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MDLIAN 4834
AS POSSIBLE UNQUOTE. BUT ON THE LAST DAY, THEY FINALLY AGREED THAT AS SOON AS ANY OFF-SITE EMERGENCY OCCURRED, WE WOULD BE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY OF THE TIME, NATURE, AND LOCATION OF THE INCIDENT, AND GIVEN PROMPTLY THEREAFTER ALL THE RELEVANT SUPPORTING INFORMATION. WE ACCEPTED THIS ARRANGEMENT AS IT FOLLOWS THE PROCEDURES SET OUT IN THE IAEA CONVENTION ON EARLY NOTIFICATION AND WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW US TO ACTIVATE OUR CONTINGENCY PLAN SPEEDILY..
4. THE FIFTH OUTSTANDING ITEM WAS RELEASE OF INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC. DISCUSSION OF THIS, IN PARTICULAR, THE CENTRAL ISSUE OF CONFIDENTIALITY, TOOK UP MOST OF THE LAST TWO DAYS. WE EMPHASISED REPEATEDLY THE IMPORTANCE OF DISCHARGING OUR RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE HONG KONG PUBLIC, WHICH WOULD ENTAIL RELEASING RELEVANT INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC PROMPTLY AND REGULARLY. THE GUANGDONG SIDE REITERATED THEIR DEMAND FOR A WRITTEN GUARANTEE THAT WE WOULD NOT, WITHOUT THEIR AGREEMENT, RELEASE ANY INFORMATION DESIGNATED BY THEM AS CONFIDENTIAL. WE THEN PROPOSED A FORMULA (COPY BY FAX), WHICH CONTAINS AN ASSURANCE THAT WE WOULD USE ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THEM PRUDENTLY AND RESPONSIBLY. THEY REJECTED THIS AS NOT GONG FAR
ENOUGH.
5. IN THE LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS WHICH FOLLOWED, WE EXPLAINED EXHAUSTIVELY OUR FUNDAMENTAL DIFFICULTIES WITH A CONFIDENTIALITY GUARANTEE. WE NEEDED BOTH TO BE ABLE FREELY TO DISCHARGE OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES AND TO CONVINCE THE PUBLIC THAT WE WOULD DO SO. WE WERE CONCERNED THAT THE LIMITATIONS OF A CONFIDENTIALITY GUARANTEE WOULD COMPROMISE OUR ABILITY TO DO SO. THE GUANGDONG SIDE SAID THAT THEY TOO REGARDED PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY AS THEIR HIGHEST PRIORITY. IT WAS, THEY SAID, PRECISELY FOR THIS REASON THAT THEY WOULD WISH TO EMBARGO CERTAIN INFORMATION PROVIDED TO US FOR OUR INTERNAL PLANNING. THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT THE PREMATURE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HONG KONG SIDE OF THE GUANGDONG SIDE'S PREDICTIONS/ ASSESSMENTS OR PLANNED PROTECTIVE MEASURES MIGHT CAUSE UNNECESSARY PUBLIC PANIC OF SOCIAL CHAOS ON THEIR SIDE. THEY POINTED TO THE EXAMPLE OF THREE MILE ISLAND, IN WHICH, THEY SAID, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAD UNNECESSARILY FLED THEIR HOMES IN PANIC BECAUSE OF THE PREMATURE RELEASE OF INACCURATE PREDICTIONS. BOTH SIDES SHOULD TAKE CARE TO PREVENT UNNECESSARY CONFUSION OF THIS KIND.
6. THE GUANGDONG SIDE RECOGNISED THAT THIS WAS A SENSITIVE QUESTION FOR THE HONG KONG PUBLIC. THEY ASSURED US THAT THEY
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