Facing growing pressure over the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (
The review committee will be composed of up to 30 members, Lin said yesterday at the Legislative Yuan.
It is to be comprised of specialists from a diverse range of backgrounds he said, from within academic circles, and political figures from institutions such as the Atomic Energy Council (AEC, 原子能委員會), the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA, 環保署) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs' (MOEA) Energy Commission (能源會).
Lin said that the final report would be available by the end of September and that his conclusion would be deferred until discussion of the issue with experts is completed.
The advisors will be drawn from both pro-nuclear and anti-nuclear camps, but although they may offer their opinions, no vote will be held on the matter, Lin said.
If the project continues, according to a recent report by Taiwan Power Corp (Taipower,
Fighting anti-nuclear activists, Taipower earlier stated that the 31.32 percent of construction completed to date had already exhausted some NT$44 billion in funds.
Halting the project will result in a financial loss of at least NT$84.6 billion, the company said.
Lin stressed, however, that committee members would reassess the total cost of the plant, including construction and maintenance costs, remedying possible negative environmental impact, managing retired equipment and treating radioactive waste.
The ongoing controversy over the plant was highlighted yesterday when new Cabinet members assumed office. When chairman of the AEC, Hsia Der-yu (夏德鈺), presented his first report to the Legislative Yuan's Sci-tech and Information Committee (科技委員會) yesterday morning, more than 30 legislators were ready armed with questions.
"If your professional training tells you that nuclear power plants are safe, will you ask DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (
Lee said that Hsia -- also a KMT member -- should not sacrifice his professional responsibility to get into bed with the DPP
Hsia holds a PhD in nuclear engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, and has been an active professional in the field of nuclear energy for three decades.
Hsia said that he could convince DPP officials of the plant's safety and would communicate with anti-nuclear activists within a month to eliminate their skepticism.
As new head of the EPA, Lin Jun-yi's (
Lin said that he personally disagreed with the adoption of nuclear energy, based on reports of the high incidence of cancer caused by improper radiation containment.
Lin told the media last week that he may order the plant to undergo another environmental impact assessment (EIA).
He said two censures from the Control Yuan regarding improper EIA's conducted by the AEC in the past warranted a fresh assessment.
Legislator took aim at Hsia over what they said was his failure to tackle recent nuclear incidents, including nuclear waste spills and reported cases of radiation-contaminated roads, schools and buildings in several communities.
"Even advanced countries such as the US face enormous problems in properly handling radioactive waste," said DPP lawmaker Lai Chin-lin (
Hsia said that Taipower was conducting a geological survey in Wuchiou (
However, Hsia could not confirm when approximately 97,000 barrels of nuclear waste temporarily stored on Orchid Island (
‘ABUSE OF POWER’: Lee Chun-yi allegedly used a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon and take his wife to restaurants, media reports said Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) resigned on Sunday night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by the media. Control Yuan Vice President Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) yesterday apologized to the public over the issue. The watchdog body would follow up on similar accusations made by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and would investigate the alleged misuse of government vehicles by three other Control Yuan members: Su Li-chiung (蘇麗瓊), Lin Yu-jung (林郁容) and Wang Jung-chang (王榮璋), Lee Hung-chun said. Lee Chun-yi in a statement apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a
Taiwan yesterday denied Chinese allegations that its military was behind a cyberattack on a technology company in Guangzhou, after city authorities issued warrants for 20 suspects. The Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau earlier yesterday issued warrants for 20 people it identified as members of the Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command (ICEFCOM). The bureau alleged they were behind a May 20 cyberattack targeting the backend system of a self-service facility at the company. “ICEFCOM, under Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, directed the illegal attack,” the warrant says. The bureau placed a bounty of 10,000 yuan (US$1,392) on each of the 20 people named in
The High Court yesterday found a New Taipei City woman guilty of charges related to helping Beijing secure surrender agreements from military service members. Lee Huei-hsin (李慧馨) was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison for breaching the National Security Act (國家安全法), making illegal compacts with government employees and bribery, the court said. The verdict is final. Lee, the manager of a temple in the city’s Lujhou District (蘆洲), was accused of arranging for eight service members to make surrender pledges to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in exchange for money, the court said. The pledges, which required them to provide identification
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