V consumers of knowledge advocate against a "yes" vote in the upcoming Saturday ballot
In a significant move, over 523 academics have urged the public to vote "no" in the referendum to restart the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant. The concerns and arguments against the restart focus primarily on nuclear safety and waste disposal issues, as well as broader societal hesitations about nuclear power.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is at the forefront of this opposition, emphasizing unresolved safety guarantees and the lack of a waste management solution as key reasons to not restart the plant. The DPP aims to phase out nuclear power completely by 2025, and restarting Ma-anshan goes against this goal.
Nuclear safety remains a contentious issue, with critics arguing that it cannot be settled by a referendum vote. They are cautious due to nuclear risks highlighted by past disasters like Fukushima in 2011 and insist on stronger safety guarantees before considering reopening.
Another major concern is the disposal of nuclear waste from the plant. There is no clear, accepted solution for this, which raises long-term environmental and health concerns.
The political landscape is also complex, with many leading figures in the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party once opposing nuclear energy but now embracing it. This shift has not gone unnoticed by the DPP, which has accused these parties of making unreasonable U-turns regarding their stance on nuclear energy.
The Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant is located near a tectonic fault line in Pingtung County's Hengchun Township. If a disaster similar to the Fukushima Dai-ichi incident were to occur at the Ma-anshan site, Taitung County, Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, and Hengchun Township would have varying chances of becoming permanent exclusion zones.
Moreover, most Pingtung County residents are unaware that the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant faced abnormalities or circumvented regulations 30 times, according to sociologist Chiu Hua-mei.
The DPP has also highlighted the financial unsustainability of nuclear power, with a professor at National Chung Hsing University stating that it does not meet the EU's standards for financial sustainability. Additionally, according to a levelized cost of electricity assessment, nuclear power has a higher average cost of generating electricity over the lifespan of a facility than power from renewable sources.
The DPP has announced that they will increase campaigning to urge "no" votes in the referendum. They are also working to confront disinformation and false narratives being disseminated about the plant.
Despite some surveys showing a majority in favor of restarting if safety concerns were addressed, the referendum to reopen Ma-anshan failed due to insufficient voter turnout and not meeting the legal vote threshold. This reflects a divided or cautious public attitude toward reinstating nuclear power without strong assurances.
Critics argue that while Taiwan faces increasing energy dependence on fossil fuels and imports, these vulnerabilities do not override the risks associated with nuclear safety and waste management. They argue that County residents should not be forced to live with nuclear power any longer, stating it would be enacting regional injustice.
[1] News article from Taiwan News [2] News article from Central News Agency [3] News article from Focus Taiwan [4] News article from The Guardian [5] News article from Reuters
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