TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Environment said that it will strengthen waste management and handling measures at treatment and storage facilities to prevent fires, CNA reported.
The move follows five landfill fires across Taiwan in November, including Chiayi, Hualien, Penghu, and Tainan’s Houbi and Annan Districts. The ministry said the blazes were likely fueled by accumulated debris from summer typhoons and heavy rains combined with unusually warm and dry autumn weather.
The Central Weather Administration reported that Taiwan’s average temperature from September to November reached 26.5 C, the highest since 1951, while rainfall totaled 26.5 days, less than the average. The ministry added that such conditions increase the risk of fires at sites with large amounts of waste.
Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) said that Tainan’s Houbi landfill holds nearly 300,000 tonnes of waste. The ministry will allocate NT$260 million (US$8.5 million) to help the city government manage the site and enhance air pollution control measures.
The ministry has instructed local governments to strengthen household waste management by enforcing mandatory sorting and bag inspections. This aims to prevent items such as gas canisters, lighters, and lithium batteries from being mixed with regular waste. Landfills must also improve on-site management, keeping flammable items separate from regular garbage.
The ministry has further required local governments to upgrade equipment at waste treatment sites, including thermal cameras, firefighting systems, biogas pipelines, and surveillance. A 24-hour monitoring system will be established to alert authorities and trigger emergency responses if unusual temperatures are detected.
Peng added that the ministry will improve the handling of large waste, such as discarded furniture and mattresses, to reduce the risk of fires. It will also introduce stricter regulations on the siting of waste or recycling storage sites, as well as on fire prevention and air pollution control measures.
