Annex A
Wednesday, 17 September 1986
PRESS STATEMENT BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
FACT-FINDING DELEGATIONS ON NUCLEAR POWER
GENERATION BEFORE THEIR DEPARTURE FOR BEIJING
The accident at Chernobyl sent major shock waves around the world. It certainly aroused the fears and concerns of the people of Hong Kong about the consequences of a possible disastrous accident at Daya Bay. They had fears about the possible failures of the safety features of the nuclear power plant. They were worried that, notwithstanding the existence of safety features, accidents could occur from mishaps due to human
errors.
2.
A fair assessment of the mood of the people certainly point towards getting rid of the Daya Bay shadow of fear if ever there is a choice. Some have called for the project to be scrapped and replaced by coal-fired power plant,
power plant, while others hope that perhaps the plant should be sited further
further away from
Hong Kong. Some wish that a decision on whether to construct the plant should be postponed until more has been learnt from the
accident at Chernobyl. Some wish to
to form their opinion after
they have studied the relevant materials. And there are some who think that construction of the Daya Bay plant may go ahead under additional safety measures and stringent operation and management. Such sentiments no doubt have been fully aired and reflected to the relevant authorities through different channels.
3.
It is a fact that the People's Republic of China has
indicated many times that the decision to build the Daya Bay nuclear power plant will not be changed. If the plant is to be
built, we are of the view that the planning, the construction