Greater Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) yesterday asked the city’s environment bureau to quickly identify which factories in the Taichung Export Processing Zone were responsible for emitting toxic material that contaminated underground water sources in Tanzih (潭子) and Beitun (北屯區) districts.
The city’s environment bureau last week found underground water around the Taichung Export Processing Zone contained 12 times more trichloroethylene than regular underground water.
Trichloroethylene is carcinogenic, the bureau said.
Photo: Chang Jui-chen, Taipei Times
It said the contaminated area was 3km long and 2km wide and posed a health risk to about 300,000 local residents the, adding that two factories were suspected of being behind the leaks.
Hu visited the contaminated areas yesterday and asked the environment bureau to determine the source of the leak.
He also called on residents in the contaminated area to avoid contact with water from underground sources and closed swimming pools at schools in the area.
Hu said he had ordered the fire department to deliver water to the contaminated area three times a day, adding that the city government would also help residents install running water if they had not already done so.
As the Taichung Export Processing Zone is managed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Hu has asked the ministry to build a wastewater treatment plant in the park and also requested that residents be provided with free health checks.
“I might take to the streets with Greater Taichung residents against the ministry if it does not resolve this problem,” he said.
The Taichung Export Processing Zone was established in 1971 and is currently home to 48 factories.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS