MANILA, Philippines--Greenpeace urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to prevent the passage of a dangerous toxic fuel shipment through Philippine waters in April.
Beau Baconguis, toxics campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said the transport of reprocessed nuclear waste from France to Japan might put the Philippine waters at risk if the government does not proactively prevent its passage in the country's exclusive economic zone.
"About 1.8 tons of radiotoxic plutonium in Mixed-Oxide (MOX) fuel intended for nuclear power plants is traveling to Japan via the Cape of Good Hope and the south-west Pacific Ocean. The shipment left for France for Japan last March 5 and is expected to pass by the waters between the Philippines and Palau before it reaches Japan by mid May," Baconguis said.
Baconguis claimed that the 1.8 tons of radiotoxic plutonium in mixed-oxide is equivalent to “225 nuclear weapons.”
"The MOX transport which contains highly radioactive plutonium enough to make 225 nuclear weapons is dangerous and is a very serious issue that is why we're asking the government to stop this shipment. We've asked Senators Miriam Santiago, Pimentel, Honasan, Biazon, Jamby Madrigal to endorse our letter to the DFA but so far, no one has answered," Baconguis said.
Baconguis stressed the MOX shipment poses hazardous risks to the Philippine waters and the marine environment. It also poses risks to sea activities, the Greenpeace representative added.
"The transport of nuclear materials is already dangerous because there is still no way or system to clean up the mess if in any case something happens to this ship. What more this MOX transport because it contains plutonium? The ship's route is highly pirated and this is attractive to terrorists who can highjack this ship," she added.
Greenpeace claimed that the MOX transport was planned by the French nuclear industry (AREVA), Japanese nuclear utilities and UK transport authorities.
International law expert Harry Roque who was also present during a press conference with Greenpeace, recounted that he and Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo were invited to a high-security maritime press conference by the French government where he discovered that the MOX transport was set to sail.
Roque claimed he spoke to the president of the shipping company to asking if the shipment was safe.
"I asked him and he said that the ship was built specifically for the journey. The French Ministry of National Defense also assured it was safe. When I asked him [president of shipping company] if something goes wrong, who will be paying, and he said he doesn't know who will pay if there's a problem. 'Maybe Japan because they ordered it', he said," Roque told INQUIRER.net.
Roque said that the shipment goes against the international law and the French shipping company is denying responsibility for radioactive damages and risks.
"There is no technology to clear radioactive mess that's also why Latin America didn't allow them to pass," Roque stressed.
"There are consequences to violating the international law, which falls under international responsibility: the shipping company can choose to cease and desist, and restore status quo and pay for compensation," Roque said.
Greenpeace also asserted that the conduct of the transport is lacking in transparency and completely disregards moral obligations of prior informed consent towards other nations with regard to such high risk transports.
Baconguis also said that the shipment violates Republic Act No. 6969, which prohibits the "entry, even in transit, of hazardous and nuclear wastes and their disposal into the Philippine territorial limits for whatever purpose."
Both Roque and Baconguis stressed a moratorium on all shipments of nuclear fuel and nuclear waste until a system is in lace which ensures the protection of the marine environment, the environment, economy and population of coastal states.
"We're hopeful that Palau will also act on this because they're currently enforcing nuclear-free policy and have good relations with the Greenpeace," Roque said.
