Many waiguoren residing longterm in the ROC develop thorns in their sides. These are often things beyond our control: air/noise pollution, traffic, mystery ailments nurtured by the climate and food/water, rotten neighbours, chabuduoism, animal abuse, etc.
Approaching a decade and a half living mostly in semi-rural northern Taiwan, the thorn in my side is the ubiquitous misuse of agrochemicals. The majority of “farmed” areas (anywhere with more green fields than grey buildings) are a pastoral dystopia.
On Monday, I returned from abroad and opened my rear balcony window to be greeted with the distinctive stench of the pesticide terbufos (托福松). Looking down, I saw piles of brick red terbufos granules outside next door’s corrugated metal extension. The neighbour, A-Huang stood outside smoking, so I went to ask him what was going on.
He didn’t know the name of the stuff, just that it was insecticide for centipedes, not pesticide and he insisted it was harmless. He added that the strong smell demonstrated its efficacy: no more centipedes had entered his casa.
Anyway, terbufos is a 戲毒 (highest hazard category) organophosphate, banned in China and the EU. It is intended to be buried underground to control soil insects when growing crops like bananas and sugar cane. He’d laid a kilo of the stuff in a 10 metre line, typical use might be kilo per hectare. I explained the danger, and that it was volatilising into the air we were breathing, but he refused to remove it for fear of the centipedes’ return.
I want the stuff gone and I don’t have the PPE to do it safely. Next step: call the EPA. After explaining the situation to the guy on the phone, he just says “農藥的話我們沒辦法” but that they’ll send someone. He added that if its herbicide they can enforce laws, but for pesticides I would have to call the Agricultural Development Department. The EPA fail to show up, so I call the ADD!
Get put through to a helpful guy at the ADD, Mr. Zhou. He says that he’ll come and talk to A-Huang, but that he can’t fine him or get him to clear it up. Mr Zhou shows up and is clearly well versed in identifying pesticides by smell, he says that its terbufos to A-Huang who’s now louder and more defensive of his ignorance. The chat goes on for a while and A-Huang concedes that he knows its poisonous, hence “not using much” and says that he’ll clear it up and dispose of it.
Saturday, and he’s not cleared it up. The air quality is adversely affected and I’m sure if the surrounding air was tested that it would be way over PPM limits… I have been given different extensions at various departments of the EPA, to report what is clearly a case of 化學農藥廢棄物, but there has been no follow up.
After logging the complaint online today, I received a phone call from the EPA saying that they can only deal with “smell problems” not clearing up stuff/pesticides. Apparently, they also sent their agents on Monday, but they “couldn’t smell anything.”
Am I going nuts here? Or is this all a bit too damn 離譜 outrageous? Centipedes, terrible poisons, and the EPA relying on smell tests?
Rant over. I would appreciate any suggestions of where to go with this, especially from any other rural dwellers/scientists/environmental warriors.
Cheers.
