The Atomic Energy Council in a directive on Sunday stipulated that state-run Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) must consult with residents on any plans to build a nuclear waste facility in their neighborhood.
In its search for a nuclear waste disposal site, Taipower should consider “all areas in Taiwan, including the outlying islands,” and should not limit its options to scarcely populated or uninhabited islands, the council said in a statement.
When the utility identifies a potentially suitable site, it should communicate with people in the area and respect their rights, interests and views on the proposal to build such a facility close to their homes, the council said.
The directive came on the heels of a statement by Minister Without Portfolio Chang Ching-sen (張景森), who is in charge of the government’s nuclear-free policy.
Discussions on the issue of picking a provisional nuclear waste storage site in the country are to be initiated this month, Chang said on Saturday.
A safe location is required to store nuclear waste from the aging Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Shihmen District (石門) for 40 to 50 years after it is decommissioned, a process that is scheduled to be carried out over a six-month period starting in December, Chang said.
In a number of countries the storage sites of decommissioned nuclear plants are located near the plants or in industrial areas, Chang said, adding that the government would decide one way or another by the end of the year.
With the nuclear waste storage facilities at two of Taiwan’s three operating nuclear power plants approaching full capacity, Taipower has proposed building a new storage site that would take up 26 hectares and would last for at least 100 years, although only about 40 years of storage would be required.
The proposal has been submitted to the Cabinet for approval, Taipower head of nuclear backend operations Chang Hsueh-chih (張學植) said on Saturday, adding that the company has not identified a suitable site yet.
In choosing a site, Taipower would follow the council’s regulations, which specify that a nuclear waste storage facility cannot be built in an area where there are geological or environmental issues, he said, adding that, with the exception of such locations, the whole of Taiwan and its outlying islands would be considered.
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
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The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Reports of Taiwanese going missing, being detained or interrogated, or having their personal liberties restricted in China increased about fourfold annually last year, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Last year, 221 Taiwanese who traveled to China were reported missing, were detained and interrogated, or otherwise had their personal freedom restricted, up from 55 the previous year, the council said. Reopening group tours to China would be risky, as it would leave travelers with no way to seek help through official channels after Beijing shut down dialogue between the associations tasked with handling cross-strait tourism, the MAC said. Taipei’s Taiwan Strait Tourism
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