XN000022-1986-07-16 — Page 20

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1986

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MR HO SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE WERE ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE CHERNOBYL PLANT AND THE PROPOSED DAYA BAY PLANT AND THAT THE WEAKNESSES AT CHERNOBYL HAD PROBABLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE DISASTER THERE.

THIS CONCLUSION, HE ADDED, WAS SUPPORTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY WHICH STATED THAT 'FROM THE INFORMATION RECEIVED ON THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT NEW PHYSICAL PHENOMENA IMPORTANT TO SAFETY HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED THAT WOULD REQUIRE ACTION ON OTHER TYPES OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANT'.

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VERBAL ASSURANCES NOT GOOD ENOUGH'

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VERBAL ASSURANCES ON THE SAFETY OF THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR PLANT WILL NOT DISPEL THE PUBLIC'S WORRIES, THE HON HUI YIN-FAT SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SO FAR, ASSURANCES GIVEN ON SAFETY MEASURES OF THE POWER PLANT WERE BASED ON SAFETY PLANS WHICH HAVE NOT EVEN BEEN FORMULATED YET, HE SAID IN THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE HARWELL CONSULTANTANCY REPORT THAT WAS STUDYING THE POSSIBILITY OF NUCLEAR ACCIDENTS AND MAKING TECHNICAL ASSESSMENTS WOULD NOT BE COMPLETED UNTIL JULY NEXT YEAR.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE FEASIBILITY STUDY REPORT BY THE GUANGDONG NUCLEAR POWER COMPANY COULD NOT BE RELEASED BECAUSE IT WAS OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, HE SAID.

+UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, HOW CAN THE AUTHORITIES STILL GUARANTEE SAFETY WITH FULL CONFIDENCE?+ HE ASKED.

WHAT WORRIED PEOPLE MOST WERE HUMAN ERRORS, HE SAID.

NUCLEAR ACCIDENTS WERE SO FRIGHTENING NOT JUST BECAUSE OF DEATH AND INJURY BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THE LONG LASTING DAMAGE DONE BY RADIATION.

REFERRING TO ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS IN BUILDING THE PLANT, MR HUI SAID IN VIEW OF CURRENT DECREASING WORLD OIL PRICES, THE VALUE OF NUCLEAR PLANTS IN PROVIDING CHEAP ELECTRICITY WAS RELATIVELY REDUCED.

/+MOREOVER,

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