The Atomic Energy Council (AEC) is planning to spend more than NT$500 million (US$17.77 million) on early warning, monitoring and research activities focused on the waters around Taiwan, the council said yesterday.
The statement came after Japan on Tuesday last week announced that it plans to release processed wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant into the ocean in several years.
However, the council said that it had made preparations for such a move ahead of Tokyo’s announcement.
Photo: Yang Mian-chieh, Taipei Times
Four years ago, its Radiation Monitoring Center was tasked with monitoring the waters, while a three-pronged strategy would be adopted in the future, the council said.
These would include cooperation with the Ocean Affairs Council to establish an early warning system and the development of monitoring technology to more precisely assess ocean currents, the council said, adding that the measures would cost about NT$128 million and be in place in about one-and-a-half years.
Once that infrastructure is set up, the council would in a four-year program monitor the situation and conduct research, and publish a comprehensive environmental impact assessment, the council said.
These measures would cost NT$400 million to NT$500 million, it said.
The council would also increase the number of offshore radioactivity detectors, it said.
Thirty-three detectors are in operation, and another 62 are to be created by the Fisheries Research Institute before the end of this year, it said.
The council would also seek cooperation with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) investigators, it said.
As China is a member of the international body, it would be difficult for Taiwan to join, AEC Minister Hsieh Shou-shing (謝曉星) said.
The council would try its best to participate in the investigation team and monitor nearby waters, he added.
In case the IAEA rejects Taiwan’s bid, he hopes that the agency would share data from its monitoring operations with the nation, Hsieh said.
Wastewater from the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant is to be diluted to 1,500 becquerels of tritium per liter before it is discharged, Hsieh said, adding that it is within the limits set by the IAEA.
The human body would be able to process that amount within one month, he said.
However, a continuous risk assessment is needed, Hsieh said, reiterating that he opposes Japan’s plan.
People who are concerned that fish might contain radionuclides should not consume it, Hsieh said.
In related news, a simulation developed by a team led by Ho Chung-ru (何宗儒), a professor in National Taiwan Ocean University’s Department of Marine Environmental Information, showed that daily discharges of wastewater at the plant would have a 1 percent chance of affecting the waters near Taiwan, while it would take just one and a half years, at the earliest, for it to possibly affect Taiwan’s offshore waters.
The actual spread of the wastewater — including the range and speed — would depend on factors including the location of its release and the climate, the university said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust