In an urgent resolution, Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo today calls for the closing down of Bataan Nuclear Power Plant which no single president since its construction has decided to commission and operate as alternative source of energy.
“I urgently call for the final and perpetual closure of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and an absolute moratorium on any other nuclear power plant to be constructed in Philippine territory since the lessons of history are too clear to be ignored”, the QC solon said.
Apparently, mothballed BNPP is built along major fault lines and proximate to Mount Pinatubo which actually erupted in recent past causing massive lahar explosion in the area.
“Inasmuch as all the chips are in place, meaning, we have fully paid this $2.3 project; reimbursed NAPOCOR the amount of P4.2 billion for maintaining it since it was mothballed; and that we are updated in paying P40 million a year for its maintenance, it may then behoove upon us to consider all the aggregate expenditures as one of “sunk costs” that we cannot nor need to recover anymore”, the lawmaker argued.
A portion of the resolution of Castelo thus reads, “… due to the clear and present danger of a disaster of unseen magnitude that could be caused by a nuclear meltdown or fall out since the absolute safety of such a nuclear power plant is beyond the care of man when natural disasters trigger nuclear explosions, it then behooves upon Congress to weigh in the overall social and economic benefits of its final and perpetual closure and absolute moratorium on any nuclear power plant ranged against purely financial or accounting costs”.
“Suffice that I am one of those who embrace the belief that it is far better to place the highest value to human life than what could only be a viable but dangerous source of alternative electricity especially in clear consideration of the dangers of a possible meltdown or fall out since plant was built in a coastal area where human settlements are placed in clear danger of an unforeseen nuclear explosions”, Castelo finally pointed out. 30
