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Nuclear risk in north
mooted
NIMBY: A nationwide rally, organized by Citizens
of the Earth, will take place on Saturday next week and to date a total of 50
civic groups have signed up for the Kaohsiung event
Staff Writer, with AFP and CNA, PARIS AND TAIPEI
The Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant in Shihmen District (石門), New Taipei City, (新北市)
and the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in Wanli District (萬里), New Taipei City,
each have more than 5 million people living within 30km of them — the same as
the exclusion zone around Japan’s crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power
plant, an -analysis published by -Nature on Friday showed.
Taiwan currently operates three nuclear power plants. Aside from the two on the
northern coast in New Taipei City, a third one is located in Ma-anshan (馬鞍山),
Pingtung County.
A fourth nuclear power plant is under construction in Gongliao District (貢寮),
also in New Taipei City. It is scheduled to start commercial operations at the
end of next year.
The anti-nuclear movement gained new momentum in mid-March after a massive
earthquake struck Japan, causing a tsunami that damaged the Fukushima Dai-ichi
complex, resulting in the release of radiation that has endangered northeastern
Japan’s food and water supply.
The disaster has resonated especially strongly in Taiwan because, like Japan, it
is prone to -earthquakes that could lead to a similar scenario as the one that
crippled the Japanese plant.
A rally will take place in southern Taiwan later this month as part of a
nationwide group of protests against the use of nuclear power in the country.
The nationwide rally, organized by Citizens of the Earth, Taiwan, will take
place on Saturday next week and a total of 50 civic groups have signed up to
participate in the Kaohsiung parade, said Tsai Hui-hsun (蔡卉荀), head of a local
anti-nuclear association.
“All parents want their children to grow up in a better environment, and the
idea of a ‘nuclear-free homeland’ can help create a sustainable living
environment,” Tsai said.
On Friday, members of the anti-nuclear association and their children gathered
outside the Executive Yuan’s Southern Taiwan Joint Services Center and handed in
a petition against nuclear power ahead of the rally, hoping the central
government will hear their message loud and clear.
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