ARGENTINA:
Activists Up in Arms Over Controversial Nuclear Energy Plan
Marcela Valente

BUENOS AIRES,  (IPS) - Despite the opposition of environmentalists, the Argentine government launched a controversial plan Wednesday to complete a partially-built nuclear power plant, study the feasibility of building a fourth plant (two are already operational), and resume production of enriched uranium and heavy water.

The government of President Néstor Kirchner is interested in promoting "the massive production of nuclear energy," announced Planning Minister Julio De Vido at the launch of the plan in the presidential palace, alongside the president, high-level officials and ambassadors from several countries in the region.

The aim is to boost the production of energy in order to meet growing industrial demand, as well as use the development of nuclear energy to the benefit of public health services, through the distribution of free radiopharmaceuticals to hospitals, said De Vido, who underlined that Argentina's nuclear power would only be used for peaceful purposes.

The unexpected announcement drew an outcry from environmentalists, who are staunchly opposed to the expansion of the nuclear power industry, given the risk of accidents and the problem of what to do with the toxic waste.

Environmentalists argue that the funding should go towards the development of alternative energy sources that have great potential in Argentina, like wind power.

In a statement, Greenpeace Argentina accused the centre-left Kirchner administration of "ignoring the wishes of the majority of the population."

In a survey carried out in May by the Mori polling firm, 67 percent of respondents said the state should invest in wind energy and other alternative sources and abandon the nuclear power plants, while only three percent said part of the public budget should go towards expanding the country's nuclear power industry.

The Foundation for the Defence of the Environment (FUNAM) had already stated its opposition to the possibility of building additional nuclear power plants. "It is outrageous and unacceptable," the head of the environmental organisation, Raúl Montenegro, told IPS when he heard about the plan.

In this South American country of nearly 37 million people, 51 percent of electricity comes from thermal power plants, 42 percent from hydroelectric plants, and seven percent from two nuclear plants: Atucha I in the province of Buenos Aires and Embalse in the central province of Córdoba.

Atucha I, which generates 357 megawatts, became the first nuclear power plant in Latin America when it began to operate in 1974. Embalse came onstream in 1984, and now produces 650 megawatts.

The government proposes to complete Atucha II -- which began to be built in 1981 but whose construction came to a halt in the 1990s -- at an estimated cost of 600 million dollars.

According to De Vido, Atucha II, which is located near Atucha I, could be completed by late 2010, and would generate 740 megawatts. "The formal resumption of work on Atucha II has a vital significance for the country," as it would put Argentina at the forefront of nuclear energy production in Latin America, said the minister.

But even more controversial than the plan to finish Atucha II was the announcement that studies would be carried out to determine the feasibility of building a fourth plant, which would generate 1,000 megawatts. The minister did not state where the plant would be built.

Montenegro warned that resistance would be put up. "The military built a nuclear plant without consulting us, but that isn't going to happen this time," warned the environmentalist, who won the Alternative Nobel Prize in 2004.

He was referring to Embalse, which was largely built during the 1976-1983 dictatorship in the province where FUNAM is based.

De Vido also reported plans to extend the useful life of Embalse, which was to stop operating in 2018, by investing some 400 million dollars in upgrading the plant, to allow it to continue producing energy until 2043.

To supply the power plants, the government will reopen a plant for the enrichment of uranium in the southern province of Neuquén, which was shut down in 1983, as well as a factory that will produce heavy water in the same province.

The government plan will also involve the signing of agreements for the training of human resources at the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the free delivery to public hospitals of radiopharmaceuticals produced by National Atomic Energy Commission