TNAG-1497-FCO40-2055-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 59

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2. THIS ANXIETY IS EXPRESSED AT MORE THAN ONE LEVEL. THE PRESS HAVE

REPORTED FULL DETAILS OF WHAT IS HAPPENING AT CHERNOBYL, THE

MEASURES WHICH HAVE HAD TO BE TAKEN IN EUROPE TO PROTECT THE HEALTH

OF CHILDREN, TO BAN FOOD SUPPLIES FROM EASTERN EUROPE ETC. ETC.

HERE ARE DAILY REFERENCES TO OTHER INSTANCES OF RADIATION LEAKAGE

AND NUCLEAR ACCIDENTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

3. THIS GENERAL ANXIETY BECOMES VERY SPECIFIC AND MORE INTENSE WHEN

TRANSLATED INTO SPECULATION ON WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO HONG KONG IF,

IN SPITE OF THE SAFETY MEASURES TO BE ADOPTED AT DAYA BAY, THERE

WAS AN ACCIDENT THERE. THE TONE OF THE COMMENT IS WELL EXPRESSED

IN AN EDITORIAL IN THE REPUTABLE CHINESE NEWSPAPER, THE MING PO

TODAY, UNDER THE HEADING, HONG KONG WOULD BECOME A DEAD CITY''. (WE WILL TELEGRAPH A TRANSLATION TOMORROW). IT IS THE PROXIMITY

OF DAYA BAY TO HONG KONG (LESS THAN 50 MILES) AND THE FACT THAT FOR

MUCH OF THE YEAR UNDER NORMAL WEATHER PATTERNS HONG KONG LES

DOWN WIND FROM DAYA BAY WHICH MAKES THE CITY SEEM SO VULNERABLE.

ADDED TO THIS IS A WIDESPREAD FEAR THAT GIVEN THE SIZE AND DENSITY OF THE POPULATION, AND THE LIMITATIONS ON MEANS OF TRANSPORT OUT OF HONG KONG, EVACUATION WOULD, IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANY SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE. (THE MING PO

EDITORIAL ASSUMES THAT EVACUATION MIGHT BE POSSIBLE: BUT STILL

BELIEVES THAT HONG KONG WOULD BECOME AN ABANDONED CHITY).

4.

THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS DONE ITS BEST TO EMPHASISE THAT

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS OF SAFETY WILL BE MET AT THE PLANT: BUT

THE REAL WORRY AMONG THE POPULATION IS NOT THE CONSTRUCTION

STANDARDS BUT FEAR THAT THE INEXPERIENCE OF CHINESE OPERATORS WILL

LEAD TO THE KIND OF HUMAN ERROR WHICH CAUSED THE THREE MILE ISLAND

AND CHERNOBYL ACCIDENTS.