The nuclear rush

SUDDENLY, majority of the members of our Sangguniang Panlalawigan have opened our province to the possibility of becoming home to nuclear power plants.

In a resolution approved by nine of the 15 board members last week, the provincial government has practically invited the relocation of two nuclear power plants from South Korea to Pangasinan.

Sixth district Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr., who was one of those who okayed the resolution and now chairs the ad hoc committee created to look into the proposal, has said that people, especially critics, should not worry too much about this as a feasibility study will be undertaken to determine whether or not nuclear plants could actually be put up here.

But what is worrying and alarming about the whole matter is that the provincial board, whose members elected officials, appears to have taken it for granted that the province is agreeable to the nuclear plant idea in the first place. The question is not whether we could put up nuke plants here but SHOULD we? And another question begs to be asked, why was there a rush in passing that resolution?

No public consultations were undertaken prior to the resolution. It was also devoid of technical basis – something that the board seems to believe could simply come after their approval. No inputs were gathered from the Department of Energy or the Department of Science and Technology. There was not even a day of committee hearing before the provincial board’s hasty recommendation notwithstanding the country’s current dilemma with the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. We must remember that the Bataan plant has been there for years and extensive studies, research and considerations have been made.

The provincial board was evidently influenced mainly by local political considerations, particularly between the board members and 5th District Rep. Mark Cojuangco who wrote a letter to the board about the proposal.

Bince assures that they received no pressure from Cojuangco. And obviously, they also felt no pressure about the opinion of the public that elected them into office.

Instead of looking into the nuclear plant option, the province’s government time and public funds would be better used for a more comprehensive research covering all possible power sources, especially the “green energy” choices which we have plenty of: wind, water, waves, solar.

Let’s not rush into another knee-jerk reaction to the impending power crisis at the expense of a bigger crisis that could arise from nuclear risks.

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