"和美稻作遭到污染"

彰化縣居民不滿政府對稻田中發現重金屬污染的反應。

環保署（EPA）於今年三月發現彰化29個稻田（5.9公頃）遭到鋅、鉻、銅、鎳和其他有毒金屬污染。從一開始發現之後，調查拓展到包含398個稻田，總計314公頃，其中223個已經發現受到污染。

和美鎮附近的稻田曾於2002年發現化學物質，2006年又再度驗出，讓農夫開始批評政府過了如此多年卻仍沒找到污染源。一名李姓農夫表示：「如果你找到了污染源，難道（政府）不能讓工廠移走嗎？」以及「若不抓污染源，總讓農民揹黑鍋，全國都會認為和美種出的米就是污染米。」

彰化縣環保局長劉玉平說污染源可能有數個，像是工業或是居家廢水。農家年底將會收到補償金，但是他們要求政府嚴加看待此事。

(Local) Contaminated Crops in Homei

Changhua Country residents are unhappy with the governments reaction to heavy metals being found in rice paddies.

The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) found that 29 rice paddies (5.9 hectares) in Chunghua were polluted with zinc, chromium, copper, nickel and other toxic metals in March of this year. Since the initial discovery, the investigation was expanded to include 398 paddies, totaling 314 hectares, of which 223 have been found to be polluted.

Chemicals were found in rice paddies near Homei Township in 2002 and again in 2006, leading farmers to become critical of the government for not finding the source of contamination after so many years. A farmer, surnamed Lee, stated, If you find the source of pollution, is it not possible for the government to make the factory move away? and, If you do not find the source of pollution and always make farmers take the blame, then the whole nation will think rice grown from Homei is contaminated.

Director Liu Yu-ping, from the Changhua Country Environmental Protection Bureau, said there could be a number of sources for the pollution, such as industrial or household wastewater. Farmers will receive compensation by the end of the year, but are demanding the government take the matter more seriously.

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