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Bottom ash from incinerators turned into recycled concrete invades farmland, causing severe heavy metal exceedances

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Incinerator bottom ash reborn as "recycled concrete" invades farmland, heavy metals severely exceed standards, environmental groups: Environmental Protection Administration has opened a back door

The situation of waste being dumped on farmland in Taiwan is serious, and recently "low-density recycled permeable concrete" made from incinerator bottom ash has invaded farmland, especially in Changhua. According to on-site measurements by environmental groups at the farmland, heavy metals such as lead, zinc and copper all exceeded standards. Among them, lead content reached as high as over 20,000 mg/kg, far exceeding the soil control standard of 2000 mg/kg, not to mention the edible crop standard of 500 mg/kg; copper content reached as high as over 40,000 mg/kg, far exceeding the soil control standard of 400 mg/kg and the edible crop standard of 200 mg/kg. The degree of exceedance is shocking

Originally thought these dumpings were violations, but unexpectedly they are entirely "legally justified"! Environmental groups criticize that "low-density recycled permeable concrete" is a product invented by the Environmental Protection Administration, which not only whitewashes incinerator bottom ash but also "opens a back door" in regulations, allowing bottom ash to be legally dumped on farmland.

Bottom ash from the Muzha incinerator will be processed into recycled aggregates in Changhua. (Photo / Yang Yuyun)

Incinerator bottom ash mixed with a small amount of cement becomes "recycled concrete," dumped on farmland

Changhua County, as a major agricultural county in Taiwan, has long been known for waste being dumped on farmland, especially along Provincial Highway 61. After an inspection, Legislator Hung Sun-han even mocked this expressway as a "broad avenue for waste." The Changhua Environmental Alliance and Tainan Community University have repeatedly reported that incinerator bottom ash mixed with a small amount of cement becomes "low-density recycled permeable concrete" and is dumped on Changhua farmland.

After measurement, these "concretes" all have heavy metal exceedance problems that could seriously affect food safety and the environment, but the Changhua County Environmental Protection Bureau has repeatedly reiterated that they are "legally justified." To clarify the differences in observations between officials and the public, the office of Legislator Hung Sun-han, along with the Environmental Protection Administration's Inspection Corps, the Changhua County Environmental Protection Bureau, and the Changhua Environmental Protection Alliance, conducted an on-site inspection on the afternoon of February 18 at one of the disputed sites to examine the use of incinerator bottom ash recycled aggregates. (Background reading: Industry rakes in profits, but garbage is dumped on farmland? Legislators demand no self-deception)

Serious dust at bottom ash dumping site, exceeded heavy metals may affect neighboring fields

This disputed site in Fangyuan, Changhua is planned to be built as a mushroom farm. It is located in the Fangxin section of Provincial Highway 61, with an area of approximately 920 ping. There are several onshore wind turbines nearby, and it is an area with extremely strong winds. On site, only broken sand and fine gravel could be seen everywhere, with serious dust dispersion. Since the site is still being filled and leveled, there is no fencing or protection, and the adjacent land is farmland. The frequent strong winds blow sand and dust toward the neighboring fields. On rainy days, the loose soil also flows with water into the neighboring farmland.

This broken sand and fine gravel is what the Environmental Protection Administration calls "low-density recycled permeable concrete," but the Changhua Environmental Alliance and Community University question: with such loose, broken soil, where is the solid appearance of "concrete"? Moreover, according to testing by the Tainan Community University Environmental Action Group using XRF (handheld X-ray Fluorescence spectrometer), the heavy metal content in the soil all exceeds the standards that agricultural land soil should meet. Why can it be used on agricultural land?

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