Hualien County Government Strengthens Disaster Preparedness as Ji'an Landfill Waste Accumulation Caused by Annual Maintenance

The Hualien County Environmental Protection Bureau announced on April 13 that the exposed temporary waste at the Ji'an Township Landfill has been reduced to less than 200 metric tons. The accumulation occurred because waste transfer operations were temporarily halted due to annual maintenance at Taiwan Cement Corporation (TCC) from February 17 to March 29, and at incinerators in other counties from March 2 to April 12. Upon receiving notification of the transfer suspension, the Bureau informed local township and city offices to coordinate temporary waste storage and implement measures such as partitioned stacking, disaster management, environmental cleaning, disinfection, and deodorization to prevent secondary pollution and fire risks. Waste transfer to TCC's cooperative facilities resumed on March 30. The Bureau plans to accelerate waste transfer and disposal once incinerators in other counties complete parts replacement and resume normal operations. The Ji'an Township Clean-up Team is continuously performing disinfection, deodorization, 24-hour patrols, and monitoring. Plans are underway to secure funding for additional temperature sensing and alarm equipment to enhance early warning and response capabilities. The Bureau urges the public to practice waste classification, especially for high-risk recyclables like batteries, gas canisters, and spray cans, to reduce fire hazards. The Hualien County Government emphasized its commitment to waste treatment, a fundamental public service, and has instructed all township and city offices to strengthen landfill disaster management and secondary pollution prevention. Due to a long-term lack of incineration facilities, Hualien County relies on other counties for general waste treatment. The county government is promoting diverse disposal mechanisms, including enclosed transfer station planning, and source reduction campaigns to alleviate waste accumulation pressure. According to Article 5 of the Waste Disposal Act, general waste collection and disposal are handled by township/city offices, while the Environmental Protection Bureau is responsible for overall policy planning, coordination, and inter-regional disposal. The county government will continue to collaborate with other counties and TCC to stabilize waste treatment capacity. The Bureau reiterated its commitment to accelerating the organization and disposal of exposed waste and has applied for central government subsidies for landfill leveling, covering, and overall improvement projects in various townships and cities, advancing towards goals of "reduction priority, resource circulation, controllable risk, and zero waste" to strengthen Hualien's waste treatment system's safety, transparency, and resilience.