XN000022-1986-07-23 — Page 31

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1986

29

RADIATION LEVEL WITHIN INTERNATIONAL SAFETY LIMIT

******

AFTER THE CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR PLANT ACCIDENT, SAMPLES OF IMPORTED FOOD TO HONG KONG WERE FOUND TO CONTAIN LEVELS OF RADIATION PER KILOGRAM WELL WITHIN THE STRINGENT INTERNATIONAL SAFETY LIMIT, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON NIGEL SHIPMAN, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, MR SHIPMAN SAID THAT SAFETY LEVELS HAD BEEN SET BY THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY (EEC) ON MAY 31, 1986, AND HAD BEEN ADOPTED AS THE STANDARDS IN THE MONITORING OF IMPORTED FOOD IN HONG KONG.

EXPLAINING GOVERNMENT MEASURES, MR SHIPMAN SAID ACTIONS WERE TAKEN BY THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES BRANCH IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING FIRST REPORTS ON THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT AT THE END OF APRIL THIS YEAR.

FOOD COMMODITIES FLOWN IN FROM EUROPE AS WELL AS OTHER NEARBY COUNTRIES WERE SAMPLED FOR DETECTION OF RADIO-ACTIVE CONTAMINATION, HE SAID, ADDING THAT PLANS WERE DRAWN UP TO SAMPLE COMMODITIES SHIPPED IN FROM EUROPE, AS WELL AS THOSE IMPORTED FROM CHINA, AFTER THE ACCIDENT.

+FOOD COMMODITIES IMPORTED INTO HONG KONG PRIOR TO THE REACTOR ACCIDENT WERE SAMPLED FOR DETERMINATION OF THEIR BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS SO THAT THESE COULD BE COMPARED WITH THE LEVELS IN FOOD IMPORTED THEREAFTER.+

MR SHIPMAN SAID THAT THE LOCAL CONSULATES OF 10 WESTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE ACCIDENT WERE REQUESTED TO SUPPLY DETAILS OF MEASURES TAKEN BY THEIR COUNTRIES TO PREVENT THE EXPORT OF THOSE FOOD COMMODITIES AT RISK OF CONTAMINATION.

THE UK MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOODS, MEANWHILE, WAS APPROACHED FOR ASSISTANCE IN OBTAINING SIMILAR DETAILS FROM POLAND AND HUNGARY, WHICH WERE THE MAIN EASTERN BLOC COUNTRIES EXPORTING TO HONG KONG.

+ SUBSEQUENT REPLIES FROM THE CONSULS-GENERAL CONCERNED, AS WELL AS FROM POLAND AND HUNGARY THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE. FISHERIES AND FOODS, ASSURED THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT THAT STRINGENT MEASURES WERE BEING TAKEN IN THESE COUNTRIES TO ENSURE THAT FOOD COMMODITIES EXPORTED TO HONG KONG WERE RADIATION FREE,+ MR SHIPMAN SAID.

HE ADDED THAT FOR SAFETY REASONS, THE GRANTING OF PERMISSION FOR THE IMPORTATION OF FOOD FROM ALL EASTERN BLOC COUNTRIES WAS TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACCIDENT.

HOWEVER, AFTER THE EEC HAD ENACTED REGULATIONS STIPULATING THE LEVELS OF RADIATION PERMITTED IN CERTAIN FOODS, PERMISSION WAS GRANTED FOR THE IMPORTATION OF FOOD FROM EASTERN BLOC COUNTRIES, BUT CERTIFICATES WERE REQUIRED TO THE EFFECT THAT THE LEVEL OF RADIATION OF EACH CONSIGNMENT COMPLIED WITH THAT SET OUT BY THE EEC COUNTRIES, HE SAID.

/30