Bishop renews call to junk BNPP revival

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MANILA, Philippines - Plans to revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant must be abandoned fully, a Catholic bishop said after a nuclear emergency was declared in earthquake-hit Japan.

Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez said Japan’s situation should serve as ample warning to the Philippine government to totally give up plans to resurrect the mothballed nuclear power plant in Bataan.

“What is happening in Japan confirmed our fear even before up to now that’s why we oppose plans to revive the nuclear plant in Bataan,” Iñiguez said.

The bishop said the BNPP would not benefit the country and could instead expose the Filipinos to unnecessary dangers.

“They should intently follow what is happening in Japan on its results if nuclear malfunction occurs,” Iñiguez said.

Japan officials are now probing whether a meltdown has occurred at the Fukushima No 1 nuclear power plant after Friday’s 8.9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami.

People have already been evacuated around a 10-km radius of the plant after the nuke plant had explosions and vented smoke to the air.

Explosions happened when hydrogen-filled steam, released to reduce pressure from overheating reactors, reacted with oxygen.

Report from CBCPNews
image source fdc.ph