XN000022-1985-05-15 — Page 38

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1985

THE BRIEF REQUIRED THE CONSULTANTS TO UNDERTAKE FIVE STUDIES:

* TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL EVALUATION OF THE RADIATION

MONITORING PROGRAMME,

* PRODUCTION OF A PRELIMINARY CONSEQUENCE MODEL FOR

HONG KONG;

* DEVELOPMENT OF A CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR HONG KONE;

* PROVISION OF TRAINING; AND

* ADVICE ON PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME.

THE PLANNED ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NUCLEAR POWER STATION AT DAYA BAY IN 1991 GENERATED PUBLIC CONCERN, AND AS A FIRST STEP TOWARDS RESPONDING TO VIEWS EXPRESSED THE GOVERNMENT DEVELOPED A RADIATION MONITORING PROGRAMME TO UNDERTAKE ROUTINE ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE WITHIN HONG KONG.

THE MAIN FUNCTION OF THE MONITORING PROGRAMME WILL BE TO DETERMINE THE EXISTING LEVELS OF BACKGROUND RADIOACTIVITY TO PROVIDE A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT BASIS FOR COMPARISON AGAINST WHICH ANY CHANGES IN RADIATION LEVEL, FOLLOWING THE COMMISSIONING OF THE POWER PLANT, CAN BE MEASURED.

THE GOVERNMENT ALSO RECOGNISES THE NEED TO ASSESS THE PROBABILITY OF A NUCLEAR-RELATED ACCIDENT OCCURRING, AND TO ESTABLISH ADEQUATE MEANS TO DEAL WITH IT. THE PROBABILITY OF VARIOUS ACCIDENTS WILL BE ASSESSED THROUGH THE USE OF A CONSEQUENCE MODEL BASED UPON WHICH A CONTINGENCY PLAN DETAILING COUNTER MEASURES AND RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS WILL BE DEVELOPED.

IN ORDER TO PROPERLY DEVELOP THE CONSEQUENCE MODEL AND ADVISE ON THE MONITORING PROGRAMME AND THE CONTINGENCY PLAN, THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED EXPERTISE WAS REQUIRED FROM AN OUTSIDE CONSULTANT WITH LONG EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF NUCLEAR SAFETY.

AROUND THE SAME TIME AS THE U.K.A.E.A. WERE APPROACHED THE GOVERNMENT SET ASIDE THE $1 425 000, THEN AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT THE FEE WOULD BE.

TODAY, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE APPROVED THE INCREASE OF $627 000,

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