nuclear-news

Taiwan petition for a referendum on nuclear power is close to its goal

A petition booth will be set up at Fulong train station and a speech by the Yenliao Anti-Nuclear Self-Help Association will be held at 2:30pm on Thursday.

Anti-nuclear-group plans rock fest signature drive, Taipei Times, 10 July 12, POWER GAMES:Calling for a stop to the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, activists have questioned Taiwan Power’s qualifications in building the new facility By Lee I-chia  Taiwan Environmental Protection Union (TEPU) yesterday said it would hold a signature drive at the five-day Ho-Hai-Yan
Gongliao Rock Festival in New Taipei City (新北市) starting tomorrow in an effort to stop the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant near the rock festival’s venue.

TEPU chairman Lin Wen-yinn (林文印) said the annual rock festival attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to Fulong Beach (福隆海灘) in Gongliao District (貢寮) to enjoy music in beautiful surroundings, but the ongoing construction of a nuclear power plant near to the beach is destroying the environment.
“We hope that visitors who join the rock festival in pursuit of beautiful music and self-expression will also put their passion into the pursuit of a safe and beautiful environment,” he said.
Kao Cheng-yan (高成炎), a professor at National Taiwan University and a former TEPU chairman, said the group had initiated a petition for a local referendum in New Taipei City, asking residents whether fuel rods should be installed to start test operations at the plant.
The petition has already gathered about 12,000 signatures since its
launch last summer, Kao said, adding that according to the law, it
needs about 15,000 signatures to pass the first phase to petition for
a local referendum and about 150,000 signatures for the second phase.
Yenliao Anti-Nuclear Self-Help Association secretary-general Yang
Mu-huo (楊木火) said that as a resident, he believed the construction
should be halted with or without a referendum, because “the
construction of the plant is a total mess.”…..
The Fourth Nuclear Power Plant is not safe because it is a poorly
assembled facility being built by Taiwan Power Co, which has no
experience building a nuclear power plant by itself, Kao said, adding
that more than NT$20 billion (US$66.7 million) on the construction and
an additional NT$5 million supplementary budget are planned.
“The total expense of more of than NT$30 billion will be a heavy
burden for Taiwan’s young people,” Kao said.
The group hopes to at least stop the additional supplementary budget
from gaining approval, he said.
“Sign the referendum petition before you listen to music!” TEPU deputy
secretary-general Lee Hsiu-jung (李秀容) said.
A petition booth will be set up at Fulong train station and a speech by the Yenliao Anti-Nuclear Self-Help Association will be held at 2:30pm on Thursday.
http://taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2012/07/10/2003537394

July 10, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general