TNAG-1658-FCO40-2306-Daya-Bay-nuclear-power-station-project-safety-concerns-in-Ho-1987 — Page 169

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CONFIDENTIAL

041644 MDHIAN 2063

(A) MEMBERS NOTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A DELAY IN REPORTING THE INCIDENT TO HKG AND THE AD HOC GROUP. THEY REQUESTED THAT GNPJVC SHOULD BE ASKED TO SPEED UP THE REPORTING OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS IN FUTURE.

(B)

MEMBERS REQUESTED THAT HKG ASCERTAIN, THROUGH HKNIC, WHEN THE REPORT OF THE INCIDENT WILL BE RELEASED. THEY WERE ALSO OF THE VIEW THAT UNTIL THE REPORT HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND EXAMINED BY THE AD HOC GROUP, NO REMEDIAL WORK SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN.

(C) WHILE NOTING THAT THE REMEDIAL SOLUTION PROPOSED BY EDF WAS SEEMINGLY THE ONE MOST PREFERRED, MEMBERS CONSIDERED THE OPTION OF TEARING UP THE RECENTLY POURED FIRST LAYER OF REINFORCED CONCRETE SHOULD BE FURTHER EXPLORED. THEY ALSO WANTED REASSURANCE THAT THIS PARTICULAR COURSE OF ACTION HAD NOT BEEN REJECTED SIMPLY ON ECONOMIC GROUNDS.

(D) MEMBERS RAISED QUESTIONS ON THE APPROPRIATENESS OF EDF BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR DESIGNING THE REMEDIAL ACTION GIVEN THAT

(I) THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT EDF WAS RESPONSIBLE MISPLACING OF THE REINFORCEMENT BARS: AND

FOR THE

(II) THE CONTRACTUAL PROVISIONS MAY INDUCE EDF TO CHOOSE THE QUICKEST OR CHEAPEST TECHNICAL SOLUTION.

(E) NOTING THAT GNPJVC HAD ENGAGED BECHTEL TO PROVIDE QUALITY ASSURANCE SERVICES, MEMBERS SPECULATED ON BECHTEL'S ROLE IN THE AFFAIR AND WONDERED WHETHER THE COMPANY COULD BE EXPECTED TO PROVIDE AN INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF THE REMEIDAL SOLUTION BEING PROPOSED.

(F) TO RESTORE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE SAFETY OF THE DAYA BAY PLANT, MEMBERS URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER APPOINTING INDEPENDENT EXPERTS TO EVALUATE THE REMEDIAL ACTION. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT IF THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION BETWEEN THE INDEPENDENT EXPERTS AND EDF THEN THEY SHOULD DISCUSS WITH THE OBJECT OF REACHING AN AGREED POSITION. THEY WERE ALSO OF THE VIEW THAT THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF AN ACCOUNTABILITY RISK SINCE ULTIMATE DESIGN RESPONSIBILITY SHOULD REST WITH EDF IT WAS THEN SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD SELECT

" THE 'INDEPENDENT EXPERTS'' AND CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO INVITING, THROUGH HMG, IAEA EXPERTS TO PROVIDE AN INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF THE PROPOSED SOLUTION.

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