DOST: No acid rain in Phl

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) yesterday dismissed reports circulating via text message that the Philippines will be affected by a radiation leak from earthquake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.

Science Secretary Mario Montejo said the level of radiation in the environment in the country has remained stable since the Fukushima incident.

“No increase in radiation level means that, as of the moment, there are no immediate effects of the Fukushima nuclear power plant explosion to the Philippines,” Montejo said.

According to the text message that quoted the British Broadcasting Co. (BBC), “Radiation may hit the Phil. Starting 4 p.m. today (Monday).”

“The explosion (at the Japanese nuclear plant) happened last Saturday, the critical period is one to two days,” he said, adding “it was a small radiation leak.”

Montejo said the DOST’s Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) is closely monitoring developments through its 24-hour linkup with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

PNRI Director Alumanda de la Rosa also cited a plume trajectory study provided by Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) showing that the plume from the site of the incident at Fukushima will not pass the Philippine territory as of March 14.

“The direction of the smoke appears to go away from the direction of the country,” De la Rosa said. “The smoke is carried away by the northeast monsoon (amihan).”

Containment remains intact at the Fukushima Daiichi Units 1, 2 and 3, according to Montejo, quoting reports from the IAEA.

“The design of the Fukushima reactor is different from that of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (in Russia),” Montejo said. “In the event of a meltdown at Fukushima, the melted fuel is expected to stay within the stainless steel containment dome, preventing its release to the environment.”

The Chernobyl power plant did not have a reactor building concrete shield and steel containment, he added.

Montejo also explained that the explosion at the Unit 1 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi plant occurred outside the primary containment vessel (PCV), not inside.

The plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), has confirmed that the integrity of the primary containment vessel remains intact, Montejo said.

To limit damage to the reactor core, Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) approved the pumping of seawater mixed with boric acid into the primary containment vessel. Boric acid absorbs neutrons to prevent reactor criticality.

NISA has likewise confirmed the presence of radioactive elements cesium-137 and iodine-131 in the vicinity of Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1. NISA reported an initial increase in levels of radioactivity around the plant earlier today, but these levels have been observed to lessen in recent hours.  

The PNRI’s National Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan had put in place an organized emergency response facility for a timely, coordinated action of Philippine authorities in the event of a radiological emergency, De la Rosa said.

“The PNRI is closely monitoring developments at Fukushima every six hours and maintains a 24-hour linkup with the IAEA,” she said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday assured the people that the partial meltdown at the two nuclear reactors in Japan does not pose an immediate threat to the Philippines.

In a press conference at the Department of Health (DOH), WHO country representative Dr. Soe Nyunt-U said “even within Japan, there is minimal effect of radiation.”

Soe maintained that for one, the wind direction is not going to the Philippines.

“The direction of the movement of the radioactive materials (is dependent) on wind direction. It is very good to know that the prevailing wind condition is from the Philippines to Japan. Even if things happen, the radioactive materials will not come to the Philippines,” he added.

Health Undersecretary Mario Villaverde echoed this, citing a report of the DOST’s Philippine Nuclear Research Institute that “the level of radiation in the country has remained stable since the Fukushima incident (meltdown) in Japan.”

“The conclusion is that there is no immediate threat to the Philippines. Just in case, we have the National Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan and this will be the one that will be put in place if there is a threat to the Philippines,” Villaverde added. 

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) urged the public to ignore rumors about the radioactive materials from Japan reaching the Philippines.

NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said the people should verify the information they get from experts such as scientists from the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute.

“They should not immediately believe the information relayed to them… They should get the information from the authorities,” Ramos said.

Nuclear scare suspends classes at PUP

The warning of nuclear radiation from Japan caused panic among parents and students of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Manila and the school’s other campuses in Luzon that forced school officials to suspend classes.

Dr. Dante Guevarra, PUP president, said that he saw no need to keep the students in school since they could not concentrate anyway.

“There is so much anxiety among the students. They were also passing the word around (about the text message warning) so we decided it was better to suspend classes,” Guevarra told The STAR.

Guevarra said tension at the campus started as early as 7:30 a.m. when they started getting calls inquiring about the text messages.

“We were being swamped by calls, by texts,” Guevarra said.

The order for the suspension of classes at the PUP – which has a total student population of 65,000 in all its campuses in Luzon, while its main campus in Santa Mesa, Manila, has a population of 37,000 – came at 1:30 p.m.

Cristina Ganzon, Department of Education Communication Unit chief, said they saw no need to suspend classes after a DOST advisory was released denying any danger of radiation from Japan.

“As advised by the Department of Science and Technology, there is no need to suspend classes based on the allegations circulating in text messages about rains that can burn or cause cancer,” Ganzon said.

Meanwhile, warnings of acid rain from the nuclear fallout from Japan have forced officials of some elementary schools to suspend classes and let the school children go home in Bangued, Abra.

“My daughter went home pale because of fear from the radiation that will come at 4 p.m.,” Department of Justice-Abra administrative officer Jack Turqueza said.

Pagasa however denied reports that there will be “acid rain” in the Philippines supposedly because of radioactive clouds from Japan.

“The winds from Japan are moving away from us. It’s not true that these winds contain acid rain,” Pagasa weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said in a radio interview.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology also allayed fears of a tsunami following the strong aftershock that hit Japan yesterday.

Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum said that even if there were an aftershock measuring up to magnitude 7.5, it could not generate a tsunami that can affect the Philippines.

“We have received many inquiries on whether there is a tsunami warning in the Philippines. We have to stress the official warning can come only from us,” Solidum said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs had advised Filipinos near the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant to move away from the area to avoid exposure to radiation.

DFA also reported that the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna said the IAEA based in Vienna is monitoring the situation at the nuclear power plants in Japan that have been affected by the earthquake and tsunami.– With Jess Diaz, Rhodina Villanueva, Sheila Crisostomo, Pia Lee-Brago, Alexis Romero, Artemio Dumlao, Roel Pareño, AP