The dispute over the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (
But Chen also hinted that a number of differences in opinion with Economics Minister Lin Hsin-yi (
Answering reporters questions yesterday at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, which oversees the commission, Chen said "I believe that the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant can be built while we work out a solution to the problem of nuclear waste. But Lin believes only after the waste problem is solved could we consider building the plant," he said.
Problems with disposing of the plant's waste were one of the major reasons why the government announced on Oct. 27 that construction of the plant be halted.
Chen also said that he doubted whether the alternative power plan, which was devised by Taipower (
But Lin expressed disbelief in Chen's words, saying he "probably meant the plan faced difficulties, which would require an all out effort to overcome."
Lin said Chen was a "good man" and that he tried hard to keep him at the commission.
Chen's resignation will mark the second senior government official to quit over the plant, following former premier Tang Fei (
Local media have speculated that Chen's resignation may also have been motivated in part by frustration with the ministry over its alleged distortion of the facts surrounding cancelation of the plant.
Taipower executives have said that in estimating the costs of canceling the project at between NT$70 billion NT$90 billion, the Economics Ministry had failed to include the NT$400 billion that would be required over 20 years to buy fuel for the LNG plants proposed to replace the nuclear project.
Taipower told the Taipei Times that the Ministry had picked what they thought necessary to support cancelation of the plant from data provided by Taipower and certified by the Energy Commission, and left out points deemed otherwise.
Chen, who currently serves as the executive secretary of the Energy Commission which formulates the nation's energy policy, said that he first brought up resignation with Lin verbally in the middle of September.
But due to the political sensitivities of the time, when Tang made clear his support for the plant's construction and the re-evaluation committee had voted against the plant, Chen said that he had held off on making a formal request for reassignment until now.
Chen said that his "mind and body were exhausted" from dealing with the issue and that he hoped he could be reassigned to a position free of official responsibility.
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