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WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1986
MR POON CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED TO COLLECT MORE UNBIASED VIEWS AND TO HIRE NUCLEAR EXPERTS TO OBJECTIVELY ANALYSE THE SITUATION AND SUBMIT A PERTINENT REPORT TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
HE BELIEVED SUCH A REPORT WOULD BE MORE ASSURING AND CONVINCING THAN EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED EITHER BY THE NUCLEAR INVESTMENT COMPANY OR ANTI-NUCLEAR ORGANISATIONS.
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MORE DATA REQUIRED BEFORE MAKING DECISION
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PROFESSOR THE HON C.K. POON SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT HE WOULD REQUIRE MORE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL DATA BEFORE HE COULD DECIDE ON WHETHER THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT WAS SAFE FOR HONG KONG OR NOT.
SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE SUBJECT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, PROF POON REFERRED TO THE REPORT ON THE ACCIDENT AT THE THREE MILE ISLAND PLANT IN THE UNITED STATES WHICH HIGHLIGHTED THE HUMAN FACTOR.
HE SAID HE UNDERSTOOD FROM MEETINGS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GUANGDONG NUCLEAR PLANT JOINT VENTURE COMPANY THAT THE DAYA BAY PLANT DESIGN HAD TAKEN ACCOUNT OF HUMAN ERROR, IN ADDITION TO EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTION.
IMPROVEMENTS HAD BEEN MADE IN THE INTERFACE BETWEEN OPERATOR AND MACHINE, AS WELL AS IN THE PROCEDURES FOR OPERATING THE PLANT AND IN TRAINING OPERATORS.
HOWEVER, HE SAID, DETAILS OF HOW THE INTERFACE FUNCTIONED SO THAT IT INCORPORATED HUAMN ERROR WERE STILL UNAVAILABLE FROM THE JOINT VENTURE COMPANY,
PROF POON SAID THE JOINT VENTURE COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES HAD GIVEN AN ASSURANCE THAT THE PLANT WAS DESIGNED WITH EXTENSIVE PROTECTION AGAINST SERIOUS ACCIDENTS, INCLUDING A CORE MELTDOWN.
BUT HE WAS NOT SATISFIED AS UP TO NOW THERE WERE NO FACTS OR FIGURES TO SUPPORT THIS ASSURANCE, AND THUS THERE WERE QUESTIONS THAT REMAINED TO BE ANSWERED.
+ONLY WITH MORE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL DATA CAN I COMMIT MYSELF TO PRONOUNCING WHETHER HONG KONG IS SAFE, OR OTHERWISE,+ HE SAID.
PROF POON BELIEVED THAT THE GENERAL CONCERN OF HONG KONG PEOPLE AROSE FROM A VAGUE CONCEPT THAT THE TERRITORY WOULD BECOME A DEAD CITY+ IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT AT DAYA BAY.
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