Filipinos concerned about nuclear emergency in Japan

Filipinos concerned about nuclear emergency in Japan:

Revival of Bataan nuke plant should be junked

Following reports that the nuclear plant in Japan around 250
kilometers northeast of Tokyo had explosions and vented smoke to the
environment, Philippine activist groups under the No to BNPP Revival!
network reminded the Aquino administration of the dangers of reviving
the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) here in the Philippines.

The two affected nuclear plants are in the Fukushima plant owned by
the Tokyo Power Electric Company. Although the nuclear plants went
onto automatic shutdown, problems after the event such as the failure
of cooling systems caused the nuclear emergency. People have been
evacuated around a 10-km radius of the plant. The reactor was already
leaking radiation eight times the normal levels outside the facility
and 1,000 times normal inside Fukushima 1's control room.

"Japan should issue a full disclosure of the status of their nuclear
plants and immediately implent protocols to contain the potential
meltdown. The affected communities should be protected and nearby
countries such as the Philippines should also ready in case the
emissions affect our surroundings," said Dr. Giovanni Tapang, convenor
of the No to the BNPP Revival!

Dr. Tapang said that this unfolding precedent in Japan should serve as
an ample warning to the Philippine government to not rush headlong
into the BNPP's revival.

"Issues concerning the safety, viability and environmental risks
associated with the Bataan nuclear plant are still unresolved and yet
the Department of Energy and the National Power Corporation seem to be
hell bent on pushing through with plans to privatize the operations of
the BNPP," explained Dr. Tapang.

Similar problems such as falling barrels containing radioactive
material thus releasing it to the environment were also observed in
previous accidents such as the 2007 Kashiwarazaki-Kariwa accident
caused by a 6.6 Mw earthquake near Niigata, Japan. There were
radiation leaks in the sea and 400 drums ng low-level nuclear waste
fell down during the earthquake. Fourty of these barrels opened and
emitted traces of radioactive Cobalt 60 and chromium 51 in the
environment. The Kashiwarazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant was one of the
largest plant in the world.

"There are chances of having a similar accident if the government
operates the BNPP. The Philippines is vulnerable to earthquakes, being
near the Manila Trench and is sitting on the slopes of Mount Natib",
added Dr. Tapang.

"Things also become problematic if the operations of a facility like
the BNPP will be handed over to a private foreign firm like the Korean
Electric Company (KEPCO) which had conducted feasibility tests on the
plant," said Dr. Tapang. Other firms from Russia, Japan and South
Korea were reportedly interested in operating the BNPP.

"The reopening of the BNPP is just one of the plans of the Aquino
administration that is no different from his predecessor. It would not
benefit the Filipino people and instead expose us to unncessary risks
to its recommissioning," Dr. Tapang added.

"What should be done is to reverse the privatization of the power
industry and build safe and reliable sources of electricity. The
country has vast indigenous energy resources from fossil fuels to
alternative energy that we can use if only the government stops
selling these to private investors," said Dr. Tapang