President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday met representatives of Mom Loves Taiwan, an association of mothers against nuclear power, at the Presidential Office for a hearing on nuclear safety.
The association was founded by several female public figures and celebrities, including Fubon Cultural and Educational Foundation board director Irene Chen (陳藹玲). Representatives who attended the meeting included Taiwan Foundation for Rare Disorders chairperson Serena Chen (陳莉茵), Taipei Parents’ Association member Chang Yu-huei (常玉慧) and others, as well specialists.
When the association was established earlier this year, it said its main goals were to make Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) disclose all the facts about safety at nuclear power plants, become a platform for civic discussion, demand all dangerous nuclear plants stop operation, stop the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant and review and discuss new energy policies.
Photo: CNA
The Presidential Office said on Friday that before the national anti-nuclear protest on March 9, the office had already noticed that the public was concerned about nuclear safety and began making contact with civic groups, hoping to communicate with them.
Before the meeting, Irene Chen said the association would present four requests, including information disclosure, comprehensive re-evaluation of all nuclear power plants, new energy policies and that the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant issue not be decided by referendum.
Irene Chen said the association is not an anti-nuclear group, but aims to monitor, question and disseminate correct information on nuclear safety so people can make informed decisions. However, she said the safety of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant is a big concern.
Ma said the government’s nuclear power policy is to “ensure nuclear safety, steadily reduce [the use of] nuclear power, create a green low carbon environment and gradually achieve a nuclear-free homeland.”
However, the goal must be achieved without power rationing, while maintaining reasonable electricity rates and abiding by international commitments on carbon reduction, he said.
As to the disposal of nuclear waste, Atomic Energy Council (AEC) Minister Tsai Chuen-horng (蔡春鴻) said there are about 80 low-radiation final disposal sites in the world, so the technology to achieve it should not be a problem, and spent fuel pools or deep underground storage for highly radioactive fuel rods are being planned.
Responding to concerns about the high population density in Greater Taipei near three nuclear power plants, as mentioned in the journal Nature in 2011, Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) said it was a misunderstanding and the article highlighted the culture of safety and safety procedures rather than the density of the nearby population.
National Tsing Hua University nuclear engineering professor Yu Ge-ping (喻冀平) said nuclear power plants around the world are located within 75km of high population areas because the power demands are higher in these areas, and population density in these areas is not directly connected to nuclear safety.
However, several representatives were not satisfied with those answers and said the threat posed by radiation to people in a 20km range is different than posed to people within 75km, and “we care about the people [in this area].”
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College