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SHIP WITH FPG's MERCURY-LACED WASTE ENTERS KAOHSIUNG HARBOR

CNA

TAIPEI, Taiwan, 9 April 1999 -- A ship carrying back mercury-laced waste belonging to Formosa Plastics Group (FPG) and formerly stored in Cambodia entered Kaohsiung Harbor in southern Taiwan on Friday.

The ship, Eagle Prosperity, carried the solidified waste in 357 containers and arrived in waters off Kaohsiung Harbor Wednesday to await approval to enter the harbor.

After FPG presented a plan to transfer the waste to another country and posted a bond of NT$50 million (US$1.5 million) to the Kaohsiung Port Authority, the authorities agreed to allow the ship to dock and the containers to be temporarily stored in a warehouse.

But the mercury-laced waste can be stored there for only 60 days, which means FPG must send the waste to another country within that period.

As reports indicated that environmental groups planned to protest against the mercury-tainted waste's entering the harbor, the agents responsible for the unloading of the containers said they would speed up efforts to unload the cargo. Police were also on hand to maintain order. But no protesters showed up, and the operation went smoothly without incident.

The mercury-tainted waste was first shipped from a FPG plant in Kaohsiung late last year to the southern coastal town of Sihanoukville, Cambodia, causing panic and chaos among local residents.

FPG apologized to Cambodia for causing unrest and promised to ship the waste out of the country.

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