Environmental group Save Antique Movement (SAM) launched a signature campaign against the proposal to build a nuclear power plant at the government’s coalmine reserve located in Caluya town, Antique province.
This was also done to convince officials to shelve the plan to build up a nuclear power plant in Semirara Island, as well as highlight the long-term health risk and environmental risks.
“Major disasters in Windscale, Chernobyl and Fukushima show the dangers associated with nuclear reactors while studies reveal their routine operation leads to leukemia among children. It produces large volumes of radioactive waste,” the signature campaign added.
SAM president Bong Sanchez told reporters that he sent a copy of the signature campaign to director of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute Dr. Carlo Arcilla, who earlier said that the Island could be an ideal site for a nuclear power plant.
“Dangerous is the final word that comes to our minds when we hear of a nuclear power plant. Building this kind of power plant is very risky, especially in an island like Semirara,” part of the signature campaign said.
One of the signatories of the campaign was bishop of the Diocese of San Jose de Antique Monsignor Marvyn Maceda.
SAM noted that there were hidden faults in Semirara, as reportedly evidenced by landslides that killed several coalminers for years.