The Ministry of Environment has allocated a special budget of 780 million NT
for helping local governments clean up asbestos waste, the toxic and
carcinogenic materials found in older buildings.

The MOENV estimates that Typhoon Danas generated over 15-thousand metric tons
of asbestos-containing construction waste in Chia-yi County and Tai-nan.

The Ministry says the clean-up work should be completed by the end of the
year.

Taiwan officially outlawed the use of asbestos years ago, and the MOENV also
announced in August 2023 that it'll offer subsidies to home owners that want
to clean up the materials.

For the aftermath of Typhoon Danas, the Ministry estimates 60% of the
asbestos waste comes from Tainan City and around 35% from Chiayi County.

So far, local governments have reported around 6-thousand cleanup cases, and
applications are still being accepted.

Experts advise people that they should wear N-95 face masks and gloves when
handling asbestos waste, and that it should be properly wrapped and sealed to
prevent leaks.

(JL)