The Cabinet's decision to continue the construction of a wharf being built for the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant led to a protest yesterday by antinuclear activists and people living near the plant site.
The protesters also presented a petition to the Control Yuan.
Control Yuan members Leu Hsi-muh (
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
The petition urges the Control Yuan to investigate Cabinet agencies and other government departments -- including the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), Atomic Energy Council and Taiwan Power Company (Tai-power) -- for ignoring their duties.
Township residents told Control Yuan members yesterday that the construction of the wharf had caused not only the loss of 3km of Fulung Beach but it was having a a negative impact on the ecological systems of nearby coastal areas.
Residents complained that the EPA was avoiding tackling environmental problems caused by what they described as an unsound Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the plant done by the Atomic Energy Council in 1991, long before the Environmental Impact Assessment Act (環境影響評估法) came into effect in 1994.
"What a benefit to being governmental officials. None of them has to take responsibility for mistakes they have made," said Wu Wen-tung (
Before sending the petition letter to the Control Yuan, protestors demonstrated in front of the Executive Yuan, expressing their disappointment at the recent investigation conducted by a task force established in January under the command of Premier Yu Shyi-kun.
Protestors said that the investigation was a perfunctory probe by the Cabinet.
The task force, composed of experts and officials from Cabinet-level agencies, concluded early this month that the beach erosion could be attributed to stress on the environment caused by construction of the wharf, which was built to facilitate construction of the plant.
However, ministers without portfolio Lin Sheng-feng (
Instead they asked Taipower to be responsible for the damage.
DPP legislators Eugene Jao (
"We will soon demand the investigation report conducted by the Executive Yuan on the issue and carry out field trips to the beach," Control Yuan member Leu said.
A dozen Kunaliao residents were allowed to enter the Executive Yuan yesterday to discuss the issue with officials.
However, the delegation was disappointed by the absence of high-ranking officials.
"We can't accept the insincere way the Cabinet treats us," Wu said.
Premier Yu met with same protestors in mid-January, stressing the Cabinet's investigation would come up with a way to solve problems related to coastal erosion.
Tu Yueh-yuan (
"We now can only do things by following the Cabinet's opinions," Tu said.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
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