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Potential nuclear waste sites to be revealed in list

The government has decided to make public a list of proposed sites for storage of nuclear waste by the end of this year, a senior official said yesterday in Taitung.

Minister of the Council for Economic Planning and Development Ho Mei-yueh (何美玥) made the remarks in a regular biannual meeting held with representatives of Orchid Island (蘭嶼) residents. They were joined by academics and experts to discuss relocation of the radioactive waste storage site on the island that is operated by the state-run Taiwan Power Co.

two decades

Ho said that since the storage site on the island has been used for more than two decades, the government will launch a comprehensive safety check of the current nuclear waste stock, which amounts to around 90,000 barrels.

Each barrel will be checked to make sure that the outer metal casing has not rusted and that the inner concrete seal has not loosened or degraded, Ho said, noting that the safety check process is scheduled to be completed by 2010.

Response

In response to the demand by Orchid Island residents to relocate the waste site, the minister emphasized that the government will make public a list of suggested sites by the end of the year.

Local referendums will then be organized in each of the cities and counties where the proposed sites are located, adding that none of the sites will be chosen without the approval of the local residents.
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