By Eryk Michael Smith / Staff
KAOHSIUNG — As construction projects across Taiwan stall amid a nationwide shortage of approved soil disposal sites, Kaohsiung City has moved first with a new policy allowing excavated construction soil to be transported directly from worksites to final disposal locations, bypassing private intermediary depots.
The new system, known as “A-to-C,” allows soil to move straight from the construction site (Point A) to an approved final destination (Point C), eliminating the need to pass through so-called “soil resource yards” (Point B). City officials say the change has already helped restart projects that had been forced to halt work.
Under the policy, contractors must verify soil quality at the excavation site. As long as the material does not contain prohibited construction waste, it can be shipped directly to approved receiving areas, including designated land within the Nansing Port Area (南星港區). The city has paired the policy with tighter controls, including electronic tracking forms, GPS vehicle monitoring, digital geofencing, and video surveillance.
Kaohsiung’s Public Works Bureau said inspectors verify soil at the source, while receiving sites are subject to additional checks to ensure full traceability from start to finish. Officials argue the system improves oversight by removing opaque middle layers that have long been difficult to regulate.
Construction industry representatives say the change has provided immediate relief. In recent months, some private soil yards reportedly raised disposal fees sharply, in some cases to NT$2,000 to NT$3,000 per cubic meter, making it financially impossible for projects to continue. By removing the intermediary step, contractors say costs have stabilized, and scheduling has improved.
Industry groups also point to past cases in which improperly managed soil yards were linked to illegal dumping, including incidents that resulted in criminal investigations. They argue that direct transport reduces opportunities for misuse and increases accountability.
City officials say Kaohsiung is the first local government in Taiwan to implement a full A-to-C system and that several suspended projects have already resumed work. The city says it will continue coordinating with central government agencies as the broader soil disposal issue remains unresolved nationwide.
Source: Storm Media
