The Ministry of Environment organized a delegation to visit the Nakajima Waste Temporary Disposal Site in Nanao City, Noto Peninsula, Japan, and found that the on-site treatment was in an orderly manner. (Provided by the Ministry of Environment)
The Matai'anxi Barrier Lake in Hualien County caused severe disasters in Guangfu Township and other places last year. The amount of silt in the urban area was as high as 1 million cubic meters. The cleanup work was very difficult. The Ministry of Environment learned from the lesson and not only formulated management guidelines for disaster waste, but also It also requires all localities to take inventory. As of May, more than 1,000 primary and secondary temporary storage sites and final processing sites have been inventoried. It also promotes resource dispatch and drills across the country. When a disaster occurs, a spirit of mutual aid is used, and rescuers and vehicles from all over the country are rushed to the disaster area to speed up recovery.
After the barrier lake disaster occurred in September last year, Shen Zhixiu, deputy minister of the Ministry of Environment, was dispatched to the disaster area the next day to participate in disaster relief and waste cleanup work. He emotionally pointed out that environmental protection personnel, national troops and volunteers worked tirelessly to assist the victims until the road was cleared and the first "Girl's Prayer" from the garbage truck was heard on the streets. "Everyone was really touched!"
The barrier lake washed a large amount of mud into the disaster area, and up to 1 million cubic meters of silt accumulated in the urban area. Shen Zhixiu said that in addition to post-disaster cleanup work, he also thought about how to grasp possible waste and management before the disaster occurred. He once led a delegation to Japan's Noto Peninsula to visit two disaster waste temporary storage sites in Nanao City. He saw first-hand that the site had a delicate division of labor at the source, and that different companies were responsible for wood, door frames, waste soil and other projects, which were orderly and clean.
After the visit, the Ministry of Environment learned relevant experience. Shen Zhixiu pointed out that disaster waste has shifted from "terminal cleanup" to "resilient management"; in March this year, the "Disaster Waste Management Guidelines" and "Disaster Prevention Safety Guidelines for Disaster Waste Temporary Storage Sites" were released, and all counties and cities were required to complete primary and secondary temporary storage sites by the end of May. At present, there are 558 primary temporary disposal sites across the country, such as parking lots, cemeteries, sports fields, parks, soil materials fields, etc.; there are 295 secondary temporary disposal sites, mainly existing landfills. For example, in the past, every township had landfills. After closure and restoration, most of them were planned to be green spaces, etc. There are 242 final disposal sites, totaling more than 1,000 sites.
Shen Zhixiu pointed out that the primary temporary storage site is to quickly clear household waste and restore the normal life of the victims, but it does not store it for a long time. Instead, it collects and transports it to the secondary temporary storage site, then sorts it in detail, and then sends it to the final disposal site. However, he believes that the current inventory is still not ideal in some counties and cities. For example, 6 counties and cities have 0 primary temporary storage sites, and 8 counties and cities have only 0 to 1 secondary temporary storage site. We will continue to provide guidance to all localities to strengthen it.
The Matai'an disaster also demonstrated the solidarity of environmental protection personnel from all over the country. Shen Zhixiu said that the Ministry of Environment has formulated principles for disaster response resource dispatch and has established a platform. When a disaster occurs, the affected counties and cities put forward the needs for machinery, medicine, disinfection equipment, manpower, etc. Based on the spirit of mutual aid and reciprocity, local governments provide relevant assistance. For example, they can provide disinfectant water that is about to expire for consumption in the disaster area. In recent years, they have also continued to conduct large-scale environmental disaster recovery and disinfection dispatch drills, and actual military drills for cross-county and city support to prepare for emergencies.
The Ministry of Environment organized a delegation to visit the Ota Waste Temporary Disposal Site in Nanao City, Noto Peninsula, Japan. (Provided by the Ministry of Environment)
The Bali Landfill in New Taipei City is listed as a secondary temporary storage site and final disposal site for disaster waste. (Provided by the Ministry of Environment)
The Sanitary Landfill (Phases 1 and 2) in Qingshui District, Taichung City is an existing sanitary landfill and is adjacent to the hinterland of the port area. It has been inventoried as a secondary temporary storage site for disaster waste. (Provided by the Ministry of Environment)
