XN000022-1986-11-10 — Page 6

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1986

ANOTHER SEVEN CHAPTERS OF THE REPORT ARE DEVOTED TO SAFETY ASPECTS OF THE STATION. THE REPORT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE DISTANCE OF THE SITE FROM HONG KONG IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE IN THE CONTEXT OF SAFETY.

UNDER SITE SELECTION IT LISTS A NUMBER OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS LESS THAN 50 KILOMETRES FROM CITIES WITH POPULATIONS BETWEEN 17.3 MILLION AND 1.2 MILLION,

IT ALSO STATES THAT STANDARDS USED BY THE UNITED STATES ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION PROVIDED THE BASIS FOR FINAL SITE SELECTION AT DAYA BAY. AND IT ADDED THAT ASSISTANCE WAS ALBO BIVEN BY THE UK ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY AND THE CENTRAL ELECTRICITY GENERATING BOARD OF THE UK.

THE REPORT POINTS OUT THAT THE PROJECT INVOLVES A TRANSFER TO CHINA OF THE LATEST WESTERN TECHNOLOGY. IT SAYS: +IN OPTING FOR FRENCH REACTORS, WITH THEIR EXCELLENT SAFETY RECORD, AND FRENCH ASSISTANCE IN A WIDE RANGE OF OTHER ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT, CHINA HAS CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED ITS CONCERN NOT ONLY TO OBTAIN EQUIPMENT OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY, BUT ALSO TO OBTAIN THE BEST EXPERTISE AND ASSISTANCE.+

THERE IS A CHAPTER ON THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT. WHILE ADMITTING CHERNOBYL HAS BEEN THE WORST NUCLEAR ACCIDENT EVER TO HAVE OCCURRED AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION ON THE DAYA BAY PROJECT PRECEDED THE ACCIDENT, THE REPORT POINTS OUT THAT +IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, IT IS EXTREMELY PROBABLE THAT CHERNOBYL WILL HAVE NO DIRECT LESSONS FOR THE DESIGN AND OPERATION OF WESTERN NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS OF THE TYPE TO BE SUPPLIED TO DAYA BAY. CHERNOBYL THEREFORE HAS NOT ALTERED THE GOVERNMENT'S VIEW ON THE SAFETY OF THE DAYA BAY PLANT,+

CONTINGENCY PLANNING IS HIGHLIGHTED UNDER THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. SUCH PLANNING INCLUDES BACKGROUND RADIATION MONITORING, CROSS BORDER LIAISON AND THE DRAWING UP OF DETAILED PLANS ON THE BASIS OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM HARWELL CONSULTANTS WHICH ARE EXPECTED AT THE END OF THIS YEAR. AN EXISTING INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING GROUP WILL BE SPECIFICALLY TASKED TO CONSIDER THE PREPARATION OF DETAILED CONTINGENCY PLANS.

THE GOVERNMENT SAYS IT ACCEPTS THAT IT HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO SATISFY ITSELF AS FAR AS POSSIBLE THAT THOSE INVOLVED IN BUILDING AND OPERATING THE PLANT MAINTAIN THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE STANDARDS + TO DEVISE CONTINGENCY PLANS AND TO LAUNCH PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMMES ON NUCLEAR ENERGY IN CONSULTATION WITH THE HONG KONG NUCLEAR INVESTMENT COMPANY.

ON PUBLIC EDUCATION IT REITERATES THAT THE NEED FOR A PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME WAS RECOGNISED BY THE GOVERNMENT LONG BEFORE THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT.

/+IN 1985.