Taipower denies plant pollution

Officials at Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) denied yesterday that construction work on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (核四) had damaged the marine environment near the plant's site.

On Monday, Kungliao fisherman blockaded the shipment of two generators to the plant's site, saying that pollution from construction of the plant had spread to waters outside a specially designated zone.

The fisherman have been compensated NT$210 million for the loss of fishing rights within the 4.4 hectare special zone, Taipower said.

But the Kungliao fisherman say the pollution has spread outside the zone and has resulted in them catching fewer fish.

Company officials said yesterday that construction on the plant had no environmental impact on waters outside the zone.

Taipower officials suggested that the fishermen consider using the Public Nuisance Disputes Mediation Act (公害糾紛處理法) to ask for compensation.

"If fishermen file a report with the Public Nuisance Mediation Council ... a follow-up could possibly be carried out," said Lee Sun-kuan (李三坤), a newly appointed vice president of Taipower, who inspected the plant yesterday.

Lee said that it was impossible to offer protesting fishermen further compensation without going through appropriate legal channels.

Chao Kuo-tung (趙國棟), Kungliao township chief, said that Taipower has never held serious talks with local residents. Chao also said that Taipower treats local residents like outsiders.

Tu Yueh-yuan (杜悅元), director of Taipower's environmental protection department (台電環保處), said that the power company would place a new team in charge of communicating with local fishermen by August.

"We don't think local fishermen have evidence to illustrate the pollution they described. Our scientific research carried out at the construction site and the surrounding waters show that the environment has not been damaged at all," Tu said.

But officials of the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said they had received complaints from tourists, who reported that the beach at Yenliao Bay (鹽寮灣) near the site had been damaged.

"We've discovered that the beach has been losing sand," said Jason Chung (鐘福松), director of Northeast Coast National Scenic Area Administration.

Atomic Energy Council officials, who yesterday inspected the site, said that the council would supervise Taipower to ensure it carried out its environmental protection work.

"Local opposition can be regarded as a source of monitoring. We will take criticism into account," said council Vice Chairman Ouyang Min-shen (歐陽敏盛), head of a group supervising the environmental impact assessment of the site.

Ouyang said that information pertaining to environmental monitoring and construction safety would be available on the Internet within a week.