GRS 350
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2124
OF 04084OZ JULY 86
HKCE 160/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTKY
INDEX
7 JUL 1986
SORRENTIAL IM
JUP COPY
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING, PAR ES
2167
MR. WALTER PATTERSON'S COMMENTS ON DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
THE MEDIA ACCORDED PROMINENT COVERAGE TO THE PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN
BY MR. WALTER PATTERSON, A VIRSIFTING NUCLEAR PHYSICIST WHO ARRIVED
HERE YESTERDAY ON THE INVITATION OF THE HONG KONG FRIENDS OF THE
EARTH. IT WAS REPORTED THAT MR. PATTERSON HAD A POSTGRADUATE DEGREE
MIN NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND HAD WRITTEN FOUR BOOKS ON NUCLEAR ENERGY.
NEVERTHELESS, HE HAD NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANY
NUCLEAR POWER PLANT AND HAD NO CONTACTS WITH SCIENTISTS INVOLVED
*N THE DAYA BAY PROJECT...
2. MR. PATTERSON TOLD THE PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY THAT A COMBINATION OF DESIGN FEATURES OF THE PRESSURISED WATER REACTOR, THE TYPE PLANNED FOR DAY BAY, HAD MADE HT MUCH THE MOST DANGEROUS DESIGN OF REACTORS. HE SAID THE **PRESSURISED WATER REACTORS ARE
VERY COMPACT. THEY PRODUCE HEAT VERY RAPIDLY. IF THAT HEAT IS NOT REMOVED RAPIDLY THEIR TEMPERATURE CAN RISE VERY FAST. THE FUEL CAN MELT LIKE WHAT HAPPENED AT THREE MILE †SLAND. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF HYDROGEN EXPLOSHON BECAUSE OF THE WATER''.
3. MR. PATTERSON ALSO SAID THAT THE DAY BAY PROJECT WAS UNSAFE AND UNECONOMICAL, AND IT WAS BOTH FOOL HSH AND IRRESPONSIBLE TO GO AHEAD WITH THE PROJECT. THE MEDIA QUOTED HIM SAYING THAT THE
ONLY ACCEPTABLE PROBABWITY FOR AN ACCIDENT AT DAY BAY WOULD BE
ZERO, AND SINCE ZERO IS NOT POSSIBLE THERE'S ALWAY A FINITE PROBABILITY OF AN ACCIDENT. THAT PROBABILITY IS ALREADY TOO
BNG A RISK TO TAKE FOR THE FIVE MILLION PEOPLE OF HONG KONG''
4. MR. PATTERSON ALSO COMMENTED ON EMERGENCY PLANNING IN CONNECTION WITH THE DAYA BAY PROJECT. HE SAID THAT IT WOULD BE
IMPOSSIBLE TO EVACUATE FIVE MILLION HONG KONG PEOPLE FROM THE PATH OF A RADIOACTIVITY CLOUD IN A MATTER OF HOURS. THE LONG TERM
CONFIDENTIAL
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