Groundwater and soil contamination at the former Radio Corp of America (RCA) factory in Taoyuan is set to be remediated by 2025, the Ministry of Environment said on Wednesday.
For decades, the RCA case has been synonymous with pollution in Taiwan, Environmental Management Administration Deputy Director-General Liu Jui-hsiang (劉瑞祥) told reporters in Taipei.
Yet after more than 20 years of cleanup efforts, the Taoyuan site is set to be clear of contaminants by 2025 and no longer designated a Groundwater Pollution Control Area, he said.
Photo: Taipei Times
An estimated NT$2 billion to NT$3 billion (US$62.5 million to US$93.8 million) has been spent on remedial efforts over the years, with the exact figure to be calculated once work is complete, he said.
RCA operated in Taiwan from 1970 to 1992, with plants in then-Taoyuan County, Hsinchu County and Yilan County, employing tens of thousands of people in the production of color TVs and other electronics products using up to 31 kinds of organic solvents, including known carcinogens.
In 1998, the then-Environmental Protection Administration found that the Taoyuan plant site was contaminated with chlorinated organic solvents and other toxic chemicals after the company had illegally dug wells to discharge toxic waste, contaminating tap water and groundwater.
The 7.2-hectare plant had been designated by the agency as a site of “permanent contamination,” and the surrounding 50 hectares were designated as a Groundwater Pollution Control Area.
Since 2000, the number of contaminated sites nationwide has fallen 94 percent from more than 9,000 to about 400, the ministry said.
Over the next six years, the ministry said it plans to invest another NT$3 billion on further remedial action.
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