Taiwanese plant faces closure over water pollution

Water pollution fears could cause a Taiwanese plant to close down. A Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) plant in Kaohsiung City could be given a government order to cease operations due to concerns over water quality. 

ASE has already been handed a fine of NT$600,000 (£12,466) by the Kaohsiung City Government for the unlawful release of untreated wastewater from the the plant into the Houjin River. ASE is the largest semiconductor assembly and test service provider in the world.  

Kaohsiung's Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB) said that ASE's K7 plant caused severe pollution to the Houjin River by releasing industrial wastewater that contained a number of heavy metals, including nickel compounds that are carcinogenic. Upon inspection of the plant's discharging pipes it was found that the concentration of nickel was four times the acceptable limit of one milligram per litre, measuring at 4.38 milligrams per litre.

The company was given ten days from the date of the release - which occurred on December 9th - to file an acceptable explanation for the plant's operation; this is in accordance with Taiwanese environmental laws. If the company does not provide an acceptable explanation for the wastewater release it will have to halt operations. 

According to the EPB, an investigation is commencing into the damage that could have been caused to around 900 hectares of cropland, which is irrigated by water from the Houjin River, due to the polluted water that was released. Due to the concentration of heavy metals and other industrial components in the released water, it could cause damage that lasts for a significant amount of time, although it is not yet known if any problems have been caused by the release.  

ASE also faces criminal charges due to the allegations of water pollution. The EPB suspects that the company released the wastewater intentionally into the river, according to the Central News Agency, and as a result it took the case to the Kaohsiung District Prosecutor's Office the day after the release.  

The company has indicated that the release was caused by human error in terms of the handling of containers holding hydrochloric acid. ASE has launched an internal investigation.