A recycling plant on Chenggong Rd in Taoyuan County’s Longtan Township has been emitting a putrid odor for sometime, and trees in the vicinity have turned black and withered, allegedly from contamination. Local residents believe that noxious iron particles and dust in the air from decomposing discarded tires are causing the pollution.
“Wearing N95 particulate respirators doesn’t help either,” local residents said angrily. A foul, putrid smell has incessantly plagued the area surrounding the recycling plant in recent years, and wearing a mask does nothing to block the strong odor. Residents have discovered that the fetid smell comes from iron particles, cotton fiber and dust in the air. They keep their doors and windows shut tight, while parked vehicles and vegetables grown in nearby gardens all have a layer of black on them. People are afraid to eat the vegetables they grow themselves.
Last week more than 50 local residents, led by Taoyuan County Councilor Chang Chao-liang and Huangtang Village Chief Liu Hsiu-tseng, held a protest outside the plant. The plant’s operator says that the plant was using machines to break up iron and non-metals and then using water to intercept the dust. It was not until a notice was received from the Taoyuan County Government Environmental Protection Bureau that the company was made aware that this interception method was not entirely clean, the company says, adding that it will make the necessary improvements immediately and has already shut the plant down, so there will not be any more dust flying around.
Photo: Chou Min-hung, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者周敏鴻
It is difficult for pollution from small factories to be discovered, Chang says, adding that such companies need to upgrade their facilities. The bureau says that it will enhance its inspections of this particular plant. If the plant reopens without making the necessary improvements, it will be in violation of the Air Pollution Control Act and could be fined as much as NT$1 million (US$33,777), the bureau says.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)
龍潭鄉成功路一處資源回收場長期飄出惡臭，附近樹木也被染黑枯死，居民認為是分解廢輪胎產生鐵屑、粉塵亂飛，造成污染，五十多位居民上週聚集抗議。
「連戴N95口罩都沒用了啦！」居民氣憤地說，近年來回收場周邊總是有刺鼻惡臭，即使戴口罩也擋不住濃重臭味。他們觀察發現是空氣中鐵屑、棉絮及粉塵帶來臭味；居民將住家門窗緊閉，但停在路旁的汽車及菜園裡種的菜，仍蒙上一層黑褐色，讓他們連自家種的蔬菜都不敢吃。
五十多位居民上週由縣議員張肇良、黃唐村長劉修增帶頭，前往回收場抗議。業者解釋，回收場是透過機具震動來分離鐵與非金屬，再利用水攔截粉塵，一直到接獲桃園縣環保局告知，才知攔截不完全造成污染，會立即改善，也已先停工不再讓粉塵亂飄。
張肇良說，小工廠污染難被發現，業者一定要提升設備。環保局強調，會加強查緝這家回收場，未改善前又擅自復工，將依空氣污染防制法開罰，最高可罰鍰新台幣一百萬元（三萬三千七百七十七美元）。
（自由時報記者周敏鴻）
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