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COMMITTEE FOR RELOCATING NUCLEAR WASTE OPENS MEETING AMID PROTEST

Jul 12, 2002 12:45 UTC+0800

Taipei, July 12 (CNA) A committee in charge of relocating the nuclear waste stored on the offshore Orchid Island held its second meeting in Taitung, eastern Taiwan, amid protest Friday.

This was the second meeting of the committee, and the participants began substantial discussions by deciding to form three teams, responsible for the selection of a relocation site and the timetable, the promotion of testing and monitoring work, and the environmental and health testing and monitoring, respectively.

The meeting was presided over by Vice Economic Affairs Minister Chen Ruey-long. Participants included Legislator May Chin, as well as officials from the Ministry of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Administration, the Council of Atomic Energy, and Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower). Orchid Island township chief Chou Kuei-kuang and five representatives from the town representing the aboriginal Tao people were also on hand.

Legislator Chin protested to Vice Minister Chen before the meeting, saying that it was "improper" for Taipower to arrange for Orchid Island representatives to head to Taitung by boat, saying that they had to endure a journey of nearly three hours in violent seas.

Hsieh Ah-sheng, a representative of the Tao people, said that they had to get up at 4 a.m. to take the boat at 6 a.m. arranged by the Coast Guard Administration. After setting sail, the boat had to return to dock due to rough seas, departing again at 8 a.m. despite gale winds. After arriving at the Taitung harbor, the representatives then had to rush to the meeting at the Taitung County Government building.

Township chief Chou later led the five representatives in withdrawing from the meeting.

Chou said that if Taipower were really sincere, it could have arranged for them to come to Taitung one day earlier so that they could attend the meeting well-rested.

Legislator Chin questioned how Taipower could respect the voice of the Tao people if it could not even pay proper attention to such a simple matter. She also asked why the meeting was closed to the media.

Chin said that she wishes the committee could find a temporary storage site for the nuclear waste, such as at the first or second nuclear power plants, saying that the two locations have no residents and have high-tech personnel to handle the nuclear waste.

She urged the government to find a temporary storage site before looking for a permanent one.

(By Lilian Wu)