The Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant’s license has expired and it cannot simply be restarted, the Executive Yuan said today, ahead of national debates on the nuclear power referendum.
The No. 2 reactor at the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County was disconnected from the nation’s power grid and completely shut down on May 17, the day its license expired.
The government would prioritize people’s safety and conduct necessary evaluations and checks if there is a need to extend the service life of the reactor, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a news conference.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
Lee said that the referendum would read: “Do you agree that the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant should resume operations, provided it is deemed safe by the relevant authorities?”
Ensuring the safety of nuclear reactors has always been one of the nation’s basic duties, and that is what the government has been doing, Lee said.
The Cabinet would continue to develop diverse sources of green energy to achieve the “Energy Transition 2.0” policy goals set by President William Lai (賴清德), she said.
It would also respect the Central Election Commission’s (CEC) decision regarding the nuclear power referendum, which is to be held on Aug. 23, she said.
The Legislative Yuan approved the referendum on May 20, three days after the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant was shut down.
From Aug. 7, five forums are to be held to debate the issue of restarting the nuclear power plant, the CEC said on Friday last week.
The Taiwan People’s Party yesterday said that it would hold more than 100 forums on the issue.
In other news, the Executive Yuan said that it has received the amendments to the Pay Act of the Armed Forces (軍人待遇條例) that passed a third reading in the Legislative Yuan on June 10.
The amendments, which would raise military salaries, are set to go into effect on Jan. 1 next year.
The Cabinet said it is discussing the constitutionality of the bill with experts and academics before deciding if or how to respond to it.
If the Cabinet plans to ask the legislature to reconsider the bill, it would have to do so within 10 days of receiving the amendments. The request would have to be made no later than Saturday, as Lee said the Cabinet received the bill on Thursday last week.
The Cabinet did not propose asking the legislature to reconsider the bill in today’s meeting, Lee said, adding that any decision would be made with caution.
Additional reporting by Chung Li-hua
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