The nation's first plant to treat hazardous industrial waste will go online next month if a compensation deal can be worked out with Kaohsiung County, where the facility will be located, government officials said yesterday.
The new plant is a part of program established by recent amendments to the Waste Disposal Act. The goal is to control and clean up hazardous industrial waste and help industries reduce or recycle waste for other uses.
Shih Yen-hsiang (施顏祥), head of the Industrial Development Bureau, said three plants to treat hazardous industrial waste will be set up by the end of next year. They will be located in southern, central and northern Taiwan.
Finally, a place for waste
Shih said the three plants should take pressure off of industries that have no place to take hazardous industrial waste for treatment.
The plant scheduled to go online next month will be located in Kaohsiung County's Ta Fa Industrial District. The facility will make use of an existing incinerator, Shih said.
"The industrial waste treatment plant will not only offer a solution to problems pertaining to hazardous industrial waste management, but also encourage companies to make investments" in waste treatment and recycling technologies, Shih said.
Under the Waste Disposal Act, the government provides financial incentives to companies that make such investments.
Shih told Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) yesterday that the Industrial Development Bureau would coordinate with the local government to improve Kaohsiung's business environment.
The Industrial Development Bureau is overseen by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and is charged with developing investment plans and coordinating with related government agencies.
A shared responsibility
The bureau shares responsibility for managing hazardous industrial waste, while the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) takes care of non-hazardous industrial waste.
Hwang Man-ching (
In January, local government officials issued a permit to the incinerator to allow the burning of hazardous waste such as PCBs.
Hwang said Kaohsiung officials hope the Industrial Development Bureau will put up the entire cost of new buildings for the treatment plant and share the cost of building an incinerator.
In addition, the local government hopes to receive roughly NT$200 for each tonne of hazardous industrial waste treated at the plant.
"In early March, both sides will discuss details about compensation and hopefully reach an agreement," Hwang said.
"Then the waste treatment plant can begin operations by the end of next month," Hwang said.
Hwang said the establishment of the waste treatment plant would make the industrial district more competitive.
The combined value of the roughly 600 companies located in the industrial district is about NT$89 billion annually.
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