XN000022-1986-05-02 — Page 2

RO CLOSELY MONITORING SITUATION

FRIDAY, MAY 2, 10

GOVERNOR

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID HE HAD BEEN ADVISED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY THIS (FRIDAY) MORNING THAT THE THREAT OF RADIATION AFFECTING HONG KONG FOLLOWING THE SOVIET NUCLEAR ACCIDENT IN CHERNOBYL IS MINIMAL.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER TOURING THE GOVERNMENT VEHICLE INSPECTION CENTRE AT KOWLOON BAY, SIR EDWARD SAID THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY WAS CLOSELY MONITORING THE SITUATION.

SIR EDWARD SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THE PUBLIC'S CONCERN FOLLOWING THE CHERNOBYL DISASTER, AND THE GOVERNMENT WAS KEEPING IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH LONDON SO THAT IT WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO ANY INFORMATION THAT WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE.

HE BELIEVED THERE WOULD CERTAINLY BE AN INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THAT WOULD ENABLE THE WORLD'S NUCLEAR INDUSTRY TO DRAW A LESSON FROM THE INCIDENT.

WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR PLANT PROJECT SIR EDWARD SAID THE PLANT, WHICH WAS BEING BUILT BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, WAS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT KIND OF PLANT AND NOT IN ANY WAY LIKE THE ONE IN THE SOVIET UNION,

+AND IT WILL HAVE VERY HIGH SAFETY STANDARDS WHICH WILL MEET FRENCH STANDARDS, CHINESE STANDARDS, AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, + HE NOTED.

AS FAR AS HONG KONG WAS CONCERNED, SIR EDWARD SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD SOME TIME AGO SEEN THE NEED FOR BOTH MONITORING AND EXPERT ADVICE ON CONTINGENCIES WHICH MIGHT ARISE.

THAT WAS WHY A FEW YEARS AGO THE GOVERNMENT HAD ASKED THE UNITED KINGDOM ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY AT HARWELL, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE LEADING AUTHORITIES IN THE WORLD, TO BE ITS CONSULTANT ON THESE MATTERS, HE SAID.

ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE INVOLVED IN ANY STEPPING UP OF SAFETY MEASURES AT THE DAYA BAY PLANT, SIR EDWAR REITERATED THE GOVERNMENT'S ROLE WAS IN REGARD TO HONG KONG.

HONG KONG WAS GOING TO TAKE ELECTRICITY FROM DAYA BAY, BUT THE ATOMIC PART OF THE DAYA BAY PLANT WAS BEING DONE BY FRAMATOME, HE SAID.

/HE ADDED.