Fire at Formosa Plastics Plant in Kaohsiung, Environmental Protection Bureau in Action

A chemical unit held by Formosa Plastics Corp. in Kaohsiung witnessed an explosion in the early hours of 7th July 2021 and resulted in a major fire which was doused by heavy mobilization of fire extinguishing vehicles sent by the local fire department.

Formosa Plastics issued an apology for the unfortunate incident and its consequences to the environment. As per the company’s statement there were no casualties and operations at Linyuan Plant, which is located at Kaohsiung's Linyuan remained unaffected.

The blaze set in action Kaohsiung Environmental Protection Bureau which reported that the fire was extinguished within an hour of its inception and is investigating the cause behind the explosion. The bureau also stated that the fire was started by an explosion that took place in Linyuan plant’s silos storing Polypropylene (PP) pellets, an extremely versatile thermoplastic.

According to the bureau, if the company is found guilty of negligence and improper management, a fine of around USD 16,062 will be paid by the company for the environmental degradation caused by the dense smoke that came from the incident as per the Air Pollution Control Act.

Earlier in November 2020, Formosa was found guilty of a chemical leak and explosion that took place at its Linyuan plant and was fined USD 14,818 (NT$ 45,000) for the incident.