TAIWAN GOVT AWAITING PROBE REPORT ON PETROCHEM COMPLEX FIRE
TAIPEI, Jul 28, 2010 (AsiaPulse via COMTEX) --
(C) 2010 Asia Pulse Pte Ltd
The Taiwanese government will
await the results of an investigation into a string of recent
fires at a petrochemical complex in Yunlin County before
determining whether the incidents should be factored into the
environmental impact assessment for expansion of the complex,
the ministry of economic affairs (MOEA) said Tuesday.
If fires at the complex, which is run by the Formosa
Plastics Group (FPG) (TAIEX:1301), are found to be isolated
incidents, they would not be considered in the environmental
impact assessment for the expansion project, said Vice Minister
of Economic Affairs Hwang Jung-chiou.
However, if it is found that the fires resulted from
systematic problems, the government will take a closer look at
the incidents, he said.
The fire that broke out Sunday at an oil refining plant in
the FPG's No. 6 naphtha cracker complex in Mailiao, Yunlin
County was the second in less than a month at the complex. The
first blaze was on July 7 at an alkenes plant.
Immediately after the fires occurred, the two plants were
ordered to suspend operations, Hwang said. They will not be
allowed to resume work until they are given the all clear based
on inspections by the Environmental Protection Administration,
Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) and fire authorities, he
added.
As for the complaints that Sunday's fire has polluted rice
paddies and fish farms in the neighborhood, Hwang said that if
the FPG is found to be responsible for the pollution problem,
it will have to compensate the affected farmers.
Chen Tien-shou, deputy director-general of the Council of
Agriculture's Fisheries Agency, said five fish farms have
reported that their hard clams and tilapia died immediately
after the fire Sunday. The Yunlin County Government is
investigating the claims, he said.
The agency will help the farmers seek compensation from the
FPG if the investigation finds that the fish had died as a
result of the fire, he said.
Meanwhile, CLA Deputy Minister Kuo Fang-yu said his council
will conduct industrial safety inspections at all plants in the
petrochemical complex on a weekly basis instead of monthly or
fortnightly as is now the case.
(CNA) bl
|
|