The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) announced new off-site disposal measures for contaminated soil, with new licensing regulations required for firms to be allowed to process the waste.
Operators of properties designated as contaminated sites must now commission a licensed facility for the off-site treatment of contaminated soil, according to a clause in the Waste Disposal Act (廢棄物清理法), Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Fund Management Board executive secretary Ma Nien-ho (馬念和) said.
The EPA formulated a series of specialized “soil codes” — different indices and standards to govern the processing of different pollutants — as part of a new licensing process, Ma said.
Contaminated soils have to be transported using vehicles equipped with GPS to ensure traceability of contaminated substances, he said.
Previously, local environmental agencies would review off-site treatment projects on a case-by-case basis, with the reviewing criteria differing from one agency to another, he said.
There are only six processors who have obtained the license so far, while the nation produces 172,000 tonnes of polluted soil to be treated off-site every year, he said, adding that only two of the processors are soil recycling facilities.
Sixty-five percent of contaminated soil is buried, solidified or incinerated, while the rest is restored or used in concrete, bricks or aggregates, Ma said, adding that reused products must pass toxicity tests to determine whether they are harmful.
The EPA tracks the flow of the recycled products, he said.
There are 6,258 sites nationwide, making up a combined 3,524 hectares on the EPA’s watchlist of confirmed or possible pollution sites, most of which are in industrial hubs, such as Taoyuan and Changhua County, Ma said, adding that petroleum leaks caused by gas stations account for most of the cases, as older gas stations do not usually have double-wall storage tanks to prevent leakage.
One recently licensed processor is managed by state-run oil refiner CPC Corp, Taiwan, which can restore contaminated soil using biological agents to purge organic pollutants, he said.
In other news, the EPA on Monday announced amendments to regulations for fines for breaches of the Water Pollution Control Act (水汙染防治法), with daily fines replaced by fines per violation.
The new regulations stipulate that enterprises involved in unauthorized releases of wastewater or other breaches that could severely affect a body of water must take immediate steps to remedy and improve the situation.
A correction period of 90 days is allowed for minor breaches, the EPA said.
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