A group of Pingtung residents staged a protest in the county yesterday to oppose a public referendum that could lead to the reactivation of the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant.
Holding banners outside the Pingtung County Council, more than 20 people from various professions criticized the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party for proposing the referendum without consulting local residents.
Chiang Kuo-liang (江國樑), honorary chairman of a Pingtung cultural and educational development association, said the nuclear plant — which operated for 40 years before it was shut down in May — is located on a seismic fault line.
Photo: CNA
The plant’s safety relies on “the blessings of the gods,” Chiang said.
A community-college president, Lin Ya-wen (林雅文), said that the plant’s aging equipment, seismic resistance and nuclear waste disposal are critical issues that must be addressed first.
Another protester, Weng Chen- hsia (翁禎霞), the founder of a bookstore in Pingtung, said incidents such as Japan’s Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster could affect generations to come.
“Energy issues are complicated matters that require immediate attention and should not be decided by a hasty referendum,” Weng said.
According to the Central Election Commission, five public forums would be held starting on Aug. 7 to discuss a proposal to restart the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, ahead of a public referendum scheduled for Aug. 23.
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