An orange gas cloud that leaked from a waste management plant yesterday morning in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音) was likely caused by acidic waste, authorities said, adding that it posed no immediate harm.
The leak occurred at a plant in the district’s Environmental Science and Technology Park at about 7am, the Taoyuan Fire Department said.
Firefighters discovered a cloud of unidentified orange gas leaking from a waste tank when they arrived on the site, it said, adding that they put on Level A chemical protection before entering the building.
Photo: Screen grab from Taoyuan Big and Small Things’ Facebook page
After finding there was no continuous leak, the department worked with the city’s Department of Environment Protection and the Northern Environmental Hazard Team to confirm there were no other hazards on site, it said.
The Taoyuan Department of Environment Protection said the gas dispersed over the ocean by 8am and posed no immediate harm.
The orange cloud was likely caused by acidic waste liquid leaking from a storage tank coming into contact with metals, causing a chemical reaction, it added.
The plant failed to report the incident within an hour of its occurrence, contravening Article 33 of the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法), it said.
The company could face a fine of NT$100,000 to NT$20 million (US$3,082 to US$616,333) in accordance with the act.
The plant was ordered to stop processing waste and submit a full inspection to the Taoyuan City Government for approval before resuming normal operations, the environmental department said.
People with respiratory issues in Datan (大潭) and Baosheng (保生) boroughs should exercise caution and wear a mask outside, as the wind was coming from the north-northeast, sending the gas through the areas, it said.
A similar leak occurred in Guanyin in 2017.
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