80 Tons of Old Clothes Found Dumped on Kaohsiung Riverbed; EPA Inquiring About Evidence Preservation
Approximately 80 tons of old clothes have been illegally dumped on a riverbed in Kaohsiung's Dashu District for five years. The city's Environmental Protection Bureau has already referred the perpetrator for prosecution and is awaiting confirmation from the court on evidence preservation before ordering the individual to clear the waste.
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- 📰 Published: May 18, 2026 at 19:50
- 🔍 Collected: May 18, 2026 at 20:01 (11 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 18, 2026 at 20:11 (9 min after Collected)
(CNA, Kaohsiung, May 18, Reporter: Hung Hsueh-kuang) Regarding the issue of a large amount of old clothes being dumped for up to five years on the high-water mark area of the Gaoping River behind the Chuliao Water Intake Station in Dashu District, Kaohsiung, the Kaohsiung City Government's Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB) responded today. The EPB stated that on May 13, it sent a letter to the Ciaotou District Court to confirm the necessity of evidence preservation and will demand the perpetrator to clear the old clothes as soon as possible. The EPB pointed out that this case originated from a public complaint. In September of the 111th year of the Republic (2022), personnel were dispatched for inspection and found a person surnamed Pan had illegally transported and dumped about 80 tons of waste old clothes from their company at this location, constituting a suspected violation of Article 46 of the Waste Disposal Act. The city government proactively referred the case for legal action in November 2022. Subsequently, the Renwu Precinct of the Kaohsiung City Police Department referred the case to the Ciaotou District Prosecutors Office in April 2023. After the prosecutors filed public charges, the case is currently under trial at the Ciaotou District Court. The EPB emphasized that to expedite the restoration of the site, it formally inquired with the Ciaotou District Court on May 13 to confirm whether there is still a need for evidence preservation in this case, and today telephoned the court to request a prompt reply. If it is confirmed that preservation is no longer necessary, the EPB will immediately, in accordance with Article 71 of the Waste Disposal Act, demand the perpetrator to complete the cleanup operation within a specified period to uphold environmental justice. The EPB warns that illegal dumping of waste not only damages the environment but will also face criminal liability and high cleanup compensation claims, and will not be tolerated. The public is urged not to test the law. If suspicious dumping is discovered, citizens can report it by calling the 1999 hotline or the pollution complaint line at 07-7317600, and the EPB will immediately dispatch personnel to investigate. (Editor: Chen Ching-fang) 1150518