The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday clarified a report that groundwater pollution at the site of the Radio Corp of America's plant in Taoyuan has spread up to 500m outside the plant.
The report by a Chinese-language newspaper said the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) conducted a pollution survey of the groundwater within 500m of the plant and found that tetrachlorethylene (TCE) concentrations exceeded acceptable levels.
TCE, a volatile solvent most often used in the electronics, dry-cleaning and aerospace industries, has been classified by the International Research Association on Cancer as a highly carcinogenic substance.
The plant was shut down in 1992, but the pollution was not exposed until 1994.
Shen Yi-fu (沈一夫), deputy executive secretary of the EPA's Soil and Groundwater Remediation Fund Management Board, said that since the site's pollution came to light, the EPA has designated areas within 500m of the plant as pollution regulatory areas, adding that there were unlikely to be other polluted areas.
He said that the EPA commissioned the ITRI to conduct the survey of groundwater around the plant last year with the aim of identifying the level of pollution of the groundwater as a reference in future pollution cleanup work.
Shen said that since the site was found to be contaminated, the use of groundwater in the area for drinking has been strictly forbidden.
The regulatory area extends 500m from the site, and the EPA has so far not found polluted groundwater beyond this zone, he said.
Shen added that soil cleanup work within the plant was completed in 1998 and that residents in nearby communities have been drinking tap water which he said posed minimal health risks.
The research association has recently proposed a groundwater cleanup plan, Shen said, adding that the plan would be put into practice after it is approved by the Taoyuan County Government.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
Taiwan is to have nine extended holidays next year, led by a nine-day Lunar New Year break, the Cabinet announced yesterday. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year matches the length of this year’s holiday, which featured six extended holidays. The increase in extended holidays is due to the Act on the Implementation of Commemorative and Festival Holidays (紀念日及節日實施條例), which was passed early last month with support from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party. Under the new act, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve is also a national holiday, and Labor Day would no longer be limited
COMMITMENTS: The company had a relatively low renewable ratio at 56 percent and did not have any goal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy, the report said Pegatron Corp ranked the lowest among five major final assembly suppliers in progressing toward Apple Inc’s commitment to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2030, a Greenpeace East Asia report said yesterday. While Apple has set the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy across its entire business, supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030, carbon emissions from electronics manufacturing are rising globally due to increased energy consumption, it said. Given that carbon emissions from its supply chain accounted for more than half of its total emissions last year, Greenpeace East Asia evaluated the green transition performance of Apple’s five largest final
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
RSS