As much as 5,000 tonnes of illegally dumped furnace slag was found on Saturday in Yunlin County’s Huwei Township (虎尾).
Huwei Precinct investigation squad vice director Lin Cheng-yo (林政佑) said that an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 tonnes of furnace slag was discovered buried at a 1 hectare plot of farmland in the township, after local residents reported a foul odor and the irregular activities of gravel trucks entering the plot.
Six suspects having been questioned in relation to violations of the Waste Disposal Act (廢棄物清理法).
Lin said the dump was a combination of industrial and household waste. Police and environmental agents discovered trash and bricks along with slag, sludge and limestone on the site, while further tests are required to understand the composition of the substances and their environmental effects.
The plot was not approved as a waste burial site, Lin said, adding that the case has been handed over to prosecutors.
The slag allegedly came from a Taichung-based construction materials testing company that tests cement, reinforcement steel, asphalt and bricks, Lin said, adding that the people involved allegedly said that the materials were legally approved backfill.
“It remains uncertain whether the site contains hazardous materials. Bricks and household waste can not be used as backfill material,” Environmental Protection Administration team director Lin Yen-hua (林燕華) said.
“Judging from the color of unidentified sludge, it might not cause serious pollution,” she added.
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