Local channel, GMA7, came up with a feature on the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) last night. It was on the show Reporter’s Notebook and was narrated by Jiggy Manicad.
The segment was in Filipino but basically the gist of the segment were:
- BNPP was the Biggest White Elephant Project in the time of the Marcos government, costing about $2.3 Billion. Despite it not working, the government still continued to pay for the loan subscribed to construct it. The loan was fully paid in 2007.
- Ironic that the communities surrounding the BNPP still have no electricity. The person interviewed there grew up without electricity, he had already gotten married and sired 2 teenage kids by the time of the interview.
- $2.3B wasted to build the BNPP is enough to buy 130 Million sacks of rice. That is enough the feed the country for 1 year. It is also enough to have built 200,000 classrooms. Enough to house 11M students.
- The BNPP started construction in 1976. It was born out of the need to solve the energy crisis which was gripping the nation. It was finished in 1984 but already there were allegations of overpricing, defective design and structures.
- Those responsible for the faulty construction were charged but charges were dropped.
- In present time, the cooling plant has already been made into a house by nesting birds. A Lot of the equipment are already old and rusting.
- 1986 was the last time the control room of the power plant was run.
- National Power Corp spends about P30 Million/year for maintenance of the plant despite it not being operational.
- Former senate technical consultant, Nicanor Perlas, said that about 50 nuclear experts from US and Europe who investigated the BNPP’s design concluded that their are 4000 field change notices, making the power plant unfit for operation.
- The group “No To BNPP” says that there are 3 volcanoes surrounding the area, posing a natural danger. The three volcanoes are: Mt. Pinatubo (erupted in 1992), Mt. Natib and Mt. Mariveles.
- Rep. Mark Conjuango, author of the bill to revive the nuclear power plant says that the BNPP is designed to resist a .4G earthquake. Coincidentally, Rep. Mark Conjuangco is the son of San Miguel Corp (SMC) owner Danding Cojuangco. SMC has expressed its intent to diversify from its core business of food and beverage to heavy industries. One of which is energy generation and sales.
- The Catholic Church voiced opposition to the revival of the BNPP. Bishop Socrates Villegas, said that this is not a political issue on the part of the Church but rather a life issue. Because operation of the ill designed BNPP poses a threat to life.
- Greenpeace, meanwhile talks about the nuclear waste issue disposal and radioactive contamination that will be a result of the spent nuclear fuel reactor rods.
- Rep. Conjuangco countered however that a US Military facility study already proved the viability of final disposal of nuclear waste.
- Another thorny issue is the $1Billion dollar that the Bill of Rep. Conjuangco will allocate to rehabilitate the BNPP. The source of the funds will be taken from loans and from the Filipino people.
- The loan will result in an additional 0.10 cents per hour on top of the current electricity bill to be paid by the consumers.
