The Taipei City Government will hold a drill at the incineration plant in Neihu (內湖) tomorrow to test the city’s readiness for a nuclear crisis.
The drill will simulate a crisis at the second nuclear power plant in Wanli District (萬里), New Taipei City (新北市), and Taipei will work with the New Taipei City Government to evacuate residents and set up emergency relief centers.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin --(郝龍斌) said the radiation leak at the damaged nuclear power plant in Japan had heightened public concern about the safety of nuclear power and the city government needed to check the effectiveness of measures to be taken in a nuclear crisis.
Taiwan has two operating nuclear power plants in New Taipei City’s Wanli and Shihmen (石門) districts, and another planned within 30km of Taipei City in Gongliao District (貢寮). There is also a third nuclear power plant in Pingtung County in the south.
As part of the drill the city will set up radiation detection stations along major highways and at railway stations and MRT stations.
Hau said the drill would aim to establish a cooperation mechanism with the New Taipei City Government, the Atomic Energy Council and Taiwan Power Co, to monitor radioactivity levels and exchange information effectively.
The city government will hold more exercises next month to test the city’s level of preparedness in dealing with earthquake and tsunami disasters.
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