The Taoyuan District Prosecutors’ Office on Saturday charged six people with allegedly dumping 54 tonnes of industrial waste on farmland in Taoyuan’s Lujhu District (蘆竹).
Prosecutors and the Taoyuan Department of Environmental Protection on Thursday raided a site in Lujhu and found 284 barrels of industrial waste.
The barrels each held about 189 liters of a black sludge of unknown origin. Prosecutors said tests would be conducted to determine the exact contents of the barrels.
Photo: Cheng Shu-ting, Taipei Times
Forty more barrels filled with an unidentified substance were uncovered when investigators excavated the site, prosecutors said, adding that some of the liquid had seeped out of the containers to contaminate the soil.
The highly alkaline liquid has a pH reading of 13.3, and tests are also to be conducted to determine its contents.
A large amount of copper sludge was also found dumped in the field, prosecutors said, adding the sludge had possibly been produced by circuit board manufacturing and electroplating.
Chang Hung-chung (張宏中), who allegedly dumped the waste in the field, had rented the plot and allegedly transported and stored the waste since last month, prosecutors said.
Undercover investigators had collected evidence since prosecutors received tip-offs last month, and the raid was conducted after Chang had reportedly hired five people to dump the barrels, prosecutors said.
All six have been charged with contravening the Waste Disposal Act (廢棄物清理法) for improper and unlicensed disposing of hazardous industrial waste.
Chang could face a prison term of between one to five years and a maximum fine of NT$3 million (US$91,659).
Chang does not hold a waste disposal license, but reportedly collected waste from factories by claiming to work with licensed companies, prosecutors said.
Chang has refused to explain the source of the waste, claiming it had been left by a friend, he did not know what was in the barrels and did not profit from the dumping, prosecutors said.
The Taoyuan Department of Environmental Protection said that it had covered the field with waterproof fabric to prevent rain from dispersing the pollutants.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
RSS