Walhi supports Jepara NU's verdict over Muria nuclear power plant

Jakarta, NU Online
The Indonesian forum for environment (Walhi) has fully supported a verdict issued by the Jepara's Nahdlatul Ulama Branch Board (PCNU) over the plan to construct a nuclear power plant on Muria Peninsula in Central Java.

The Director of Walhi National Executive, Chalid Muhammad said here on Monday that the verdict was a very good thing that should be praised and supported.<>

As reported by NU Online news portal, the PCNU Sunday declared the power plant project to be "haram", or forbidden under Islam, as its potential dangers would very much outweigh its benefits.

"That (verdict) is really a good idea," Chalid said, adding that the planned construction would give more negative impacts to local community and trigger a fresh eruption.

"I think, the Indonesia's crisis of energy having been so far campained by the government should not be always answered with nuclear energy," Chalid said.

He explained there were such facts of existing negative impacts in terms of the controversial plans to build the country's first nuclear power plant, which if completed on schedule in 2017, would also be the first in Southeast Asia. First at about 83 percent of the Indonesian region remained vulnerable to a range of natural disasters.

"So it is likely risky to build the power plant," Chalid said.

Second, he added, there would be such a pretext in the name of human error if the disasters happened.

"Third, the nuclear power plant requires more uranium," Chalid said, adding that the forth reason of rejecting the controversial plans was nuclear waste. (dar)