Taiwanese environmental groups on Wednesday voiced concern over the safety of two nuclear power plants after a survey found they were located near a zone at risk from earthquakes.
"The plants are old and it's not easy to upgrade their quake resistance features," said Herburt Lee, secretary general of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union.
The plants, in northern Taiwan, are as close as five kilometres (three miles) from a fault line estimated to be 40 kilometres (25 miles) long and growing, according to new data from the government's Central Geological Survey.
In light of the information, the groups have opposed a plan by the government to extend the licences for the ageing plants, which have been in operation for three decades.
"The government should shut them down for safety reasons once the permits expire," said Lee.
The Union and other groups urged the government to allow independent experts to review how safe the plants are.
The cabinet-level Atomic Energy Council said the plants' quake resistance features had been enhanced after a large quake that jolted the tremor-prone island in 1999, killing about 2,400 people.
"The plants will automatically shut down during a powerful earthquake… to avoid damage to the facilities and to ensure their safety," it said in a statement.
State-owned Taiwan Power Company operates three nuclear power plants, while a fourth is being constructed.
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