Groups urge public to abolish nuclear power this year

Groups urge public to abolish nuclear power this year
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2014/02/24/2003584215

By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter / Taipei Times Staff reporters

This year will be the most crucial year in the fight to abolish nuclear power in Taiwan, anti-nuclear groups said at a forum in Taipei yesterday, citing reasons that included the possible insertion of fuel rods in the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District (貢寮).

“Other reasons are that since the [three] active nuclear plants are fast approaching their planned retirement dates and the government is always stalling on its promises to decommission the plants, the problem of nuclear waste treatment could become a tipping point this year,” Wang Chung-ming (王鐘銘), a member of the Northern Coast Anti-Nuclear Action Alliance’s executive committee, told the forum hosted by the National Nuclear Abolition Action Platform.

Wang said activists fear the government may try to extend the active plants’ operational life span.

He said that Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) has already extended the original capacity of the spent fuel pools at the three active plants by increasing storage density. The capacity of the pool at the Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Shihmen District (石門) was extended from 3,030 bundles to 5,514, while the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) had its 5,040-bundle capacity pool raised to 7,544 and the pool at the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Ma-anshan (馬鞍山) went from handling 1,492 bundles to 2,328.

On Saturday, Taipower announced that the spent fuel pool at the Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant will meet its storage capacity at the end of the year, so it urgently needs the government to approve its plan to build a dry-storage facility.

However, Wang said that Taipower is merely trying to force the government and the public to approve the dry-storage facility.

He added that dry cask storage of spent fuel is not only controversial, because the feasibility of taking spent fuel rods from the pools are a safety concern, but also that it is doubtful that the proposed facility — which is meant to be used for mid-term storage — will not eventually be made into a final disposal site, given that Taipower has broken its promises many times in the past.

“Taipower bounced its checks on removing low-level radioactive waste from Lanyu (蘭嶼), which was originally planned for 2002, then extended to 2016 and last year once again pushed back to 2021,” Wang said. “If Taipower cannot deal with low-level radioactive waste disposal, how can we trust it to properly deal with spent nuclear fuel?”

Green Citizens’ Action Alliance director-general Lai Wei-chieh (賴偉傑) said it is frustrating to see how the government “threatens the public and shirks its responsibility” to continue using nuclear power, rather than developing alternative energy policies.

Lai said anti-nuclear groups are worried that fuel rods will be inserted at the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant as part of test runs during the safety inspections currently being conducted by the Atomic Energy Council that Taipower has said will be completed by June.

Moreover, even though the council has not approved Taipower’s ultimate response measures, the company and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) have already promised the public that a nuclear disaster can be prevented in the event of an emergency situation, Lai said.

“The government should devise institutional electricity-saving measures, such as dispersing electricity demand during peak hours, or improving power usage effectiveness, rather than morally pressuring the public to save electricity,” he said.

The groups urged the public to attend a parade set for March 8 to promote the “total abolition of nuclear power, face the problems of nuclear waste, terminate the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant and created a nuclear-free homeland.”

Anti-nuclear alliance planning mass demonstrations around Taiwan on March 8 (FTV’s English news)

Anti-nuclear alliance planning mass demonstrations around Taiwan on March 8 
2014/02/23
(FTV’s English news)

An anti-nuclear alliance vowed a nationwide protest on March 8. to express opposition to nuclear power. The alliance is worried a safety report concerning the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant will be sent to the Atomic Energy Council for review in June. Thus paving the way for the plant to begin tests and operations as early as September.

Last year’s March 9, anti-nuclear rally continues to be a fresh memory in the minds of many people. And now, nearly a year later, many are concerned about a possible power plant security report for the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant to be submitted at the end of June which has led many anti-nuclear groups to be unhappy.

Wang Chung-ming
North Coast Anti-Nuclear Action Alliance
Why do I believe that this year is the key? This is because if we have no way to force the government to develop a suitable policy to deal with nuclear waste, they could simply extend current operations, and delay the decommissioning of (plants) by a few years.

Many are also worried that the fourth nuclear power plant could begin initial testing in September at the earliest. Anti-nuclear groups have yet to achieve any consensus with government officials about nuclear waste, with lack of agreements regarding Lanyu’s nuclear waste issues, as well as decommissioning old nuclear power plants, and a general lack of specific planning. All of these concerns are leading to general dissatisfaction, with anti-nuclear activists now planning to take to the streets on March 8. Upwards of a hundred anti-nuclear activist groups will take to the streets in protest.

Hung Shen-han
Green Citizens' Action Alliance
This year's protest will be similar to those last year, taking place in Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, and Taitung. There will be parades to warn the government not to act like there are delays though continue construction with the attitude that it will succeed (in operating the plant).

Many environmental groups around Taiwan will join together on March 8 to express their joint opposition to nuclear power.