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*JOINT CONFERENCE FOR SHELVING THE DAYA BAY PLANT'. THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE JOINT CONFERENCE, MR. FUNG CHI-WOOD, SAID THE REPORT WAS LACKING IN NEW IDEAS AND DID NOT CONTAIN SUFFICIENT INFORMATION. HE WAS NOT CONVINCED THAT THE PROJECT WOULD SAFEGUARD THE LONG TERM INTEREST OF HONG KONG PEOPLE.
4. AS NOTED BY THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, THE REPORT DREW A
FAIRLY GOOD RECEPTION FROM THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THE LEGCO'S
AD HOC GROUP TO MONITOR THE DAYA BAY PROJECT, FOLLOWING A MEETING ON 11 NOVEMBER, TOLD THE PRESS THAT THE DISCUSSION OF THE REPORT
WOULD BE DEFERRED TO THE NEXT MEETING IN ORDER TO GIVE MEMBERS
MORE TIME TO STUDY THE REPORT. BOTH THE CONVENOR, MR. WONG PO-YAN AND THE DEPUTY CONVENOR, MR. CHUNG PUI-LAM, NEVERTHELESS EXPRESSED
THE VIEW THAT THE REPORT HAD LIVED UP TO THE EXPECTATION OF LEGCO MEMBERS. EVEN ONE OF THE ANTI-NUCLEAR MEMBERS, MR. LEE YU-TAI,
SAID THAT HE WAS SATISFIED THAT THE REPORT HAD HELPED THE HONG KONG
COMMUNITY TO KNOW MORE ABOUT DAYA BAY. OUTSIDE THE AD HOC GROUP, SOME LEGCO MEMBERS INCLUDING MISS MARIA TAM, MR. S.L. CHEN AND MR. PETER POON ALSO MADE POSITIVE COMMENTS ON THE REPORT. WHILE A FEW
HARDCORE CRITICS INCLUDING DR. CONRAD LAM AND MR. JACKIE CHAN
CASTED SOME CRITICISMS ON THE REPORT, MR. SZETO WAH AND MR. MARTIN
LEE HAD NOT MADE ANY ADVERSE COMMENTS SO FAR.
5. THE REPORT HAD NEVERTHELESS FAILED TO AROUSE INTEREST OF THE
GENERAL PUBLIC. AS NOTED IN THE DISTRICT OFFICERS' WEEKLY
INFORMATION REPORT (BEING SENT TO YOU AND PEKING BY BAG), THE
HONG KONG COMMUNITY APPEARED TO BE FED UP WITH THE DAYA BAY DEBATE.
MANY PEOPLE HAD ACCEPTED THE PROJECT AS A FAIT ACCOMPLI AND DID NOT
THINK THE REPORT WOULD CHANGE ANYTHING. THE MAJORITY WHO READ
ABOUT THE REPORT IN NEWSPAPERS FOUND SOME PARTS OF IT TOO TECHNICAL FOR THEM TO COMPREHEND. THE GENERAL VIEW WAS THAT THE GOVERNMENT
SHOULD MONITOR THE PROJECT TO ENSURE THAT THE PARTIES INVOLVED
ADOPTED HIGHEST SAFETY STANDARDS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND
OPERATION OF THE PLANT.
6. THE HONG KONG NUCLEAR INVESTMENT CO. ISSUED A PRESS RELEASE ON
14 NOVEMBER ON THE GOVERNMENT REPORT ON DAYA BAY. IN THE PRESS
RELEASE, MR. STONES SAID THAT THE REPORT WAS AN ENDORSEMENT OF THE COMPANY'S APPROACH TO THE PROJECT. THE DOCUMENT LOGICALLY AND
OBJECTIVELY SET OUT ALL RELEVANT INFORMATION ON THE PROJECT, AND SATIFIED MANY OF THE PUBLIC DEMANDS THAT HAD BEEN MADE. MR. STONES
WARNED THAT DISCLOSURE OF MORE INFORMATION PARTICULARLY ON THE
COMMERCIAL ASPECTS OF THE AGREEMENT WOULD CALL INTO QUESTION THE
INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE OF COMMERCIAL CONFIDENTIALITY. MR. STONES
ALSO TOOK THIS OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE THE PROGRESS OF THE PROJECT.
HE SAID THAT RECLAMATION OF THE DAYA BAY SITE HAD BEEN COMPLETED AND EVACUATION FOR THE NUCLEAR BUILDING FOUNDATIONS HAD COMMENCED. WORK ON THE FIRST CIVIL ENGINEERING CONTRACT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION
OF THE NUCLEAR ISLAND BUILDING HAD STARTED AND THE SITE FACILITIES
AND STAFF QUARTERS WERE BEING BUILT.
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