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DPP legislator blasts
AEC
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Cheng Li-chiun (¾GÄR§g) yesterday
blasted the Atomic Energy Council (AEC) and Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) after a
report confirmed Taipower¡¦s serious nuclear waste repackaging error on Lanyu
(ÄõÀ¬), also known as Orchid Island.
¡§If the AEC and Taipower fail to handle nuclear waste well, nuclear safety in
Taiwan is over,¡¨ Cheng told a press conference in the legislature.
Cheng on Oct. 25 accused Taipower of malpractice in its examination and
repackaging of corroded waste drums at the storage facility on the island as the
process was carried out in the open, which could lead to radiation leakage.
The storage facility, built in 1982 by the government without prior consultation
and communication with Lanyu residents, stopped receiving nuclear waste in 1996.
The AEC denied Cheng¡¦s accusation the same day, saying the photos the lawmakers
showed at a press conference were ¡§old photographs¡¨ and there were no safety
concerns because the entire process was carried out in an enclosed area.
However, an AEC report on the incident released on Wednesday confirmed the error
and the council ruled it a fourth-degree violation and reprimanded Taipower.
AEC Minister Tsai Chuen-horng (½²¬KÂE) apologized for the malpractice in a
budget-screening session of the legislature¡¦s Education and Culture Committee
yesterday.
Tsai was lambasted by the lawmakers for covering up Taipower¡¦s mistakes, with
Cheng saying that the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant should be
halted since the AEC and Taipower have raised doubts about their capability to
ensure safety.
The committee reached a consensus to freeze one-third of the AEC¡¦s general
administration budget and demanded that the council conduct a thorough
investigation of the incident, as well as monitor local residents¡¦ health.
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