Taiwan to extend nuclear waste deal with N. Korea

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Taiwan to extend nuclear waste deal with N. Korea

TAIPEI, Aug. 10 (Kyodo) - Taiwan's state utility Taiwan Power Co. 
(Taipower) will extend for five years an unrealized deal with 
Pyongyang for the permanent storage of nuclear waste in North Korea, 
local media reported Thursday. 

Taipower will shortly pay an $8 million deposit to North Korea for 
construction of a waste storage site in an abandoned North Korean 
mine and administrative expenses, the United Daily News reported, 
quoting Taipower Chairman Kuo Junne-huey. 

Kuo said Taipower officials and members of the cabinet's Atomic 
Energy Council are planning to inspect the North Korean storage site 
soon. 

The extension of the current contract by five years to 2009 would be 
negotiated following the inspection, Kuo was quoted by the paper as 
saying. 

Taipower and Pyongyang signed a $300 million commercial contract in 
January 1997 for the shipment to North Korea of up to 200,000 barrels 
of nuclear waste from the island's three nuclear power plants. 

However, due to strong protests from South Korea and other countries 
over the nuclear waste exports, the deal did not materialize. 

Also, to date the Atomic Energy Council, Taiwan's top nuclear 
watchdog, has not issued an export permit for the hazardous waste. 

Prospects for realization of the nuclear deal have not necessarily 
improved with the recent easing of tension on the Korean Peninsula. 

At the historic summit between South Korean President Kim Dae Jung 
and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in June, Seoul reiterated its 
opposition to the nuclear waste deal. 

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian last month indicated opposition to 
exporting nuclear waste, saying Taiwan ''should not dump on others 
what we do not want.'' 

Among the alternative options Taipower has been pursuing iull to 
capacity, does not have a facility for permanent storage. 

Pressure is building on the government to solve the issue as it has 
promised to withdraw nuclear waste from temporary storage on Orchid 
Island and the mountain of nuclear waste will pile up even more 
rapidly if a controversial fourth nuclear plant is completed. 

Construction of that fourth plant, located northeast of Taipei, has 
been frozen after Chen, who pledged during his campaign to halt the 
project, won the March presidential election. 

A special commission composed of government officials and 
representatives for Taipower and antinuclear groups is reassessing 
the project and is expected to submit its conclusions to Premier Tang 
Fei in September. 

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Sandy Perle					Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100   				    	
Director, Technical				Extension 2306 				     	
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Division		Fax:(714) 668-3149 	                   		    
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Costa Mesa, CA 92626                                      

Personal Website:  http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/1205
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