Govt unprepared for nuclear disaster: Study

JAKARTA (JP): Neither the public nor the government is prepared for the consequences of a possible nuclear disaster at the planned site of the nuclear plant on Central Java's Mount Muria, a research study shows.

"We visited two major hospitals in Jepara and Semarang, only to find that none of them had been informed on how to handle victims of a nuclear accident," Leonard Simandjuntak, an activist at the Pelangi Foundation said.

"Local government officials should be trained on how to cope with a nuclear disaster because they will have to be responsible for the evacuation of residents in case of emergency," he added.

According to recent studies conducted by the Pelangi Foundation, a policy research non-governmental organization, the high levels of radiation resulting from a disaster would kill people living in the vast area of the Muria peninsula.

While presenting the results of the research, Simandjuntak said the local government and the public possess very little knowledge about nuclear plants.

The National Atomic Agency has not yet provided objective information to the local public and government on every aspect of the planned nuclear plants.

"They need honest information to decide if they want to stay or move from the area when the government goes ahead with its plan to build the plant," he said.

According to the foundation, the information that local residents have obtained about the nuclear plant is biased, because it was provided mostly by those who support the project.

Despite strong opposition from environmentalists, officials of the State Ministry for Research and Technology have repeatedly said the project will go ahead, although they agree that nuclear power should be considered as the last option for energy sources.

A feasibility study is expected to be completed next month. Director General for the National Atomic Agency Djali Ahimsa said the controversial project will commence in 1998.

State Minister for Research and Technology B.J. Habibie said during a recent hearing with members of the House of Representatives that the 1,800 megawatt nuclear power plant is expected to go into operation in 2003.

Critics say that Indonesia would be better off in developing its abundant sources of energy -- such as geothermal and solar energy -- instead of turning to expensive nuclear power to meet its increasing energy demands.

The foundation has discovered that the emergency precaution plan prepared by the National Atomic Agency is inadequate.

Simanjuntak said the plan should be overhauled with advise being sought from other sources, such as academics, environmentalists, hospitals and the police.

The existing infrastructure near the planned site -- consisting of roads, hospitals, communication facilities, housing and transportation -- is far from adequate to cope with a possible nuclear disaster.

In addition, he said radioactive materials are still lethal for people who live 50 kilometers from the site, which includes the heavily populated districts of Jepara, Demak, Pati and Kudus.

The level of radioactivity emitted from the nuclear power plants, contaminating the air and water in the Muria peninsula, could be several million times higher than National Atomic Agency estimates, he added.

"There is no emergency plan for people living as far as 100 kilometers from the plant site in case of disaster. An accident like the one in Chernobyl (in 1986) can happen there," Simanjuntak said. (16)