XN000022-1988-05-05 — Page 2

THURSDAY, MAY 5, 1988

CONTINGENCY PLANNING REPORT FOR N-PLANT RELEASED

GUIDANCE ON THE ACTIONS THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PLAN TO TAKE, IN RESPONSE TO ANY ACCIDENTAL RELEASE OF RADIOACTIVITY FROM THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER STATION, IS CONTAINED IN A DETAILED REPORT ON CONTINGENCY PLANNING RELEASED TODAY (THURSDAY).

THE 106-PAGE REPORT, PREPARED FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT BY THE UNITED KINGDOM ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY, RE-AFFIRMS THAT PLANNING FOR EXTREME MEASURES, SUCH AS EVACUATION, IS NOT REQUIRED.

POINTING OUT THAT HONG KONG NEED ONLY CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES THAT MIGHT ARISE AT MORE THAN 25 KILOMETRES FROM THE POWER STATION, THE REPORT ADVISES THAT AT SUCH DISTANCES THERE WAS A CONSENSUS OF INTERNATIONAL OPINION THAT THERE WOULD ONLY EXIST A NEED FOR MONITORING AND PERHAPS CONTROL OF FOODSTUFFS.

NOTING THAT THE REACTORS TO BE INSTALLED AT DAYA BAY ARE PRESSURISED WATER REACTORS (PWR), THE REPORT POINTS OUT THAT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN AN ACCIDENT TO A PWR THAT HAS RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT RADIOLOGICAL HAZARD TO THE PUBLIC.

IT ADDS THAT A CHERNOBYL-TYPE ACCIDENT CANNOT HAPPEN IN A PWR WHICH IS OF A TOTALLY DIFFERENT DESIGN. MOREOVER, UNLIKE THE CHERNOBYL REACTOR, WHICH LACKED AN EFFECTIVE CONTAINMENT BUILDING, PWR'S ARE PROVIDED WITH A MASSIVE PRE-STRESSED, REINFORCED CONCRETE CONTAINMENT BUILDING DESIGNED ΤΟ ENSURE THEIR INTEGRITY IN ALL CREDIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES.

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EMPHASISING THAT A VERY LARGE ACCIDENT AT DAYA BAY EXTREMELY UNLIKELY AND HIGHLY IMPROBABLE, THE CONSULTANTS ADVISED THAT DETAILED PLANNING FOR SUCH AN OCCURRENCE IS NOT GENERALLY CONSIDERED JUSTIFIABLE.

HOWEVER, BECAUSE A GOOD EMERGENCY ORGANISATION ALREADY EXISTS IN HONG KONG TO DEAL WITH NATURAL DISASTERS, ADVICE FOR DEALING WITH CREDIBLE MAJOR NUCLEAR ACCIDENTS, WHICH ARE THEMSELVES IMPROBABLE, CAN EASILY BE EXTENDED TO DEAL WITH VERY LARGE CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENTS.

THE REPORT RECOMMENDS THAT THE ACTUAL CONTINGENCY BE FLEXIBLE AND CAPABLE OF RESPONDING TO A WIDE RANGE FROM THE TRIVIAL TO THE SERIOUS.

PLAN SHOULD OF ACCIDENTS

ENSURE THAT MONITOR AND APPROPRIATE ACTION

THE PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVE OF THE PLAN SHOULD BE TO THE GOVERNMENT IS ABLE TO RAPIDLY MOBILISE RESOURCES TO ASSESS THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANY ACCIDENT AND TAKE TO MITIGATE AGAINST POSSIBLE ADVERSE EFFECTS.

/BECAUSE THE