Taichung Longjing ‘rice field’ becomes storage site for incinerator ash

An area adjacent to a rice field in Longjing, Taichung has become the site for the disposal of incinerator waste, measuring approximately one hectare by three meters high, which equates to over 200,000 tons. The site is located at viaduct pier 445 under the West Coast Expressway. The site, which appears to be the dumping ground for waste material from an incinerator, is devoid of any kind of coverage resulting in airborne dust being continually blown onto the adjacent farmland.  Local residents are terrified to discuss the situation for fear of their own personal safety, however they did ask us to help them get the media involved in order to discover what the black waste material hidden below the gray ash is and to assist them with getting this unsightly and possibly dangerous pile of waste material removed.

Recently, on the 7th of September a number of environmental groups attended a press conference given by the Legislative Yuan, who provided information on incinerator ash sites in the Qingshui District of Taichung and informed the groups that the areas were all legal. The government states that as long as lead levels in the ash are below 5ppm the material is considered as safe, and therefore waste material with 4.8ppm would likewise be safe. Environmental groups disagree, stating that the long-term accumulated dissolution of lead in the environment will result in contamination of the natural environment and groundwater. It is stipulated that the reuse of these waste materials is for ‘basefill’, however the material dumped on farmland is clearly not being used as basefill, so then why is it being used in this way?

 
This really is only the tip of the iceberg, as Taiwan produces massive quantities of incinerator ash every year. If all of this waste is considered ‘legal’, to be used on fields, is it really possible for Taiwan to maintain a clean environment for agricultural production.
 

Taichung Longjing ‘rice field’ becomes storage site for incinerator ash (by CJ tsaijrhao)

URL: http://www.peopo.org/news/83791

(以下是中文對照)

台中龍井「農田」變身焚化爐底渣「掩埋場」 ( 生態人 )(tsaijrhao)

台中龍井農田遭業者回填「焚化爐底渣」面積約1公頃、高度約3公尺(超 過二萬公噸)，此地點位於西濱快速道路高架橋下445橋墩東側的水稻田間。現場猶如焚化爐底渣「掩埋場」，底渣未作任何掩蓋，揚塵隨風飄散到鄰近的農田、 社區。公民記者訪問當地數位農民，但他們不敢多談，若多說幾句擔心人身安全受到威脅。他們雖不敢多言，但仍提及此灰白色的底渣下面掩埋大量黑色不明的廢 土，希望透過媒體的報導，協助鄉親處理這有問題的「焚化爐底渣」。

   
前不久(9月7日)環保團體在立法院的一場記者會中，談及有關台中清水地區農地遭業者回填焚化爐底渣的事件，隔日報載台中市政府回應一切合法。此類似的事件，政府認為焚化爐底渣的鉛溶出小於5ppm，這表示無毒，非 有害事業廢棄物，如鉛溶出4.8ppm，政府認為無害。但環保團體認為溶出的鉛會於環境中長期累積，而對週邊的環境、地下水造成汙染。在底渣再利用的規範 中，限定用途之一是作為「基地填築」，但「農田」並非「基地」，為何可回填焚化爐底渣？
   
此事件僅冰山一角，台灣每年產生大量的焚化爐底渣，若皆能「合法」地填入農田，那台灣能否再保有乾淨的農業生產環境？

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