Penghu Dachengbei Kitchen Waste Plant Emits Foul Odor; Hsu Chih-fu Proposes Relocation from Residential Areas

Residents in the vicinity of Penghu's Dachengbei kitchen waste treatment plant are enduring a persistent and noxious odor, significantly impacting their quality of life. Independent candidate for Penghu County Magistrate, Hsu Chih-fu, visited the site to assess the situation and listen to residents' concerns.

"The most unbearable thing is not the smell for one or two days, but living in this environment day after day, year after year," many residents expressed. They report being unable to open windows during summer due to the pervasive smell, which intensifies with wind direction changes. Frequent vehicle traffic associated with the plant further disrupts their daily lives.

Hsu Chih-fu acknowledged that the area surrounding the plant was sparsely populated when it was initially established. However, he noted that with local development, residential density has increased dramatically over the past two to three decades. He stressed that the government must abandon outdated thinking and address the current reality.

Looking ahead, Hsu proposed re-evaluating the plant's location. His plan involves identifying a new site away from residential zones, ensuring convenient transportation and adherence to environmental standards. This new facility would be a modern, enclosed, low-odor, and high-efficiency kitchen waste resource recycling center, incorporating advanced treatment technologies to transform waste into a valuable resource rather than a daily burden for residents.

Furthermore, Hsu suggested an innovative approach to manage the invasive Leucaena plant, which has plagued Penghu for years. He proposed processing cleared Leucaena branches through crushing, drying, and specialized treatment to assess their suitability as an auxiliary material for kitchen waste composting. This could improve compost quality, reduce odor, and turn waste disposal costs into a resource utilization initiative, truly achieving circular economy principles. Hsu pledged to sign a commitment letter and undergo public supervision to ensure his promises are fulfilled.