QUEZON CITY, April 22, 2009—The recent earthquake which shook the province of Zambales in Central Luzon is a “sign” of the times: the “dead” Bataan Nuclear Power Plant must not be resurrected.

“Tuesday morning’s earthquake near Iba, Zambales is a reminder of the hazards that the Bataan Nuclear power Plant (BNPP) revival is facing,” says Frances Quimpo of the Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines (CEC), in a statement.

The statement came amidst the whole environmental and scientific communities commemorateing today the Earth Day 2009.

Quimpo is one of the co-conveners of the No to BNPP Revival! or the Network Opposed to Bataan Nuclear Power Plant Revival (NO to BNPP!), a broad coalition of organizations, institutions and individuals opposing the reopening of the mothballed plant in Morong, Bataan .

“The earthquake which registered 5.3 in the Richter scale confirms the warnings of scientists that active faults lay within the range of the proposed site of the nuclear power plant. These may cause surface ruptures. Let us recall that the earthquakes in 1990 and 1994 effected substantial damages to structures and properties, including people’s lives,” she explained.

Dr. Giovanni Tapang, a physicist from the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Physics and currently the spokesperson of the No to BNPP Revival! said, it will be a huge crime against the earth and the environment if BNPP will start to operate.

“Our legislators in Congress should realize the grave consequence of running a defective and dangerous nuclear plant and should not be swayed by the strong influence of its proponents into making a decision of blunder,” he said.

Tapang is also the national chairperson of Agham, an organization of scientists advancing people’s cause through science and technology.

Tapang believes that “running the BNPP will have more negative effects on the environment and the lives of the Filipino people than what is hyped to be its advantages, some of which are even sham propagated by those with interests in this energy business.”

Meanwhile, Ricarido Saturay Jr., a geologist from AGHAM and also a co-convener of NO to BNPP Revival says, the BNPP revival is being pushed by its proponents using climate change and the promise of a clean technology as pretext.

“The proponents are offering false solutions to climate change and even to our energy problems. Pro-nuclear lobbyists have created the impression that nuclear energy production has zero carbon emission, making it a perfect tool in combating global warming. But this is not completely true. If we include every stage of nuclear energy production, such as the mining of uranium, and the processing and transport of it, then you’ll have carbon emissions already equal to a third of what other power plants emit,” he explained.

As part of their own way of celebrating the Earth Day, member-organizations and individuals of the No to BNPP Revival! held a protest rally in front of the House of Representatives today.

They have assembled themselves in front of the Quezon City hall and in caravan marched to Batasan Pambansa, where they held a program and brought their concerns about the dangers of the reopening of the plant to the legislators now in session.

About 500 peasants, women, church people, youth, environmentalists and scientists from Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, and Metro Manila paraded with their huge colorful floats and traditional Higantes costumes that showcased different issues besetting the environment, one of which is BNPP revival. (Noel Sales Barcelona)