12.18 Radiological Protection Advisory Group
The Government of Hong Kong has proposed the setting up of a Radiological Protection Advisory Group: this action is recommended. It should be formed from people with particular expertise in the field of radiological protection drawn from the Universities, Polytechnics, Royal Observatory, Medical and Health Department, and others with relevant expertise, (see Chapter 6). The Advisory Group would provide independent advice on the risks associated with a possible accident at Daya Bay, and on the provisions of the emergency plan. In particular the Advisory Group would keep a watching brief on international developments on the topics of emergency reference levels and derived emergency reference levels, and the optimisation of radiological protection, (see Section 9.8 and 10.2).
The following Terms of Reference have been proposed for the Advisory Group:
"The Radiation Protection Advisory Group is required to advise the Director of Medical and Health
Services on health matters relating to the radiological consequences that might eventuate from radioactive releases from nuclear facilities. In particular the Group is required to advise on:
the development and subsequent review of ‘Dose Models' designed for use in assessing the consequences for the public of any accidental radiation release to the environment;
the dose limits that should apply to the Hong Kong population and in particular to individuals in certain critical groups;
the criteria that should be used to interpret emergency environmental monitoring data;
and, without prejudice to any decision that may be taken by the Director of Medical and Health Services, during the intermediate and recovery phases, of any nuclear accident situation affecting Hong Kong to advise on:
the interpretation of environmental radiation monitoring data and their impact on the public;
the countermeasures that should be adopted having regard to the widely applied principle that the risks should be reduced to a level which is as low as reasonably practicable.'
The authors of this Report agree with these Terms of Reference for the Advisory Group.
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