nuclear-news

Nuclear damage caused by natural disasters could be compensated, Taiwan News, Taipei, Sept. 29 (CNA) Operators of nuclear facilities could be required to provide compensation for emergencies caused by major natural disasters, according to a draft revision approved by the Executive Yuan on Thursday.

The revision to the Nuclear Liability Act also lifts the cap of compensation for nuclear damages from NT$4.2 billion (US$140 million) to NT$15 billion, said the Atomic Energy Council (AEC), which proposed the draft. The amendment came in light of Japan‘s Fukushima nuclear disaster, said the AEC. It added the act was last revised more than a decade ago, but international treaties or laws have both changed.

Nuclear facilities owners should be responsible for any damage regardless of fault, according to the existing laws. However, nuclear accidents resulting from international armed conflicts, civil wars, hostile acts, or major natural disasters are not subject to the rule. To be in line with the international trend of raising the responsibility of nuclear operators, the draft proposes that operators be responsible for natural disaster damage. The draft also raises the time in which an injured individual can seek compensation from nuclear power plant operators to 10 years from the current three years. Legislator Tien Chiu-chin of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) argued that the revised cap for compensation is still not enough to cover all the damage and recovery…..

 http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=1721010