The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday announced enhanced measures to monitor levels of pollutants discharged into sewage systems by companies and industries located in science parks by adding ammoniacal hydrogen and dioxins to its list of regulated chemicals.
High concentrations of ammoniacal hydrogen can lead to a deterioration of water quality, making it toxic to some aquatic organisms, said Hsu Yung-hsing (許永興), director of the EPA’s Department of Water Quality.
According to the EPA, surveys showed that ammoniacal hydrogen content in wastewater discharged from photoelectric industries and companies in science parks accounts for about 34 percent of the total discharge.
The EPA is therefore introducing in two phases restrictions on ammoniacal hydrogen in wastewater for existing photoelectric materials and electronic components companies. The limit is 75mg per liter for the first phase, which goes into effect on July 1; this drops to 30mg per liter for the second phase, effective Jan. 1, 2017.
As for newly established companies, the maximum limit for ammoniacal hydrogen in wastewater will be 20mg per liter it said.
Meanwhile, maximum limits for dioxins in wastewater are set to be 5pg I-TEQ per liter for new companies and 10pg I-TEQ per liter for existing companies, it said.
The EPA cited surveys from European countries showing that dioxin concentrations in water account for only about 0.25 percent of total dioxins discharged in the environment each year. It said that surveys in Taiwan also showed that after proper treatment, dioxin discharge by local industries was much lower than US and Japanese standards of 10pg I-TEQ per liter.
The EPA advised pulp and paper operators to use chlorine-free bleaching and stabilize control over sewage treatment facilities to reduce the amount of dioxin discharge.
Additional reporting by CNA
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
EVA Airways, one of the leading international carriers in Taiwan, yesterday said that it was investigating reports that a cabin crew manager had ignored the condition of a sick flight attendant, who died on Saturday. The airline made the statement in response to a post circulating on social media that said that the flight attendant on an outbound flight was feeling sick and notified the cabin crew manager. Although the flight attendant grew increasingly ill on the return flight, the manager did not contact Medlink — a system that connects the aircraft to doctors on the ground for treatment advice during medical
RSS