28 people, 4 firms indicted over Keelung River oil spill

Taipei,  April 9 (CNA) Prosecutors on Wednesday indicted 28 individuals and four companies over a November 2025 oil spill that contaminated tap water for more than 100,000 households in Keelung and New Taipei's Xizhi District.

Chiang Cheng Co., Ltd., a waste clearance company, and nine of its officials were charged with illegal waste disposal, filing false reports, discharging wastewater without authorization, and releasing harmful substances into water sources, in violation of the Waste Disposal Act, Water Pollution Control Act, and Criminal Code, prosecutors said.

Three other companies based in Kaohsiung, Miaoli County, and Taoyuan, along with 19 of their officials, were also indicted for illegal waste disposal and false reporting.

The Taoyuan-based firm and its staff face additional charges for issuing false waste disposal certificates.

According to prosecutors, Chiang Cheng, which lacked proper authorization, rented a parking lot in a water conservation area in Keelung's Nuannuan District and set up an illegal facility to process ship-generated waste oil as early as 2020.

Wastewater produced during the oil-water separation process was discharged untreated into the Keelung River, eventually entering the water supply system and posing risks to public health.

Prosecutors said the company also sourced waste oil from a Kaohsiung firm and sold processed oil to companies in Miaoli and Taoyuan, which allegedly resold it as industrial oil. To conceal the operation, Chiang Cheng conspired with the Taoyuan company to falsify records showing the waste had been properly disposed of.

The four companies generated NT$402.97 million (US$12.66 million) in illegal profits, of which NT$305.22 million has been seized, prosecutors said.

Also on Wednesday, Wei Chin-long (魏金龍), deputy director of Taiwan Water Corporation's first branch, said the company will seek compensation.

He added that upstream patrols along the Keelung River have been increased to once every two hours, alongside upgrades to pollutant interception and water purification systems.

On Thursday, the Keelung City Government said it fined Chiang Cheng NT$22.146 million and revoked its waste clearance permit.

At a press conference, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said the company had previously been fined 10 times for violations related to waste disposal, air pollution and water pollution, describing it as a repeat offender that deliberately evaded oversight.

He said the latest penalties aim to curb continued violations and deter similar cases.

Chien Yi-che (簡翊哲), head of the city's Department of Public Works, said authorities have stepped up water quality monitoring in coordination with the Taiwan Water Corp. and the Water Resources Agency.

The city has also allocated NT$1 million for enhanced sampling at five water treatment plants, he added.