Formosa Plastics takes measures to control pollution in groundwater at Kaohsiung

23-Mar-10

Formosa Plastics Group, claims to have taken steps to control pollution found in groundwater at its Jenwu plant site in Kaohsiung County, adding that the contamination had not spread. Tests conducted by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) in H2-09 found soil and groundwater under the plant which produces vinyl-chloride monomers and HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) to be contaminated. The Kaohsiung County government asked Formosa Plastics to take corrective measures by mid-January. Further EPA tests conducted in February found pollutants on the plant site within acceptable levels. Formosa has attributed the groundwater pollution mainly to earthquakes that had caused wastewater to leak through cracks in its cement wastewater collection facilities. Also since the Jenwu plant was built in 1973, there was a lack of adequate facilities and no proper regulations or orders to follow at that time. But after the plant began to use steel wastewater collection tanks 4 years ago and brought a new NT$250 mln wastewater treatment facility on stream, groundwater pollution has been prevented. An additional NT$160 mln was invested in groundwater circulation wells that become operational last December, and they have also prevented the spread of pollution.