By KHT Staff. Images via KH City Govt.
KAOHSIUNG — The Kaohsiung Environmental Protection Bureau (高雄市政府環境保護局) announced it has imposed fines totaling NT$5.72 million on operators responsible for illegally dumping 13,900 tons of waste wood on agricultural land in Yongan District (永安區).
The bureau stated it launched an investigation late last year into the illegal stockpiling at a site in the district’s Baosing Section (保興段). Investigators determined a husband and wife, identified by the surnames Jiang (姜) and Hsiung (熊), rented the agricultural land and illegally accepted the waste wood.
Authorities fined the couple NT$720,000 for violating Article 36 of the Waste Disposal Act (廢棄物清理法) and referred the case to prosecutors in February, according to the bureau. On July 31, the bureau ordered the operators to submit a clearance plan and complete the removal by the end of this year.
The bureau stated that on Aug. 1, an AI cloud monitoring system detected a smoldering fire at the site that produced visible particulate matter. The bureau subsequently issued a maximum fine of NT$5 million for violating Article 32 of the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法).
Further investigation into the sources of the waste wood identified 44 clearance companies involved in the illegal dumping, the bureau stated. Of those implicated, 24 held valid waste clearance permits, while 20 did not. The bureau stated it has referred all 44 companies for prosecution.
The companies also face administrative fines ranging from NT$6,000 to NT$3 million for violating the Waste Disposal Act, and fines between NT$100,000 and NT$5 million for violating the Air Pollution Control Act, according to the bureau. Authorities convened a meeting with the involved companies on July 31, mandating that they participate in the clearance operations, which are currently underway.
