An enormous amount of wastes, of which are mostly inflammable, is often stored at recycling waste storage sites that belong to the County’s recycling and disposal organizations and country/town/village offices. The recent reports on fires in recycling waste storage site not only caused severe damages to people and organizations’ lives and property, but also the smell of burning seriously affected the air quality. To be prepared and minimize disaster risks, Environmental Protection Bureau, Hualien County (hereinafter referred to as the Bureau) has assisted local waste recycling and disposal companies and cleaning squadrons of country/town/village offices in implementing recycling works according to the laws, improving the management of environmental protection measures, and enhancing the images thereof. Yesterday (the 12th), the Bureau specially held “Recycling Regulation Explanation Session for Recycling and Disposal Organizations and Country/Town/Village Offices and Fire-fighting Lectures and Drills” at OMEGA ZONE, Eastern Industrial Technical Services Center, Industrial Technology Research Institute; and Meilun Brigade, First Corps, Hualien County Fire Department. In total, 50 recycling and disposal organizations and 13 cleaning squadrons of country/town/village offices were invited to participate in this event.
 
At this regulation explanation session, the Bureau not only explained waste recycling and disposal regulations and standards on facilities of recycling waste storage site, but also specially invited Section Chief of Hualien County Fire Department Peng Ming-De to explain the preparation and uses of fire-fighting equipment installed at waste storage site and how to prevent fires and report/respond to fire emergency. Besides, a fire simulation was taken place at Meilun Brigade, First Corps, Hualien County Fire Department. The lecture and drills have deeply impressed the participants as they were managed to manipulate fire-fighting equipment in person and practice how to extinguish the fire by pressing, opening, taking, pulling and turning the hose nozzle of hydrant.
 
The Bureau also plans to conduct fire-fighting visits on waste recycling and disposal organizations within the county this year. Together with Hualien County Fire Department, the Bureau will examine local recycling and disposal companies’ firefighting facilities and emergency response capabilities; and supervise the organizations to comply with legal regulations and pay attention to fire safety. The Bureau expressed that resource recycling was an important part of environmental protection works and that recycling and disposal organizations and country/town/village offices were important partners who assist them in promoting resource recycling, regenerate resources and embody circular economy. As most wastes stored at recycling waste storage sites are inflammable, the storage can result in accumulated heat and ignite a fire. Not only is this type of fire difficult to extinguish, but also the threat of damaging lives and properties and the scale of air pollution can be enormous. It is hoped that, through the explanations on resource recycling regulation, safety lectures and on-site drills, the organizers will be reminded to properly conduct self-management; and be 100% prepared for fires, including fire-fighting trainings for onsite employees, to protect the safety of our lives and properties and the quality of our environment.