00:00First responders drive around this neighborhood less than three kilometers away from a nuclear
00:09power plant, telling residents to evacuate. It's the 31st year of Taiwan's nuclear disaster drill,
00:15and it's the first since the nearby Mansham nuclear power plant was decommissioned in May.
00:25Volunteers go door-to-door to alert those who have trouble hearing the alarm.
00:30It's a new feature this year to better protect people with disabilities and elderly people during
00:34a nuclear accident. A key scenario in this year's drill is the impact of natural disasters on rescue
00:46efforts. Local shops have joined the efforts by offering up space for medical assistance
00:50in case the area becomes inaccessible after an earthquake. Now we're at a backup help center
00:56set up in front of a local restaurant. Those injured and evacuees would be sent here for
01:00treatment and get scanned for radiation instead of a nearby airport where official help there
01:05is disrupted by natural disaster. The army has also sent a helicopter to deliver aid in the case of
01:12the area being completely cut off. Pindong County Chief Zhou Chunmi, who is against bringing back
01:17nuclear power, has come to oversee the evacuation. She says the exercise is important even after the
01:24Manshan nuclear power plants was decommissioned. As nuclear waste stored inside could cause radiation
01:29leaks during an earthquake or extreme weather event.
01:32In the neighboring Kunting district, just outside the evacuation zone, some are not so concerned
01:53about a nuclear accident now that the plant has closed.
01:56It's already been purchased. It's not a nuclear waste. It's not a nuclear waste. It's not a nuclear waste.
02:02It's not a nuclear waste, right? Why do you want to practice that nuclear waste?
02:07While some from outside of Pindong think the prospect of a natural disaster is a concerning factor for nuclear safety.
02:13I think the climate change is pretty fast.
02:17While the chances of the Manshan plant being brought back into service seem uncertain,
02:23and people here seem confident in their safety,
02:25officials who arrange the drill believe it's better to prepare for any eventuality.
02:30Joseph Wu and An-Ring Lin in Pindong for Taiwan Plus.
Comments