Yilan County Government’s Environmental Protection Bureau yesterday said that furnace slag was found dumped in the open beside an abandoned plant owned by a recycling company in Longte Industrial Park (龍德工業區), and wastewater near the area was found to be strongly alkaline.
After receiving a report from the public, the bureau’s director, Chen Teng-chin (陳登欽), and inspectors arrived yesterday at the Hsuan Lung Environmental Technology Co’s abandoned plant in Longte Industrial Park, and found about 30,000 tonnes of furnace slag dumped over an uncovered 3.5 hectare area.
“Among the five areas of farmland that have been found polluted [in the area], two are currently being regulated as soil and groundwater pollution control zones, and the pollutants found in the five farm areas were from furnace slag,” Chen said.
The wastewater in the area was found to be strongly alkaline, with a PH level of 11.52.
“As for the strongly alkaline wastewater, I believe it will cause serious harm to fish or other living things, and the water may even contain heavy metal that we have not yet confirmed by examination,” Chen said.
In line with the Water Pollution Control Act (水污染防治法), the bureau said that it would fine the company NT$110,000 (US$3,670) for discharging untreated wastewater.
The bureau added that the company will also be given two fines of between NT$100,000 and NT$1 million each for violations of the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法) for dumping uncovered furnace slag.
In addition, the bureau said the company’s owner may face criminal charges if the furnace slag is found to contain heavy metals, in violation of government regulations.
The bureau said it had contacted the company’s owner and another landowner to meet with the inspectors yesterday.
There was no representative from the company at the site yesterday.
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