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EPA slammed over sluggish dioxin response

Changhua County residents involved in the duck and duck egg business traveled to Taipei yesterday to lodge a protest against the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), and demand appropriate compensation for economic losses in the wake of a dioxin scare.

Several duck farms were closed after the EPA found traces of dioxin in poultry in the area in June, alarming residents who depend on the business and whose health may also have been endangered. Residents became angry when the EPA postponed announcing results of its investigation into the sources of dioxin from August until December.

At a press conference held in Taipei City yesterday, Hsienhsi (線西) Township chief Huang Hung-yao (黃弘耀) said the dioxin pollution has seriously affected the livelihood of some residents who raise ducks or process duck eggs.

"We cannot stand such a slow response," Huang said. "In addition to financial compensation, the EPA should carry out clean-up projects to profile the environment in which we live as soon as possible."

After the EPA found dioxin traces, it only shut down one factory, which recycles toxic ash collected from steel works. The factory was located near the contaminated farms. Some residents and environmentalists believe that the plant, which treated toxic electric arc furnace (EAF) dust collected in the air pollution control system at steel plants, was the source of most of the dioxin. EAF dust is listed by the EPA as hazardous waste.

"If the EAF dust recycling plant is the source of the dioxin, the EPA should assist victims and ask for compensation," Huang said.

In a recent health examination conducted by the Cabinet-level Department of Health, dioxin levels in the blood of seven out of 27 area farmers exceeded the standards set by the World Health Organization. Huang said that the results terrified almost 17,000 residents of the township, who became fearful that their health had been jeopardized.

Meanwhile, Eric Liou (劉銘龍), secretary-general of the Taipei-based Environmental Quality Protection Foundation, said the EPA was negligent in regulating dioxin emissions

"So far, the EPA has been reluctant to release key data on the link between the emission of dioxins from the plant and the environment ... information that is crucial to [residents'] health remains unavailable," Liou said.

Health experts are due to gather new data at contaminated sites today ahead of a meeting next week.
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