Keelung Plant Planning Not Yet Finalized
Taiwan Fertilizer issued a statement on the 3rd regarding media reports on the planning of the Keelung plant site and earthwork handling, emphasizing that future planning for the Keelung plant has not yet been finalized and there is currently no plan to promote the establishment of a soil bank. The company noted that other options, including an AI data center, still require feasibility assessment and have not yet gone through the company's investment review and board of directors procedures, and the site use and development direction remain undecided.
Preliminary Communication Is Not a Set Direction
In response to reports claiming active lobbying despite no finalized plan, Taiwan Fertilizer said its vice president was invited by the Keelung City Government for a preliminary exchange of views to understand land use conditions and local needs, as part of pre-development planning assessment. The company said characterizing preliminary communication as active lobbying and interpreting it as a set development direction does not match the actual situation, and it will continue to communicate with local parties, respecting local needs and the Keelung City Government's urban development vision, to seek a revitalization plan balancing local development and public interest.
Denies Nangang C4 Earthwork Was Transported In
The source of earthwork is another focus of this clarification. In response to Taipei City Councilor Yang Chih-tou's 2023 allegation that earthwork from the Nangang C4 development was transported to the Keelung plant, Taiwan Fertilizer stressed it was never transported to the Keelung plant, and that the Nangang C4 development earthwork removal and the Keelung plant's soil purchases are separate matters. Purchased soil for the Keelung plant was for use in a soil and water conservation plan, bought in batches from the licensed soil bank International Soil and Stone Resources Co., Ltd., with copies of declaration records sent to the Keelung City Government, and purchase certificates and transport manifests handled in accordance with regulations. No outside soil has entered since 2023, and sampling by the Keelung City Government Environmental Protection Bureau found no pollution concerns.
Explanation of Official Letter and Reason for Stockpiling
Taiwan Fertilizer also provided an official letter dated July 19, 2024 from the Taipei City Department of Urban Development, stating the contractor's reply regarding disputes over earthwork manifests and flow direction from September 1, 2022 to February 28, 2023, explaining that earthwork was transported to the Chuanmin Soil and Stone Resources Stockpiling and Treatment Site in accordance with regulations, with two-way reconciliation completed. The letter also states the Department contacted the Hsinchu County Government by phone on June 28, 2024 for confirmation, and the Hsinchu County Government said the relevant data had completed two-way reconciliation with no evidence of violations currently. As for the continued stockpiling of soil on site, Taiwan Fertilizer said it applied in 2021 in accordance with the law for the soil and water conservation plan for the Taiwan Fertilizer Keelung Plant No.1 geological improvement project, and purchased soil was brought in for construction after approval. In 2023, the Keelung City Government determined the original plan and related permits had lapsed, making continued construction impossible, so the purchased soil remains temporarily stored on site, and it hopes the city government will provide clear and consistent review criteria to advance revitalization in accordance with the law.