Ji'an Landfill Emits Odor, Residents Worry About Spontaneous Combustion; Public Office: 24-Hour Monitoring
The Ji'an landfill in Hualien is emitting odors due to rising temperatures, causing residents to fear spontaneous combustion, reminiscent of a fire last September. The Ji'an Township Office has increased watering, implemented 24-hour monitoring, and is seeking funds for temperature sensors and alarm systems to enhance early warning. Hualien County lacks an incinerator, relying on temporary storage and transfer for waste management.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 13, 2026 at 17:16
- 🔍 Collected: April 13, 2026 at 17:31 (15 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 19:41 (50h 9m after Collected)
(Central News Agency reporter Li Hsien-feng, Hualien County, 13th) The Ji'an landfill in Hualien has recently been emitting odors due to rising temperatures, rekindling concerns about spontaneous combustion, similar to an incident last September. Nearby residents hope for proactive prevention. The public office stated that it has strengthened watering for cooling, implemented 24-hour monitoring, and is seeking to establish temperature sensing and alarm equipment.
Hualien County lacks a waste incinerator and has long adopted a "stack first, then transfer" approach. By the end of 2023, Taiwan Cement's Heping Plant began assisting in processing household waste from Hualien using high-temperature co-processing technology in its gasification kiln cement kiln, handling approximately 200 metric tons of domestic waste daily, gradually reducing the accumulated volume. However, the overall pressure from accumulated waste remains.
The Guanghua Village landfill in Ji'an Township has recently seen an emergence of odor problems due to hot weather. Village Chief Shih Fu-chun petitioned the council, pointing out that approximately 30 to 40 metric tons of waste enter daily, while about 20 metric tons exit, accumulating nearly 3,000 metric tons. The odor emanating from the site also increases concerns about spontaneous combustion.
Ji'an Township Office's cleaning team leader, Fan Yi-ming, stated that last year's fire occurred in the temporary recycling area, not the waste stacking area. Currently, the exposed waste volume in the landfill is about 2,232 tons, and the actual inflow and outflow are roughly balanced, with no imbalance. The cleaning team will continue to water for cooling, conduct 24-hour personnel patrols, and use monitoring equipment to keep track of the site conditions. They will also seek funding to install temperature sensors and alarm systems to strengthen the early warning mechanism.
Regarding odor control, the cleaning team not only sprays deodorants but also installs biogas discharge pipes and uses water injection to reduce gas concentration, thereby lowering the risk of smoldering at the bottom and gas accumulation.
The Hualien City landfill, with a larger accumulation of about 40,000 to 50,000 metric tons of domestic waste, has also experienced multiple fires in the past. The cleaning team transports an average of 60 tons of existing accumulated waste and 60 tons of daily generated waste to Taiwan Cement's Recycling Resources Utilization Center, gradually reducing the landfill's accumulated waste volume. (Editor: Chen Jen-hua) 1150413
Hualien County lacks a waste incinerator and has long adopted a "stack first, then transfer" approach. By the end of 2023, Taiwan Cement's Heping Plant began assisting in processing household waste from Hualien using high-temperature co-processing technology in its gasification kiln cement kiln, handling approximately 200 metric tons of domestic waste daily, gradually reducing the accumulated volume. However, the overall pressure from accumulated waste remains.
The Guanghua Village landfill in Ji'an Township has recently seen an emergence of odor problems due to hot weather. Village Chief Shih Fu-chun petitioned the council, pointing out that approximately 30 to 40 metric tons of waste enter daily, while about 20 metric tons exit, accumulating nearly 3,000 metric tons. The odor emanating from the site also increases concerns about spontaneous combustion.
Ji'an Township Office's cleaning team leader, Fan Yi-ming, stated that last year's fire occurred in the temporary recycling area, not the waste stacking area. Currently, the exposed waste volume in the landfill is about 2,232 tons, and the actual inflow and outflow are roughly balanced, with no imbalance. The cleaning team will continue to water for cooling, conduct 24-hour personnel patrols, and use monitoring equipment to keep track of the site conditions. They will also seek funding to install temperature sensors and alarm systems to strengthen the early warning mechanism.
Regarding odor control, the cleaning team not only sprays deodorants but also installs biogas discharge pipes and uses water injection to reduce gas concentration, thereby lowering the risk of smoldering at the bottom and gas accumulation.
The Hualien City landfill, with a larger accumulation of about 40,000 to 50,000 metric tons of domestic waste, has also experienced multiple fires in the past. The cleaning team transports an average of 60 tons of existing accumulated waste and 60 tons of daily generated waste to Taiwan Cement's Recycling Resources Utilization Center, gradually reducing the landfill's accumulated waste volume. (Editor: Chen Jen-hua) 1150413
FAQ
What is causing the odor at the Ji'an landfill?
The odor at the Ji'an landfill is caused by rising temperatures recently.
What measures is the Ji'an Township Office taking to address the odor and spontaneous combustion concerns?
The Ji'an Township Office has strengthened watering for cooling, implemented 24-hour monitoring, and is seeking funds to install temperature sensors and alarm equipment.