SENATORS are divided on the plans of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute’s (PNRI) plan to secure deals with countries using nuclear energy for the construction of nuclear power plants in the Philippines.
Senate majority leader Joel Villanueva said discussions on the possible revival of the government’s nuclear energy program are expected to be “vibrant” considering the diverse positions of senators on the issue.
Villanueva said he has “reservations about the proposal” because “we are all aware that nuclear power plants contain radioactive material that is extremely harmful to humans and the environment. We also need to conduct a thorough evaluation of potential sites for the power plant and waste storage.”
“Can this technology be efficiently utilized in an archipelagic country such as the Philippines?” Villanueva asked, as he pointed out that putting up power plants would entail the government to spend “billions of dollars” which he said raises the question of where to get the funds.
“How can we afford these power plants, if the investment would be cost efficient, and how long it would take us to get a return on investment are questions that need to be answered,” he added.
Villanueva said he prefers the use of modular types of nuclear power plants which “could prove to be an affordable option and manageable in size and scale for the country.”
Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III said the construction of nuclear power plants should be first authorized by law.
“The legal framework must be first approved. Then the regulatory body must be put up and the project should be approved before even a square inch of construction is started. There must also be a law on how nuclear waste is managed,” Pimentel said.
“In short, the decision to adopt nuclear power generation is not for the Executive branch alone to decide. Congress must be involved in formulating this policy,” he said, adding that local government units where these power plants would be built should also be consulted.
Pimentel said the government “should no longer continue wasting money” to rehabilitate the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.
“That is already beyond rehabilitation as a nuclear power plant. We should no longer continue wasting money on that,” he said.
Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros said “insisting” on the use of nuclear energy for the country “will be taking a step backwards into the past and not into a sustainable and peaceful future.”
She said nuclear energy pose health hazards which advocates of nuclear energy “cannot fully answer the question of how and where we will safely store radioactive waste.”
She said the country is not exempted from possibly experiencing nuclear accidents given that countries like Japan and the United States have also had such incidents.
“Worse, radioactive waste and raw material for nuclear energy in the Philippines could be a target for local and foreign terror groups seeking to get their hands on radiological materials,” she added.
Instead, she said the government should just focus on developing renewable energy sources.
Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito said there is a need to reconsider the use of nuclear energy to keep the cost of energy down.
“We need to bring down the cost of energy for our economy to be able to fully develop and at the same time address the issue of climate change and global warming which will be both addressed by shift to nuclear power,” Ejercito said.
He said the present-day technology and safety protocols strictly followed by countries which have nuclear power plants can be adopted by the country to prevent accidents.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said the government should be open to all forms of technology to improve energy security.
“Nuclear power is a technology that the country can look at but should study carefully given its risk and complications. As a way forward, the government should commence the enactment of mandatory treaties and laws related to nuclear power such as the creation of an independent nuclear regulator and adherence to safety,” Gatchalian said.
PNRI executive director Carlo Arcilla has said that the Philippines remains open to holding nuclear power talks with other countries even as the government began working on the “123 agreement” with the United States.
Arcilla said the Philippines is not totally obliged to seal the agreement to build nuclear power plants with the US with the agreement as announced during the visit of US Vice President Kamala Harris to the country last week.
The 123 Agreement will provide the legal basis for the export of American nuclear equipment to the Philippines.
Arcilla said France, China, and Japan are also known users of nuclear energy and may provide assistance to the Philippine government once President Marcos decides to pursue the nuclear power option.
