Discussing the future direction of the Atomic Energy Council (AEC) amid criticism that it has been too favorable to Taiwan Power Co (Taipower), AEC Minister Hsieh Shou-shing (謝曉星) yesterday told a Taipei news conference that it would emphasize transparency and public participation.
Hsieh reiterated that the council has to remain neutral and transparent, and encourage the public’s participation in overseeing nuclear plant safety to regain the public’s trust.
“The Atomic Energy Council must be accountable to the public, and I hope that there will be at least two members on the council’s decision-making committee from environmental organizations,” he said.
“Although council officials are the most educated and capable of government officials, they are overly conservative. The council will be open to the public and share information on how it handles nuclear incidents as fast as possible,” Hsieh said.
He reaffirmed the government’s policy of going nuclear-free by 2025, adding that the council will complete a review of Taipower’s decommissioning plan of the Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Shimen District (石門) by June next year.
However, while saying that he supports the relocation of low-level radioactive waste from Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as a step toward transitional justice, Hsieh said there have been many difficulties in selecting a site for another temporary or permanent nuclear waste repository.
If Taipower fails to come up with a storage site option by September, it has to propose an alternative plan to relocate it, which might involve temporarily depositing it on an unpopulated island, the council said
Nuclear power plants might become temporary storage sites for high-level radioactive waste should the council fail to find another repository site, the council said.
Council officials also said the Jinshan plant’s No. 1 reactor, which has been out of operation since December 2014 due to a loose handle on a fuel rod cask, can be reactivated in a few days if the legislature approves Taipower’s reactivation plan.
The reactivation has been proposed to ease a power shortage crisis, despite the government’s nuclear-free policy, with Minister without Portfolio Chang Ching-sen (張景森) yesterday saying that the reactor remains a possible option and nuclear-free policy does not mean the early decommissioning of the nation’s three operating nuclear plants.
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday announced a ban on all current and former government officials from traveling to China to attend a military parade on Sept. 3, which Beijing is to hold to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War. "This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Republic of China’s victory in the War of Resistance [Against Japan]," MAC Deputy Minister and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) told a regular news briefing in Taipei. To prevent Beijing from using the Sept. 3 military parade and related events for "united
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