TNAG-1507-FCO40-2065-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 74

NOV 19 '86 15:56 TIBCOOL) HK GOVT

As(23)5

A round-up of media reports and commentaries

on the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station

6.11.86 - 12.11.86

Thursday, November 6: Ming Pao columnist Kong Chik said that according to the September issue of a nuclear technology magazine, the HK Government had appointed the UK Atomic Energy Authority aa its consultants despite a warning in 1981 that the UKAEA would be placed in a difficult position if it was asked to assess the reliability of a French nuclear reactor. On the one hand the UKAEA would be unwilling to openly defend a French model while on the other, it had been a strong supporter for a Sizewell B-type water pressurised reactor. The columnist said a book written by an editor of the Technology magazine, Martin Ince, had said that many reports written by the UKARA were of no value at all.

Friday, November 7: Legco member Chan Kam-chuen said at yesterday's Legco debate that many people still had no confidence in HK's future bacause they were worried about the construction of the Daya Bay plant, a few papers reported.

In another development, some papers reported that the anti-nuclear coalition yesterday submitted an opinion letter to Legco's ad hoc group to monitor the Daya Bay project, asking the group to invite international experts to assess the safety of the plant.

Radio-3 reported this morning that probably due to printing difficulties, the Government would not distribute to Omelco members a report on the safety and tariff arrangements for the Daya Bay plant

today.

Saturday, November 8: The Government would give a report on the safety aspect and tariff arrangements for the Daya Bay plant to Omelco members on Monday, the media reported, quoting Financial Secretary, Piers Jacobs.

He said the document would contain some extracts from the Lazard Brothers report on the financial viability of the plant. Mr Jacobs stressed that the Government would not release the entire Lazard Brothers report as it was written for internal use only.

Sunday, November 9: A Government report on Daya Bay, due to be released to Omelco members tomorrow, will reveal that nuclear power is cheaper than conventional forms of energy, the SCM Post reported. The report will reveal how the Lazard Brothers report arrived at its favourable conclusions about nuclear power by painting a worst-case scenario when comparing the cost of nuclear fuel against conventional energy options.