The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday said it suspected that container cleaning factories might be the culprits behind four poisonous gas leaks that occurred in the past month in the Tafa Industrial Park in Kaohsiung County’s Taliao Township (大寮).
The gas leaks affected school children and teachers in nearby Chaoliao elementary and middle schools. Dozens fell ill, suffering from nausea, dizziness and chest pain, and were sent to hospital for emergency treatment.
EPA Minister Steven Shen (沈世宏) told a press conference in Taipei yesterday that following an analysis of the gas collected from the school, results suggested the gas contained elements used in pesticide products.
PHOTO: HSU MIN-JUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Another analysis comparing gas samples from the middle school and from five nearby factories found no matches, Shen said, however, two of the five factories were found to have emissions in excess of the standard stipulated in the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法), and they would be fined according to the law.
Nevertheless, Shen said that during the investigation, the EPA found that two other factories may be responsible for the leaks.
One was an empty container cleaning factory located some 400m from the middle school, and another agricultural container cleaning factory located some 1200m from the school, Shen said. Both were suspected of dumping waste liquid from containers containing hexachloro-1, 3-butadiene that subsequently resulted in high-density emissions, he said.
The EPA is now closely monitoring the two factories, he added.
Saying that there are several factories surrounding the school, Shen said it was hard to guarantee 100 percent that none of the factories would emit gases harmful to health during their operations.
Shen suggested that the school relocate, or if not, that the students take their classes elsewhere.
Unsatisfied with the EPA’s response, Taliao Township Mayor Huang Tien-huang (黃天煌) said the people in his township want the EPA to immediately ask the factories to be temporarily shut down.
Huang also demanded that the EPA minister negotiate the terms of compensation with the people in the township in person.
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
RESTRICTIONS: All food items imported from the five prefectures must be accompanied by radiation and origin certificates, and undergo batch-by-batch inspection The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday announced that almost all produce from five Japanese prefectures affected by the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster would now be allowed into Taiwan. The five are Fukushima, Gunma, Chiba, Ibaraki and Tochigi. The only items that would still be blocked from being imported into the nation are those that are still banned from being circulated in Japan, the FDA added. With the removal of the ban, items including mushrooms, the meat of wild birds and other wild animals, and koshiabura” (foraged vegetables) would now be permitted to enter Taiwan, along with the other
A new tropical storm is expected to form by early tomorrow morning, potentially developing into a medium-strength typhoon that is to affect Taiwan through Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration said today. There are currently two tropical systems circulating to the east of Taiwan, agency forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. The one currently north of Guam developed into Tropical Storm Gebi this afternoon and is expected to veer toward Japan without affecting Taiwan, Hsu said. Another tropical depression is 600km from the east coast and is likely to develp into the named storm Krathon either late tonight or early tomorrow, he said. This
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although