Tests conducted by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI, 工研院) revealed that a steel plant in Taoyuan County, which also serves as an incinerator for hazardous medical waste, has been emitting more than 1,000 times the tolerated amount of dioxin.
In light of the results, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA,
EPA head Hau Lung-bin (
Since Taiwan's dioxin emission standards only apply to incinerators, the EPA commissioned the ITRI to sample and record the dioxin discharge volumes from incinerators in order to provide reference figures for other facilities such as steel plants. Dioxin can cause cancer in humans.
Even after halting the incineration of medical waste, the dioxin emissions of the Taoyuan factory were still found to be above acceptable limits after another test was carried out last October.
But without national standards for steel plants' dioxin discharges, the EPA cannot order the factory to close or to clean up its act, even given the alarming levels of emissions.
But Hau said the EPA would ask for the closure of the entire factory. If the factory would not comply with the request, Hau added, the EPA would order it not to handle any more medical waste.
Local environmental groups were shocked by the high volume of dioxin discharged by the factory. The groups said that in Japan, the government would adopt emergency measures when a facility was found to emit a dangerous level of dioxin.
The groups also said that the level of dioxin emitted by the factory could seriously harm human health, and hence the facility would have to cease its operations. They also demanded authorities conduct health examinations of neighboring residents to see whether or not their health has been affected.
Forty to 50 tonnes of hazardous medical waste is produced daily in Taiwan. Of the waste, the Taoyuan factory deals with approximately 12 tonnes, while an incinerator in Yunlin County handles 18 tonnes. The remainder is handled by smaller factories.
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