CONFIDENTIAL
79
171467
MDLIAN 2475
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1359
OF 210354Z AUGUST 93
AND TO PRIORITY PEKING
166/1
TOP COPY Q DIST?
میر
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS VIENNA, WASHINGTON, UKREP JLG. HONG KONG
78
77
OUR TELNO 1351 AND PEKING TELNO 1129: GUANGDONG NUCLEAR POWER STATION AT DAYA BAY
1. WE TOO SEE ADVANTAGES IN MR GOODLAD'S RAISING THIS PROBLEM WITH AMBASSADOR MA ON 23 AUGUST AND AGREE WITH THE APPROACH SUGGESTED IN PARA 5 OF THE SECOND TUR.
2. THERE IS ONLY ONE POINT WE WOULD LIKE PEKING TO RAISE WITH CHEN
ZENGQING CONCERNING THE NUCLEAR ACCIDENT EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS. CLAUSES 4 AND 6 OF ARTICLE 4 SPECIFY THAT A DEPARTMENT, TO DE DESIGNATED BY THE STATE COUNCIL, WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, AMONG OTHER THINGS, APPROVING BOTH THE DECLARATION OF AN OFF-SITE EMERGENCY AND THE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT AND INTERNATIONAL NOTIFICATION OF SUCH INCIDENTS. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT TIME LAG BETWEEN THE ACTUAL OCCURRENCE AND THE OFFICIAL DECLARATION OF AN EMERGENCY SITUATION AND A LOSS OF VALUABLE TIME IN THE PREPARATION OF OUR EMERGENCY
RESPONSE.
3. WE WOULD, THEREFORE, LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER THE DECLARATION OF AN OFF-SITE EMERGENCY AT DAYA BAY MUST BE APPROVED AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL AND, IF SO, WHAT PROCEDURES MUST BE FOLLOWED AND THE LIKELY TIME REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THESE PROCEDURES. SPECIFICALLY, WE WISH TO BE ASSURED THAT THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES WOULD IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OF THE OCCURRENCE OF AN OFF-SITE EMERGENCY SITUATION, RATHER THAN WAIT UNTIL A DECISION IS TAKEN BY THE CENTRAL AUTHORITIES TO DECLARE AN OFF-SITE EMERGENCY. THE TIMING OF THE FIRST NOTIFICATION TO HONG KONG IS ESSENTIAL, GIVEN THE PROXIMITY OF THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER STATION TO HONG KONG. UNLESS WE ARE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY, WE COULD HAVE DIFFICULTIES IN MAKING OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE IN TIME.
FORD
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