- Department:Comprehensive Planning Division
In response to building damage in Chiayi City, Chiayi County, and Tainan City caused by Typhoon Danas, the Ministry of Environment approved NT$24.5 million in subsidies for these three cities and counties on July 21, and dispatched teams to the disaster areas on July 18 and 19, requesting local governments to prioritize assisting residents in transporting asbestos building material waste to storage areas. Local governments estimated that post-disaster asbestos building material waste cleanup would require approximately NT$780 million. The Executive Yuan approved the funding on July 29 to assist with the cleanup of asbestos waste generated from residential buildings, livestock farms, agricultural facilities, and other structures damaged by this disaster, accelerating recovery efforts. Besides, to ensure the safety of residents and workers, the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Environment issued "Principles for Hazard Prevention in Post-Disaster Asbestos Roof Tile and Corrugated Sheet Removal and Cleanup Operations" and "Guidelines for the Removal and Treatment of Asbestos Building Material Waste After Natural Disasters" on July 25 and 30, respectively, for self-protection reference.
The Ministry of Environment stated that asbestos was widely used in the 1970s and 1980s, particularly for roofing materials, due to its fire-resistant, insulating, and wear-resistant properties. Subsequent research gradually revealed that inhaling asbestos fibers poses health risks to humans. Its use and importation are now prohibited. When asbestos building materials maintain structural integrity without damage or demolition, asbestos fibers will not be released, posing low health risks to humans. Since 2020, the Chemicals Administration of the Ministry of Environment has used remote sensing technology to identify approximately 240,000 buildings nationwide with asbestos materials in their roofs. From 2023 to 2027, NT$1.6 billion has been allocated over five years to subsidize local governments in assisting residents with asbestos building material waste treatment. To date, NT$860 million has been subsidized, and local governments have completed notifications to all property owners, 43,000 on-site investigations, and treatment of 14,000 tons of asbestos building material waste. This typhoon is estimated to have generated an additional 15,600 tons of asbestos building material waste. As of the end of June 2025, the nation has 645,000 tons of landfill capacity remaining, sufficient to meet post-disaster treatment needs.
For asbestos substance management and control, the Ministry of Environment, referencing experiences from Japan, the Netherlands, and other countries, promotes natural phase-out through building renovation and renewal, combined with subsidy policies to guide proper treatment, reducing health and environmental risks. This approach avoids mandatory removal within a fixed timeframe, requiring continuous promotion while considering property owners' willingness, reconstruction needs, and removal capacity. Additionally, the Ministry of Environment invested in developing thermal treatment and chemical treatment technologies in 2023 and 2024, expanding treatment technologies and capacity beyond landfill disposal.
For asbestos management, the Ministry of Environment has integrated with the Ministry of Labor, Ministry of the Interior, and Ministry of Health and Welfare to establish an asbestos information portal, providing promotional materials, regulations, consultation services, and application documents for one-stop inquiries by residents, workers, companies, and business institutions. For the affected areas in Tainan City, the Ministry of Environment will invite the Ministry of Labor to collaborate with local volunteer groups to visit frontline disaster-affected homes, providing guidance and investigation of asbestos waste cleanup protection and damage conditions, with immediate reporting to relevant implementing agencies to assist with environmental recovery in the shortest possible time.
Due to Typhoon Danas causing damage and ground scattering of asbestos roof tiles in some houses, the Ministry of Environment remind residents to refer to the "Guidelines for the Removal and Treatment of Asbestos Building Material Waste After Natural Disasters." When cleaning up, they must first wear N95 masks and gloves, moisten the materials, and completely wrap them in plastic bags, feed bags, or tarpaulins, following the principles of no contact, no crushing, and no leakage, then request cleanup services from environmental protection bureaus or district offices. If residents require asbestos roof tile removal, they should commission licensed construction contractors who must follow the Ministry of Labor's "Principles for Hazard Prevention in Post-Disaster Asbestos Roof Tile and Corrugated Sheet Removal and Cleanup Operations" and the Ministry of the Interior's "Demolition Directions for Building" to implement proper work environment and personal protective measures.
For those needing asbestos building material waste cleanup services, they may contact local environmental protection bureaus (Chiayi City Environmental Protection Bureau: 05-2251775 ext. 307, 312; Chiayi County Environmental Protection Bureau: 05-3620800 ext. 314, 318; Tainan City Environmental Protection Bureau: 06-2686751 ext. 1627, 1637, 1628; contact information for other local environmental protection bureaus is available on the website), call the Resource Circulation Administration of Ministry of Environment consultation hotline at 02-8771-0152, or visit the "Asbestos Information Portal - Asbestos Building Material Waste Removal and Treatment Cost Subsidy Application Operations" at https://topic.moenv.gov.tw/asbestos/cp-681-10681-087c5-4.html.
