Changhua electroplating wastewater case suspected of contaminating 327 hectares of farmland; the Agriculture and Food Agency has sampled 11 crop items and sent them for testing
The Changhua District Prosecutors Office uncovered ten electroplating businesses that buried concealed pipes to discharge toxic wastewater, affecting 1800 hectares of farmland, of which 327 hectares of farmland is suspected of being contaminated. The Agriculture and Food Agency of the Council of Agriculture has already traced the flow of 1400 tonnes of crops from 282 hectares of farmland, drawing 11 crop samples for testing; if contamination is confirmed, the crops will be destroyed. Another 45 hectares of farmland has already been taken out of cultivation and the crops destroyed.
On December 10, the Changhua District Prosecutors Office uncovered ten electroplating businesses suspected of secretly burying concealed pipes and discharging wastewater containing cyanide and heavy metals. The businesses were Xianghe Electroplating, Yisong, Su Zhen-hui Industry, Xinquanfa Electroplating, Zhengjinda Hardware Factory, Te'ai Industry and Shanwang Industrial Cooperative on Taihe Road in Changhua City, as well as Qiyao Metal, Qinglunchang and Xiangtong Industrial Cooperative in Hemei Township.
282 hectares of farmland producing 1410 metric tons of crops; contamination status unclear
The 327 hectares of farmland suspected of being contaminated by toxic wastewater from electroplating plants includes farmland in the irrigation districts of the "Dongxi Sanzun" and "Fanya Drainage" in Hemei Township, Changhua County. According to the Agriculture and Food Agency's investigation, about 1400-plus tonnes of second-crop rice were affected, and the rice grain flowed to four public grain warehouses and two private operators. So far, 11 crop samples have been drawn from the second-crop rice at these six locations and sent to the Agricultural Chemicals and Toxic Substances Research Institute for testing of heavy metal content, with results expected to be confirmed in the next day or two. Huang Mei-hua, deputy director-general of the Agriculture and Food Agency, said that if heavy metals are found to exceed the standard, this batch of crops will be destroyed.
However, some grain traders believe that sampling should be carried out extensively. There are 327 hectares of farmland suspected of contamination, with different irrigation water systems and different degrees of contamination, so testing only 11 crop samples makes it difficult to determine the actual contamination situation of the rice crop.
45 hectares of farmland already taken out of cultivation, crops already destroyed, and compensation sought from four factories
The Agriculture and Food Agency responded that environmental protection authorities investigated farmland contamination in Hemei Township from April to September this year and found that heavy metals exceeded the standard on 45.3 hectares of farmland. Agricultural and environmental protection authorities have already destroyed this batch of crops, and this farmland was also taken out of cultivation in July this year.
Regarding the contaminated 45.3 hectares of farmland, the Environmental Protection Administration announced today (12/16) that the involved Xianghe Electroplating, Yisong Enterprise, Su Zhen-hui Company and Qiyao Company are "polluters" and that compensation will be sought in accordance with the law, with remediation costs ranging from 10,000 to 4 million per hectare.
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