WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1986
LO
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SHE NOTED THAT IN YEARS PAST THE DAYA BAY PROJECT HAD A LOW PROFILE, BUT THE PICTURE HAD CHANGED AND WE NEEDED TO REASSESS THE SITUATION.
MISS TAM NOTED THAT MANY QUESTIONS HAD BEEN RAISED DURING THE PAST TWO MONTHS ON THE SAFETY OF THE DAYA BAY PLANT, THE EVACUATION OF HONG KONG IN THE EVENT OF A MISHAP, THE MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY OF CHINESE EXPERTS AND ENGINEERS, THE RISK OF HUMAN ERROR, THE ADVANTAGES OF NUCLEAR GENERATED ELECTRICITY AS AGAINST COAL-FIRED PLANTS, AS WELL AS THE ECONOMICS OF NUCLEAR PLANT POWER.
+THESE QUESTIONS ARE IMPORTANT AND MUST BE ANSWERED+.
TO HELP FIND ANSWERS, THE UMELCO PUBLIC UTILITIES PANEL, OF WHICH SHE IS CONVENOR, MET JVC ENGINEERS AND CHINA LIGHT AND POWER REPRESENTATIVES. THE PANEL ALSO MET WITH MR WALTER PATTERSON AND HELD AN OPEN MEETING WITH JVC ENGINEERS.
THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS PASSED BETWEEN THE PANEL AND THE JVC, THE ECONOMIC SERVICES BRANCH, THE LIST OF CONTRACTS TO BE SIGNED BETWEEN JVC AND THE FRENCH AND OTHER MANUFACTURERS AND CONTRACTORS, ARE PUBLISHED TODAY FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION.
MISS TAM SAID THE NUCLEAR OPTION FOR BOTH HONG KONG AND CHINA COULD NOT BE RULED OUT FOREVER.
+MANY OF US WHO TRAVEL INTO CHINA KNOW THAT WITHOUT A SUBSTANTIAL AND CONSTANT SUPPLY OF ENERGY, HER MODERNISATION WILL NOT GET OFF THE GROUND.
+ ON THE OTHER HAND, HONG KONG HAS TO IMPORT ALL HER FUEL SUPPLIES AND REMAINS EXPOSED TO THE EVENTUALLY RISING COSTS OF FOSSIL FUEL,+ SHE SAID.
SHE NOTED THAT NUCLEAR POWER TODAY ACCOUNTED FOR 30 PER CENT OF ENERGY GENERATED IN JAPAN WHICH SUFFERED THE TRAUMA OF NAGASAKE AND HIROSHIMA IN 1945, AND WAS PLANNING TO RAISE THIS TO 45 PER CENT.
LIKE HONG KONG, JAPAN IS ALSO VULNERABLE TO THE FLUCTUATION OF IMPORTED FUEL PRICES, SHE ADDED.
MISS TAM OBSERVED THAT MANY LOCAL UNIVERSITY AND VISITING NUCLEAR SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT NUCLEAR ENERGY IS INTRINSICALLY SAFE. BUT THEY WERE ALSO AWARE HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE GENERALLY NOT READY TO ACCEPT THIS SO SOON AFTER CHERNOBYL.
SHE SAID SHE HOPED, HOWEVER, THAT THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO WELL INFORMED DEBATE ON THE ISSUE.
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