TNAG-1499-FCO40-2057-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 192

GRS 350

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2124

OF 04084OZ JULY 86

HKCE 160/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTKY

INDEX

7 JUL 1986

SORRENTIAL IM

JUP COPY

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING, PAR ES

2167

MR. WALTER PATTERSON'S COMMENTS ON DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

THE MEDIA ACCORDED PROMINENT COVERAGE TO THE PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN

BY MR. WALTER PATTERSON, A VIRSIFTING NUCLEAR PHYSICIST WHO ARRIVED

HERE YESTERDAY ON THE INVITATION OF THE HONG KONG FRIENDS OF THE

EARTH. IT WAS REPORTED THAT MR. PATTERSON HAD A POSTGRADUATE DEGREE

MIN NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND HAD WRITTEN FOUR BOOKS ON NUCLEAR ENERGY.

NEVERTHELESS, HE HAD NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANY

NUCLEAR POWER PLANT AND HAD NO CONTACTS WITH SCIENTISTS INVOLVED

*N THE DAYA BAY PROJECT...

2. MR. PATTERSON TOLD THE PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY THAT A COMBINATION OF DESIGN FEATURES OF THE PRESSURISED WATER REACTOR, THE TYPE PLANNED FOR DAY BAY, HAD MADE HT MUCH THE MOST DANGEROUS DESIGN OF REACTORS. HE SAID THE **PRESSURISED WATER REACTORS ARE

VERY COMPACT. THEY PRODUCE HEAT VERY RAPIDLY. IF THAT HEAT IS NOT REMOVED RAPIDLY THEIR TEMPERATURE CAN RISE VERY FAST. THE FUEL CAN MELT LIKE WHAT HAPPENED AT THREE MILE †SLAND. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF HYDROGEN EXPLOSHON BECAUSE OF THE WATER''.

3. MR. PATTERSON ALSO SAID THAT THE DAY BAY PROJECT WAS UNSAFE AND UNECONOMICAL, AND IT WAS BOTH FOOL HSH AND IRRESPONSIBLE TO GO AHEAD WITH THE PROJECT. THE MEDIA QUOTED HIM SAYING THAT THE

ONLY ACCEPTABLE PROBABWITY FOR AN ACCIDENT AT DAY BAY WOULD BE

ZERO, AND SINCE ZERO IS NOT POSSIBLE THERE'S ALWAY A FINITE PROBABILITY OF AN ACCIDENT. THAT PROBABILITY IS ALREADY TOO

BNG A RISK TO TAKE FOR THE FIVE MILLION PEOPLE OF HONG KONG''

4. MR. PATTERSON ALSO COMMENTED ON EMERGENCY PLANNING IN CONNECTION WITH THE DAYA BAY PROJECT. HE SAID THAT IT WOULD BE

IMPOSSIBLE TO EVACUATE FIVE MILLION HONG KONG PEOPLE FROM THE PATH OF A RADIOACTIVITY CLOUD IN A MATTER OF HOURS. THE LONG TERM

CONFIDENTIAL

DEPOSIT