Participants in a civil nuclear cooperation meeting between Taiwan and the US agreed yesterday to increase exchanges on nuclear power plant safety and to establish formal communication channels.
The participants, including more than 90 experts in nuclear energy affairs from both countries, said during the two-day meeting in Hualien that after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, nuclear power plant safety has become a major concern.
The meeting opened Tuesday.
They discussed issues related to measures to strengthen nuclear power plant safety to deter terrorist attacks and decided to cooperate in the areas of nuclear power plant safety, examination and research on nuclear reactor control rod cracks, and emergency response plans outside nuclear power plants.
Shen Li (
Shen said that if Taiwan can obtain the US plan, it will benefit Taiwan's safety measures regarding nuclear power plants. But he also said that the plan has to be kept secret so as not to allow terrorists to use it as a reference in planning attacks on nuclear power plants.
Both sides decided that they would not go into details regarding substantive security measures and that they would act cautiously by leaving the matter for future face-to-face meetings.
As there have been several incidents of control rod cracks at Taiwan's nuclear power plants, both sides also agreed to cooperate on research into the causes of nuclear rod cracks as well as repair and maintenance work.
On emergency responses outside nuclear power plants, both sides agreed that the AIC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the US will conduct exchanges on drills, mobilization and response measures.
In response to Taiwan's "nuclear-free homeland" policy, the participants also agreed to cooperate on the decommissioning of nuclear power plants, with Taipower and the US Energy Department to establish bilateral communication channels.
The AIC's Fuel Cycle and Materials Administration will also send officials to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to receive six-month training on the disposal of highly radioactive waste.
Alex Burkart, deputy director of the Office of Nuclear Energy Affairs under the State Department's Nonproliferation Bureau, led a 20-member delegation made up of US officials responsible for nuclear affairs, environmental protection and laboratory heads to the meeting in Hualien.
During the meeting, participants also discussed the issues of nuclear energy safety, protection against radiation, nuclear power for consumers and nuclear waste disposal, as well as reviewed existing cooperation projects.
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