XN000022-1986-07-29 — Page 2

TUESDAY, JULY 29, 1936

HARWELL CONSULTANCY COVERS FOUR MAIN AREAS

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FOLLOWING RECENT PRESS REPORTS ON THE CONSULTANCY BEING UNDERTAKEN BY THE UK ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY (HARWELL) FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, THE GOVERNMENT TODAY ISSUED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IN ORDER TO CLARIFY THE PRESENT POSITION REGARDING THE CONSULTANCY.

THE CONSULTANCY AGREEMENT WITH HARWELL COVERS FOUR MAIN AREAS - BACKGROUND RADIATION MONITOR ING, PUBLIC EDUCATION, ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT AND CONTINGENCY PLANNING. THE BACKGROUND RADIATION REPORT HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND IS BEING IMPLEMENTED. THE SECOND REPORT (ON PUBLIC EDUCATION) IS BEING CONSIDERED. BOTH HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO THE UMELCO PANEL ON PUBLIC UTILITIES.

A PRELIMINARY ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT REPORT HAS BEEN DRAWN UP BY HARWELL MAINLY ON THE BASIS OF SAFETY STUDIES MADE FOR REACTORS ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD. IT HAS NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT ALL THE FEATURES OF THE DAYA BAY POWER STATION.

IT IS NOW THE INTENTION THAT HARWELL SHOULD TAKE THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY A STAGE FURTHER BY TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE SPECIFIC FEATURES OF THE PRESSURISED WATER REACTORS TO BE BUILT AT DAYA BAY AND OTHER SITE-SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS E. G. METEOROLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY AND DEMOGRAPHY.

DUR ING HIS RECENT VISIT TO THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES. MR JOHN YAXLEY, SAW THE CONSULTANTS AND ASKED THEM TO DRAW UP EXPANDED TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR STAGE 1 OF THE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT STUDY SO THAT IT WOULD BE SITE AND PLANT SPECIFIC.

THIS IS NOW UNDERWAY AND A TEAM OF OFFICIALS WILL BE TRAVELLING TO HARWELL SHORTLY TO DISCUSS THE DETAILS OF THE EXPANDED CONSULTANCY. THE REPORT WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.

HARWELL HAS RECENTLY PROVIDED A PRELIMINARY REPORT INDICATING THE PRINCIPLES SURROUNDING CONTINGENCY PLANNING. IT WILL NOW BE NECESSARY TO DETERMINE THE NATURE OF POSSIBLE CONTINGENCIES AND TO CONSIDER THE PLANNING NECESSARY TO SUPPORT MEASURES NEEDED TO MEET THESE CONTINGENCIES.

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