Activists urge govt to drop nuclear power plant plan

Activists urge govt to drop nuclear power plant plan

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Activists have called on the government to reconsider its plan to
construct a nuclear power plant given the possible hazardous
effects of such technology and the need for public transparency
concerning the project.

They also demanded that the government review its own efforts
to conserve energy and use alternative sources other than
nuclear.

The government has revealed a plan to construct a nuclear
power plant on the Muria Peninsula, Central Java, starting 2010,
in anticipation of soaring electricity demand and to avoid a
power crisis in the densely populated islands of Java and Bali.
Chief of the National Atomic Energy Agency Soedyartomo unveiled
the plan to Koran Tempo recently.

The plan, which has been put forward periodically for more
than a decade now, has been criticized due to the possible danger
of radiation exposure on local people and possible toxic leaks.

Adi Nugroho from the Indonesian Forum for the Environment's
East Java branch said on Monday it was essential that the
government be transparent about the project in the public
interest, particularly in regard to local residents.

"As a local resident here, the government hasn't familiarized
the public with the construction plan, such as its exact location
and how big it will be, reactor types, waste management, as well
as how local residents will be involved," he said.

Most importantly, said Adi, was the weak environmental support
for such a power plant.

"Sixty-five percent of Indonesians live on these islands (Java
and Bali), making the idea of constructing a nuclear power plant
here even more dangerous. The location is less than 10 kilometers
from the coal-fired power plant Tanjung Jati B. It's too much,"
he said.

Therefore, Adi said the government should rethink the plan and
instead review the possibilities of using far less dangerous
energy sources, such as wind and solar.

"Besides, most developed countries in Europe are starting to
decommission their nuclear power plants and shift to solar. Why
are we doing this?" he argued.

Adi's comments were supported by Fathur Rohman from the Study
and Research Forum for Jepara (Foskab), who said that the
government should guarantee that all safety measures regarding
the power plant be in place and working.

He said that when his organization, together with the Muria
Research Center, conducted on-site surveys and interviews in
November last year, they found that a number of communities had
not been properly informed about the plan.

"The familiarization process was made only at the level of
village administrations, and did not reach communities directly,"
he said.

The head of the advocacy dispute resolution division of the
Indonesian Center for Environmental Law, Rino Subagyo, agreed,
and said the government should conduct risk assessment and
management studies concerning the project.

It should involve experts, scientists and the affected
communities to come up with a clear "precaution principals", Rino
said.

"A precaution principal's recommendations are of a higher
standard than those mentioned in an environmental impact
analysis," he added. (004)