台塑工廠再度突發火警

以下新聞轉載自China Post

Another fire breaks out at FPG plant

Another fire broke out yesterday at petrochemical complex run by the Formosa Plastics Group (FPG) in Mailiao, Yunlin County, the eighth in the past year at the same industrial zone. 

The group made an open apology but stressed the brief blaze was caused by alkymer leakage and was quickly put out, inflicting no harm to anyone and posing no other threats.

FPG executives reported the small fire at the No. 3 refinery plant at 4:31 p.m.
Firefighters put out the blaze by 4:50 p.m.

FPG management said that the blaze started during the process of transporting alkymer, which is an element of gasoline and is used to make petroleum products.

Certain amount of alkymer ended up in a ditch at the plant because of the leak. Water and chemical foams were immediately used to contain and snuff out the fire, said FPG executives.

Only a small section of the ditch was affected by the small blaze.

The executives said that staff members of all plants at the complex have maintained maximum security to prevent any possible industrial hazards, including fires.

This was the reason why the fire was put out so soon without affecting any manufacturing equipment.

Residents in the Mailiao area were alarmed by the new fire, expressing shock and concern over new industrial hazards and environmental contamination.

But FPG executives said residents should not panic, since alkymer is a part of gasoline but not toxic. The chemical will not release any toxic substance after burning, they explained.

They said the incident took place when the manufacturing and processing operations at the petrochemical complex were temporarily closed for inspection and equipment maintenance.

They said the FPG will cooperate with firefighters to determine the cause of the fire.

FPG and its petrochemical complex in Yunlin have been placed under unprecedented public scrutiny after seven other fires were reported at the petrochemical complex over the past year.

Protests from residents and the Yunlin Provincial Government in southwestern Taiwan prompted the Ministry of Economic Affairs to temporarily shut down the facilities on safety concerns.

The government has also asked FPG to carry out a phased suspension of operations at its production facilities in the compound over a one-year period.

Manufacturing operations cannot resume before FPG completes a safety overhaul and passes examination by a panel organized the ministry.

生字

petrochemical                     adj       石化的

complex                              noun    集團

blaze                                   noun    火災alkymer                                 noun     烷化油
leakage                                  noun     洩漏
put out                                   ph.        撲滅
inflict...on sb.                         verb       使遭受(損失)
refinery                                  noun      精鍊廠
petroleum                              noun      石油
ditch                                     noun      溝;渠
contain                                  verb       遏制;控制
snuff out                                verb       熄滅(火);扼殺;消滅
hazard                                   noun      危害之源;危害物
contamination                        noun     污染
panic                                     verb      恐慌
toxic                                      adj.       有毒的
unprecedented                        adj.       空前的;前所未有的
scrutiny                                  noun     監督;審查
protests                                  noun     抗議
Ministry of Economic Affairs     ph.       經濟部
temporarily                             adv.      暫時地
compound                              noun    複合物