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 (
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in
RSS