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TAIWAN FIRM TO CLEAR CAMBODIA WASTE IN 60 DAYS

Reuters

TAIPEI, Taiwan, 5 February 1999 -- Taiwan petrochemical giant Formosa Plastics Corp said on Friday it would clear all 3,000 tonnes of mercury-laced industrial waste it dumped in southern Cambodia in 60 days.

''We agreed to step up efforts to repackage, clear and ship all such waste out of Cambodia in 60 days after our two sides sign a formal agreement,'' Formosa said in a statement.

Formosa said the waste, dumped in Cambodia in late November, would be shipped to a third country or back to ''the original producing place'' -- presumably Taiwan.

Formosa did not say if it had offered to compensate Phnom Penh over the waste, which was deemed toxic by Cambodian authorities and caused an uproar in the country.

Facing intense pressure, Formosa Plastics pledged in January to ship the waste to the United States or Europe where disposal technology was most sophisticated. More recently, it said it was discussing disposal with a French firm.

Formosa said it fixed the 60-day timetable for removal with Cambodian officials in Taipei on Friday, but gave no details.

A Cambodian team led by Om Yentieng, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen, arrived late on Thursday.

News of the mercury-tainted waste sparked riots in Sihanoukville in which one person reportedly died as protesters sacked offices of Cambodian officials they blamed for allowing its import. Four people died in a panicked exodus of more than 10,000 residents fearing contamination.

Formosa initially said the concrete-like rubble was safe for landfill disposal, but later acknowledged that some of it might slightly exceed safety standards.

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