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the signed MOU for the two sides to cooperate in the event of off- site emergencies. They did not see any practical need to extend the arrangement to other emergency situations which were less urgent. They insisted that in the signed consensus paper on channels of communication for off-site emergencies, it had already been agreed by the two sides that the channel of communication during normal times (qualified in that paper as times when a plant had not yet entered an off-site emergency situation) should be via the NCNA. The Hong Kong side's proposal to establish a direct communication channel for non off-site emergency situations would require renegotiation and amendments to the MOU.
5. They further insisted that their proposal to notify us of on- site situations and to use the INES reporting system in respect of all other situations, was already sufficient for the purpose of radiological protection. They stressed that in signing the MOU on off-site matters, they had already gone beyond the international requirement enshrined in the IAEA Convention on Early Notification. They were under no obligation to provide Hong Kong with any on-site information. But in view of
But in view of the special circumstances of Hong Kong, as an extension of the agreed off-site arrangements, they would agree to do so where they saw a practical need for the purpose of minimising any subsequent radiological impact on the public. They argued that the additional radiological monitoring and meteorological data we asked for were unnecessary and could not be provided. They claimed that the arrangements for information to be exchanged during emergencies and normal times had already been agreed and clearly set out in the signed consensus paper on the exchange of technical information. In any event, the Guangdong Emergency Committee Office was only responsible for emergency work during nuclear emergencies (i.e. incidents already categorised as ''off-site'') and did not have access to the radiological monitoring and meteorological data collected at the automatic stations of the plant during normal times. In response to our question, they confirmed that under the procedures laid down by the Nuclear Accident Emergency Management Regulations, the plant operator would be required to inform the Guangdong Emergency Committee Office only when the plant entered a plant emergency situation.
6. A Long discussion then followed. We explained again why we considered it inappropriate and inadequate to use NCNA as communication channel. We disputed their view that the MOU on off- site matters had already fully settled the questions of
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