Kaohsiung hazardous waste plant fire results in maximum fine, shutdown order

A fire erupted at a hazardous waste treatment plant in Kaohsiung's Gangshan district late Tuesday night, burning through the night and causing significant air pollution. The blaze involved 20 tons of heavy oil mixed with diesel, igniting piles of used "space bags" in a warehouse. Flames and explosions were visible from afar.

Firefighters deployed 48 vehicles and 131 personnel, supported by 75 volunteer firefighters. They utilized advanced equipment, including six fire robots, three drones, and 11 high-performance chemical vehicles. The fire was extinguished at 4:32 a.m. Wednesday, with an area of 1,500 square meters affected. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

The Environmental Protection Bureau investigated and found the factory had been fined 16 times since 2005, primarily for failing to operate pollution control equipment properly. This latest incident, suspected to be due to poor management, violated the Air Pollution Control Act. The bureau imposed the maximum fine of 5 million New Taiwan dollars and ordered the factory to halt operations. Officials emphasized that waste treatment facilities must implement strict fire prevention and inspection measures to avoid such incidents.