Chen's stance dismays environmentalists

Environmentalists hoped the DPP's victory in the March presidential election would bring a halt to several controversial national projects and help support their calls for a balance of economic development and environmental protection. But amid doubts on whether the decision to cancel the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (核四) will hold and indications that the government may back down from other campaign promises, environmentalists are growing anxious.

"We are very disappointed with the new government because no further action has been taken to push for the cancellation of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant. And even worse is the possibility that the government is pushing forward projects for the Pinnan industrial complex and Meinung dam," Pan Han-chiang (潘翰疆), secretary-general of Taiwan Environmental Protection Union (TEPU), told the Taipei Times.

Nuclear plant

Premier Chang Chun-hsiung's (張俊雄) announcement at the end of October that the administration would scrap the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant triggered an uproar from opposition lawmakers that forced the government to beat a retreat and appeal to the Council of Grand Justices for a final ruling on the issue. The council has been asked to judge the constitutionality of the decision.

Environmentalists suspect the Grand Justices will rule against the administration and in anticipation of the decision are planning to launch another wave of anti-nuclear campaigns this month.

In the next two weeks, TEPU will invite its counterparts in Japan to Taiwan to provide more unreleased information relating to the nuclear industry in their country. Japan makes extensive use of nuclear power and is often cited by the Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) to illustrate the safety of the industry.

Later this month, representatives of European green parties will visit Taiwan to promote new ideas for the energy sector being employed in their countries. Also this month, a campaign against both nuclear power and nuclear weapons proliferation will be carried out by several anti-nuclear groups.

Some environmentalists fault the government for not having properly dealt with problems arising from the cancellation of the nuclear power plant.

"The government made a decision [to scrap the plant], and just left it there," Lai Wei-chieh (賴偉傑), secretary-general of Green Citizens' Action Alliance (綠色公民行動聯盟), said.

Lai sai the uncertainty left by the government was hurting residents of Taipei County's Kungliao (貢寮) township, where the plant is situated.

"For example, fishermen there don't know if they will regain their fishery rights (漁業權), which were suspended last March," Lai said.

The fishermen have been forbidden by the Council of Agriculture to fish in an exclusive fishing zone due to Taipower's construction around Kungliao, including breakwaters, a harbor and outlets for waste water.

At the time, Taipower put up NT$215.6 million in compensation for both the permanent negative impacts on the coastal environment and temporary inconvenience caused by the construction.

The compensation, however, was rejected by the anti-nuclear plant Kungliao Fishermen's Association (貢寮區漁會). The money has been held by Keelung District Court for 20 months.

"The government has the duty to tell fishermen when their fishing rights will be re-activated," Lai said.

Fighting against Pinnan