Taiwan’s Atomic Energy Council (AEC) says it will not allow Taipower to install fuel rods in the fourth nuclear power plant until the plant passes safety checks. That’s the word from AEC Minister Tsai Chuen-horng on Monday.
In an interview with the local media, Tsai said the government will carefully review all safety reports to ensure nuclear safety.
The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is hoping to pass a statute that would pave the way for a special referendum that would allow the public to decide on the future of the fourth nuclear power plant. The statute that the DPP is promoting would enable the referendum to pass by a simple majority, rather than half of all eligible voters, as is currently stipulated in the Referendum Act.
Premier Jiang Yi-huah said on Sunday that there must be a threshold, but that lowering the figure from half of all eligible voters to 40% is a possibility.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Chen Wei-zen said on Monday that the government does not yet have a clear position on the DPP’s proposal, but that it is open for discussion.