TNAG-1658-FCO40-2306-Daya-Bay-nuclear-power-station-project-safety-concerns-in-Ho-1987 — Page 250

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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in this respect in, e.g. Japan. It is an example to be followed by other

countries.

However, these measures do not protect us from the so-called

greenhouse effect the warming of the earth's atmosphere

to which

the carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning will be a main contributor.

And you cannot practically avoid huge quantities of CO2 when you burn

fossil fuels.

In order to convince people that nuclear waste disposal technology

is viable, actual demonstration is needed. In Sweden, a large disposal

facility is now being built for low-level wastes, and off-site interim

storages for spent fuel are being constructed in several countries.

countries are also moving closer to the actual construction of facilities

for disposal of high level wastes in deep geological formations.

Some

As regards safety, Chernobyl certainly was a very serious

industrial accident. But even considering possible additional cases of

radiation-induced cancer, the accident was not worse than the chemical

factory accident at Bhopal in India in 1985, and much less severe than

many dam breaks which have occurred. Even Chernobyl must be calmly and

correctly assessed. The situation there is also returning towards

normality. The damaged unit has been entombed and two of the four units

have been started up again. A large part of the area between 10 and 30

km from the plant has been cleaned up and is inhabitable again.

The risks of one industry must be compared with those in other

industries. It gives some perspective of reality. In the nuclear field

have to recognize, however, that even if nuclear power comes out well in

safety comparisons with other industries, accidents which lead to many

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