Explosive substances such as ammonium nitrate and hydrofluoric acid would be restricted from imports, manufacturing, usage, storage, transportation and sale in Taiwan, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said yesterday.
The agency issued a preview of planned amendments to regulations that are to take effect on July 1.
Hydrofluoric acid, which emerges when hydrogen fluoride is dissolved in water, has caused many injuries in industrial accidents and has been used to maliciously harm people, and should be regulated, Toxic and Chemical Substance Bureau Director-General Hsieh Yein-rui (謝燕儒) said.
Photo: Lo Chi, Taipei Times
An ammonium nitrate explosion in Beirut last year caused at least 210 deaths and 7,500 injuries, Hsieh said, adding that the substance should be regulated.
Ammonium nitrate is also used to produce helium, the first chemical restricted by the EPA, Hsieh said.
The online sale of the substances would be banned, as well as their unlicensed transportation, storage or sale, he said.
The regulations would also require detailed labeling, monthly reports and other measures, Hsieh said.
Contingency measures and other standards would be enforced at factories that handle more than 50,000kg of 80 percent pure ammonium nitrate, and 300kg of solutions with more than 10 percent hydrofluoric acid, he said.
The regulations would stipulate fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 (US$1,051 to US$10,514) for breaches when transporting the substances, Hsieh said.
Contraventions of accident-prevention mesaures would result in fines of NT$30,000 to NT$500,000, he said.
Accidents involving the substances leading to fatalities or injury would be punished with 7 years to life in prison and fines of up to NT$10 million, Hsieh said.
Facilities handling the substances without having insurance or without protective equipment would be fined NT$1 million to NT$5 million, he said.
The EPA had also found that some aluminum cleaning products sold in Taiwan contained hydrofluoric acid, he said.
The agency has asked manufacturers to add warnings to their labeling that inform customers of measures in case of an accident, Hsieh said.
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
EVA Airways, one of the leading international carriers in Taiwan, yesterday said that it was investigating reports that a cabin crew manager had ignored the condition of a sick flight attendant, who died on Saturday. The airline made the statement in response to a post circulating on social media that said that the flight attendant on an outbound flight was feeling sick and notified the cabin crew manager. Although the flight attendant grew increasingly ill on the return flight, the manager did not contact Medlink — a system that connects the aircraft to doctors on the ground for treatment advice during medical
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
RSS