Taiwan activists protest nuclear plant approval

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

Thursday March 18, 12:49 am Eastern Time

Taiwan activists protest nuclear plant approval

TAIPEI, March 18 (Reuters) - Dozens of anti-nuclear activists 
protested outside Taiwan's cabinet building on Thursday, a day 
after the Atomic Energy Council issued permits to complete the 
island's fourth nuclear power station.  

Wearing headbands and holding plastics bottles resembling 
nuclear waste containers, the protesters vowed to block the plant's 
construction at any cost, saying the council's surprise 
announcement on Wednesday ignored public concerns.  

``We cannot stand this anymore,'' protester Ting Wen-sheng told 
reporters. ``We will not rule out taking more drastic moves, 
including hunger strikes.''  

Activists also planned a mass street rally on March 28.

State-owned Taiwan Power Co, which is building the project 
outside the capital Taipei, tried to quiet the outcry but said 
construction would move ahead shortly.  

``The Atomic Energy Council granted us the license after a careful 
evaluation, which means all our safety plans meet standards,'' 
Taipower vice president Lai Shih-chang said.  

The atomic watchdog said on Wednesday its nearly two-year 
review and 9,000 pages of documentation concluded the US$4.8 
billion project featuring U.S. reactors ``adequately ensured public 
health and safety.''  

One of the plant's twin light-water reactors will enter service in July 
2004 with the second following a year later, together adding 2,700 
megawatts to the industrialised island's demanding power grid.  

U.S. giant General Electric Co (NYSE:GE - news) will supply the 
reactors and generators for US$1.8 billion. Plant superstructure 
has been under construction for three years.  

The Democratic Progressive Party, which has long opposed the 
nuclear plant, said it ``strongly condemned'' the state approval and 
vowed to tie up related budgets in parliament.  

``On the issue of nuclear energy, the Democratic Progressive Party 
will never give in,'' it said in a statement.

Taiwan saw one of its worst outbreaks of political violence in 
November 1996 when the ruling Nationalist Party bulldozed through 
strong parliamentary opposition to adopt a budget for the plant, 
sparking a night of fiery rioting.  

Premier Vincent Siew, mindful of the growing anti-nuclear mood, 
vowed last May to hold the number of nuclear power stations at 
four until 2020, but indicated new reactors could be added at 
existing plants.  

Taiwan has embarked on an ambitious liberalisation of its energy 
sector, approving nearly a dozen privately owned power stations 
that will burn fossil fuels.  

Each of Taiwan Power Co's three operating nuclear plants has two 
reactors, which collectively generate about one quarter of 
Taipower's current output of 21,900 megawatts.  

Officials say output must rise to 36,000 megawatts early in the 
next century to keep pace with economic growth. 

Sandy Perle
E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 
Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/1205

"The object of opening the mind, as of opening 
the mouth, is to close it again on something solid"
              - G. K. Chesterton -
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html