The Control Yuan yesterday passed a proposal to censure state-run utility Taiwan Power Company (Taipower, 台電) for its lax management of radioactive wastewater in a radioactive waste depository on Lanyu (蘭嶼), Taitung County.
According to a report by Control Yuan members Ko Min-mou (
According to the two Control Yuan members, who started to investigate the case last year, Taipower failed to keep precise records relating to concentrated wastewater collected in wastewater evaporators.
The investigation report produced by Ko and Kuo alleges that readings on measuring instruments were not precise due to Taipower's lax management on a seven-year-old wastewater reservoir at the depository site. Control Yuan members said that the situation had been the same for at least five years.
In addition, Control Yuan members have said that Taipower did not follow appropriate procedures in purchasing the repository tanks for wastewater. Between 1999 and 2000, Taipower made three separate purchases of such tanks and the cost of each purchase was under NT$100,000. Control Yuan members suspect that Taipower bought tanks on three separate occasions in order to dodge related regulations and to negotiate prices with sellers.
Under Taiwanese law, state-owned companies purchasing products valued at over NT$100,000 must request quotations from two or more suppliers and purchase from the cheapest. For items under NT$100,000, they may choose a single supplier and negotiate a price.
Local residents have complained several times to Taipower, claiming radioactive wastewater has leaked from the site.
Last December, local reports claimed Taipower often discharged wastewater from the site during typhoons, but they did not cite any sources. Taipower officials denied the allegations and said that the AEC had inspected the site and found no problems.
Ko and Kuo said in their report that both the AEC and Taipower must improve communication with local residents and make information on wastewater available to the public.
The Control Yuan also called upon both the AEC and Taipower to help the local environmental protection department install radiation dosage detectors and to request universities or research institutes to carry out epidemiology investigations on Lanyu.
Taipower officials, however, said yesterday that the separate purchases of the tanks had been a matter of convenience because there was limited space to store them.
"As for the readings, we have carried out adjustments and the situation has been improved," said Huang Huei-yu (
Regarding carrying out epidemiology investigations on Lanyu, Huang said that Taipower would not rule out the possibility but details would not be discussed until the company received an official censure from the Control Yuan.
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