Greenpeace Taiwan yesterday released a report about Japan’s failure to decontaminate radioactively polluted water following the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster, while calling on the Taiwanese government to take the problem into account when drafting energy policies.
The report on Tokyo Electric Power Co’s “water crisis” following the disaster was primarily written by Greenpeace Germany nuclear specialist Shaun Burnie.
On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami triggered meltdowns at three of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant’s six reactors, causing radiation leaks.
The firm in September last year said that its water processing system had failed to reduce radioactive contaminants to levels below the regulatory limits permissible for ocean discharge, the report said, adding that as of Dec. 13 last year, there were still 1.11 million cubic meters of contaminated water at the plant.
In some treated water, levels of strontium 90 were found to be more than 100 times the safety threshold, while other radioactive substances, such as cesium, cobalt, antimony and tritium, were detected in the water, it said.
The goal of the Japanese government and the company to solve the water crisis by next year is not credible, and volumes of contaminated water continue to increase, the report said, urging them to propose better wastewater disposal solutions and control groundwater contamination.
Given the issue’s pertinence in East Asia, the organization’s offices in South Korea and Japan publicized the same report yesterday, Greenpeace Taiwan energy campaigner Lee Chih-an (李之安) said.
The report exposes the astronomical costs of a nuclear disaster, and any nation that develops nuclear power should keep its potential risks and expenses in mind, Lee said.
While Taiwanese on Nov. 24 last year voted to abolish the “nuclear-free homeland by 2025” goal in a referendum, Greenpeace Taiwan believes that phasing out nuclear power is the right direction, although the time frame could be discussed further, she said.
The nation should continue to promote energy transformation by boosting renewable power development and decentralizing power grids, Lee added.
Tokyo Electric Power has vowed to develop offshore wind farm projects by working with Danish energy developer Orsted A/S, with the two having signed a memorandum of understanding last week.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
COGNITIVE WARFARE: Chinese fishing boats transmitting fake identification signals are meant to test Taiwan’s responses to different kinds of perceived incursions, a report said Chinese vessels are transmitting fake signals in Taiwan’s waters as a form of cognitive warfare, testing Taipei’s responses to various types of incursions, a report by the Institute for the Study of War said on Friday. Several Chinese fishing vessels transmitted fake automatic identification system (AIS) signals in Taiwan’s waters last month, with one mimicking a Russian warship and another impersonating a Chinese law enforcement vessel, the report said. Citing data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the report said that throughout August and last month, the Chinese fishing boat Minshiyu 06718 (閩獅漁06718) sailed through the Taiwan Strait while intermittently transmitting its own AIS
CHINESE INFILTRATION: Medical logistics is a lifeline during wartime and the reported CCP links of a major logistics company present a national security threat, an expert said The government would bolster its security check system to prevent China from infiltrating the nation’s medical cold chain, a national security official said yesterday. The official, who wished to stay anonymous, made the remarks after the Chinese-language magazine Mirror Media (鏡周刊) reported that Pharma Logistics (嘉里醫藥物流) is in charge of the medical logistics of about half of the nation’s major hospitals, including National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital. The company’s parent, Kerry TJ Logistics Co (嘉里大榮物流), is associated with the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the
RSS