TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The legislature on Tuesday passed the third reading of amendments to the Waste Disposal Act, increasing penalties for illegal dumping, expanding the use of surveillance and monitoring technologies, and extending liability to company executives and major shareholders, per CNA.
Passage of the third reading marks the completion of legislative deliberations. The bill will now be sent for promulgation before becoming law.
The amendments strengthen penalties for environmental crimes by increasing the maximum prison sentence for illegal industrial waste dumping from five years to seven years. Offenses committed in ecologically sensitive areas may face penalties increased by up to one-half.
The Ministry of Environment said the revisions are intended to strengthen waste management oversight and support Taiwan’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Earlier this month, the ministry also proposed amendments to the Resource Recycling and Reuse Act, which would represent the most significant overhaul of that law since its enactment.
To improve enforcement, the amendments authorize local authorities to install and use surveillance cameras and other technological monitoring tools in areas where illegal waste removal, backfilling, stockpiling, reuse, or disposal frequently occurs or is reasonably suspected.
The amendments also designate waste generated by renewable energy equipment as recyclable waste. To strengthen recycling accountability, responsibility will be expanded beyond manufacturers and importers to include retailers, as well as manufacturers, importers, and retailers of raw materials, who will be required to report sales volumes and pay recycling fees based on actual product sales.
In anticipation of the future retirement and recycling of renewable energy infrastructure, operators installing renewable energy power generation equipment will be required to submit recycling plans to the central competent authority and specify whether they intend to establish their own recycling systems.
The amendments also increase the maximum fine for failing to properly remove general waste to NT$100,000 (US$3,200). Violators who fail to make required corrections within a specified period may face repeated penalties.
Fines ranging from NT$60,000 to NT$300,000 may also be imposed for violations including failure to declare, label, or mark waste, as well as evading, obstructing, or refusing inspections, per CNA.
In illegal dumping cases, authorities will be empowered to hold multiple responsible parties jointly liable, including company executives and major shareholders. The legislation further stipulates that government claims for necessary cleanup and remediation expenses will take precedence over other claims and mortgages and will not be affected by asset seizure or restrictions on disposal.
Such claims must be exercised within 10 years.
Given the scope of the changes, lawmakers approved a two-year grace period, with the amendments scheduled to take effect two years after promulgation.
