Disaster Fear Japan, Jordan Cancel Nuclear Plan

After the nuclear disaster in Japan, experts in the Jordanian energy-poor countries want them to stop ambitious plans to generate atomic energy, although there is no certainty by the nuclear regulator of the kingdom.

"This project has no environmental assessment and feasibility studies," said environment ministry adviser Rauf Dabbas.

"We do not know the actual cost. We do not know what precautions should be taken to prevent a nuclear holocaust in this country."

Jordan, which imports about 95 percent of their energy needs, has signed a nuclear cooperation agreements with several countries, including Japan, in a bid to generate atomic energy for power generation and water desalination.

1.2 billion tons of phosphate reserves they are estimated to contain 130,000 tonnes of uranium, and the government wants the first nuclear plant will be ready by 2019.

A Japanese-French consortium, as well as groups of Russia and Canada, is trying to win the bid for the project, while South Korea has lent Jordan $ 70,000,000 (€ 48,300,000) to help build a five megawatt nuclear research reactor worth $ 130,000. 000.

But concern has grown in the kingdom after the quake measuring 9.0 struck the northeastern coast of Japan on March 11, and radiation Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant began to leak into the sea, air and soil, contaminating crops and water channels flowing into the faucet.

This factory was hit by the tsunami that killed nearly 13,500 malignant and 15,000 missing. Tens of thousands more made homeless.

Reactor coolant system was eliminated, which allows the nucleus to heat up and trigger an uncontrollable nuclear emergencies which are now classified as a maximum level of seven on an international scale, equivalent to Chernobyl.

"The biggest challenge for Jordan is the cooling system. How can a poor country like the kingdom to build nuclear plants?" Dabbas said.

With the desert which covers 92 percent of its territory, Jordan, one of the 10 driest countries in the world, is struggling to cope with chronic water shortage and meet the needs of the growing population of 6.3 million.

"The whole of our region affected by the earthquake. We are a small country and any nuclear leaks will imprint in Jordan during the 5,000 years," said Dabbas.

"There are alternative solutions, such as building solar and wind power systems, which can generate thousands of megawatts. Besides we can always adjust our energy consumption."

Khalid Irani, a former environment minister, said "There are many questions about Jordan's nuclear plans."

"These questions must be answered first before supporting or against the project," he said.

"We need to know whether the plan is feasible and we need to study its environmental impact, as well as the location of the plant, how to handle nuclear waste and funding."

Irani added that "some people are excessive about their fears of nuclear energy, without having any scientific knowledge."

Jordan Atomic Energy Commission on Tuesday to try to convince Jordan, says ready to hold a referendum on nuclear plans.

"Some people exploit what happened in Japan to attack the Jordanian nuclear program, disseminate information that is inaccurate and unscientific," the statement said.

"The Commission is ready to hold a national referendum on the project if necessary."

Jordan is a Sunni Arab states that the most recent, including Egypt and the Arab Gulf states pro-Western, which announced plans for a nuclear power program in the face of Iran's controversial atomic drive.

"The Commission and its nuclear plans have failed before they started," leading columnist Fahd Fanek wrote in Al-Rai newspaper owned by the government.

"They defend itself and its existence for survival, as well as other institutions that have expired.

Source : sm

Posted by Anggo82 on Friday, April 15, 2011. Filed under International, News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Feel free to leave a response