, ammonia, and ethylene that were released into the air are all at "acceptable levels."
In addition, EPA officials said that the accidental release of toxic chemicals would not lead to the formation of acid rain. EPA chief Chang Kuo-lung (
Yesterday, two filtering systems in nearby rivers were established. Seven trucks collected sludge from the rivers and sent them to sewage plants for treatment. EPA officials said that the yellow color in the rivers is normal because decomposition of nitrate released from the factory had been processed in water.
The pH level of river water also remained at "acceptable levels," the EPA said. Since the river water is not source for drinking water, the public should remain calm, officials added. However, agricultural agencies in charge of irrigation management will be closely monitoring the river in the near future.
Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (
"Results from the monitoring of the the environmental impact in the next three days will be immediately available to the public," Hu said.
People who suffer from respiratory illnesses may experience further breathing problems as a result of the air pollution, official said.
On Sunday, fire fighters and reporters close to the scene experienced respiratory problems as a result of the blaze.
Hu noted that there are 25 other chemical factories in the industrial complex where the fire broke out, and the government inspect these facilities to prevent further fires.
The city government also reviewed its capability to deal with chemical leaks and planned to purchase more specially equipped trucks which are designed to handle chemical spills.
The EPA also yesterday held a disaster-prevention drill at the Taichung Science Park to deal with accidents involving toxic chemical spills. More than 200 rescue workers from 25 units, the police, the army and hospitals participated in a drill in the event of a major chemical spill in the future.
SHORT-TERM OUTLOOK: The Chinese military would most likely focus on rebuilding its organization and leadership in the next few years, experts said Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) military purge has reduced the risks of a planned war against Taiwan, yet increased the danger of a conflict sparked by a miscalculation or accident, Taiwanese experts said yesterday. They made the comments at a seminar on the Fifth Plenary Session of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 20th Central Committee held by the research group Secure Taiwan Associate Corp (STA) in Taipei. The wholesale sacking of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers and managers of the aerospace and defense industry is sure to set back Xi’s timetable to prepare the PLA to launch an invasion of Taiwan
BATTLE-TESTED: Czech companies’ drones, software and navigation systems have been tested in the Ukraine war, while other countries’ are lab-tested, a Czech ex-official said Czech manufacturers are interested in setting up drone assembly lines in Taiwan, former Czech Chamber of Deputies president Marketa Pekarova Adamova told a forum in Taipei yesterday. Adamova made the comments at the inauguration of the Global UAV Academy, an organization dedicated to international cooperation in drone supply chains, technological certification and pilot training. The Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology said the Czech Republic is the largest importer of Taiwanese drones and uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) components. Adamova, who transitioned to the defense industry after retiring from politics, said the Roman adage “si vis pacem, para bellum” — “If you
Former China Central Television (CCTV) talk show host Cheng Wanjun (程萬軍) yesterday sought political asylum in Taiwan, a day after arriving at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on a connecting flight from Thailand. In a video posted on X, Cheng said he was appealing to Taiwan to grant him temporary asylum on humanitarian grounds while he sought permanent resettlement in a third country. Cheng said he previously served as editor-in-chief of the journal Law and Life and hosted legal affairs programs on state-run CCTV. He said he ran afoul of Chinese authorities in 2019 after a video surfaced showing him discussing rulers whose actions
Support for Democratic Progressive Party Legislator and Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋) reached 52.6 percent, compared with 35.3 percent for Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), a poll released yesterday by the Strategy and Public Research Institute of Taiwan showed. The poll was held after the candidates’ first debate on Saturday. It showed support for Shen surpassing 50 percent for the first time, with the gap between the two widening to 17.3 percentage points. A breakdown of voting intentions by district found that Shen led Chiang in 11 of Taipei’s 12 districts. His strongest
RSS