nuclear-news

Warning to Taiwan on its special danger from nuclear power

Taiwan has one of the highest densities of nuclear power plants in the world

 the population density in northern Taiwan is so high that it would be very difficult to evacuate people if a nuclear accident were to occur at the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Gongliao District (貢寮), New Taipei City (新北市).
“The evacuation efficiency in northern Taiwan is virtually zero,”

Scientist warns of dangers of Taiwan nuclear mishap Taipei Times 21 Oct 12, By Lee I-chia  A Japanese nuclear scientist and researcher says that if a nuclear accident occurred at one of northern Taiwan’s nuclear power plants, about 30,000 people would die within a short period of time and up to 7 million people could develop cancer from exposure to the nuclear radiation.
Hiroaki Koide, a nuclear reactor specialist who has been an assistant
professor at Kyoto University’s Research Reactor Institute since 1974,
spoke yesterday at a civic nuclear-free forum and met environmental
protection groups in Taipei over the weekend.
During his speech, he said Taiwan has one of the highest densities of
nuclear power plants in the world, which is why he chose to give his
first overseas speech on nuclear issues in the country.
“Constructing nuclear power plants in Taiwan is very dangerous,” he
said, stressing that the population density in northern Taiwan is so high that it would be very difficult to evacuate people if a nuclear accident were to occur at the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Gongliao District (貢寮), New Taipei City (新北市).
“The evacuation efficiency in northern Taiwan is virtually zero,” he said.
According to nuclear accident simulations he has run, people living in
Taipei and New Taipei City’s (新北市) Yonghe (永和), Jhonghe (中和), Banciao
(板橋), Sanchong (三重), Lujhou (蘆洲) and Pingsi (平溪) would all be directly
affected by radiation, leading to an estimated 30,000 deaths in the
first month after any such incident and up to 7 million possibly dying
of cancer in the following years.
Nuclear power plants are not designed to be constructed on fault
zones, he said, adding that Taiwan and Japan are both countries which
suffer frequent seismic activity.
Therefore, it is very dangerous to have plants built on unstable
strata, especially when operating power plants in Taiwan are
considered old and the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, which is under
construction, is being assembled using components from different
manufacturers.
Japan used to have high hopes for nuclear power, but since it began
relying on it electricity prices have not dropped as much as predicted
and the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear crisis last year has exposed many
people to nuclear radiation, he said, adding “regrets will come too
late if an accident occurs.”
He also suggested that if Taiwan can increase electricity generation
from other power sources, it should close its existing nuclear power
plants and halt the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power
Plant….. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2012/10/22/2003545779

October 22, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, Taiwan