Rehabilitation of Bataan nuke plant pushed anew

MANILA, Philippines - Advocates of the utilization of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) on Thursday pushed anew for the mothballed plant's rehabilitation, saying this would help mitigate climate change and address looming energy problems. Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco, principal author of the "Bataan Nuclear Power Plant Commissioning Act of 2008," said using nuclear energy would reduce dependence on coal-powered plants that spew out carbon dioxide. He also said this would entice foreign businessmen to invest in the country because of cheaper energy costs. "Bataan [Nuclear Power Plant] can run in two to three years if we make the decision to run it today," Cojuangco said before a group of government officials, scientific experts, and other individuals present for an ocular inspection of the power plant. He added that the plant can provide 640 megawatts of energy that can help fill in the needed 3,000 megawatts in 2012, when the country is projected to experience 24-hour brownouts. Cojuangco said that while he has nothing against other renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, nuclear energy-derived electricity would be more reliable as it is not "erratic" like other power sources dependent on weather conditions. At the same time, the lawmaker allayed fears over the safety of nuclear energy, saying experts have pegged the maximum radiation leak an individual can take at 1 millirem a year-roughly the same amount of radiation a person gets from eating one banana, he said. Cojuangco said he is confident that the BNPP - which was built in the Martial Law era but never went operational after it was closed down in 1986 after the Chernobyl disaster - will be ready for operations pending validation that some parts have not deteriorated. "It is my contention that the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant is ready to run with only a few work that needs to be done," Cojuangco said, noting that some parts of the plant would have to be upgraded to keep up with the times. Chances in House Pampanga Rep. Mikey Macapagal-Arroyo, chairman of the House Committee on Energy, said there is a large chance that the bill seeking the BNPP's rehabilitation and utilization will be passed in the House. "I believe that it is safe, it is reliable, and it is cheaper," said Arroyo, a co-author of the bill. The bill, which has already been approved by the energy committee, is currently pending in the Appropriations Committee which will determine how much is needed to bring the power plant to life, he said. Arroyo said that at the earliest, the appropriations committee may have the bill passed by the second or third week of February. But another lawmaker said government officials should not rush into utilizing the BNPP until studies backed by empirical data have proven it sound for operations. During the same event, Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño said that while he acknowledged that nuclear energy is an acceptable option as a power source, authorities should first ensure that the operations in the 20-year-old BNPP would not cause harm to the public and to the environment. "Mahirap pang mag-rush sa conclusion na maliit ang gagalawin...I think ang kelangan talaga isang exhaustive and viable study [It's hard to rush into the conclusion that the BNPP will need few tweakings... I think what is really needed is an exhaustive and viable study]," Casiño said. Casiño said authorities should also consider whether building a new power plant would be safer and more economically viable than rehabilitating the BNPP. Experts' take This was echoed by Dr. Giovanni Tapang, a Physics professor at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. "As an option wala naman siyang problema kung nandiyan yung safety, economic viability, at pagpapalinaw sa community [As an option, nuclear energy has no problems if there is safety, economic viability, and communication with the community]," Tapang said. Tapang however added, that nuclear energy is not the only solution to the country's energy woes, saying electric costs are high not only because of a shortage in supply but because of contracts entered into by power distributors such as the National Power Corporation. Likewise, Dr. Carlito Aleta, former director and current consultant of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, said he believes nuclear energy use worldwide has proven that it is mostly safe and reliable but that the soundness of the BNPP would still have to be verified. "I cannot say now [whether the BNPP is safe for operations] for the reason that we know it has been shut down for many years," Aleta said. Other PNRI officials said electricity generated from the BNPP would power 148,800 households consuming 100 kilowatts per hour a month, for one year. Nagbalayong village captain Cesar Manalo said villagers near the BNPP are hoping that aside from the cheaper electricity, utilizing the BNPP would provide job opportunities. Manalo said about 60 percent of his constituents favor a re-opening of the nuclear power plant, but that he is hoping many other villagers will support the plant's rehabilitations once they are better-informed. - GMANews.TV