The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is concerned about reports of a suspected radiation leak at Taishan Nuclear Power Station (TNPS). A spokesperson for the Security Bureau said today (June 15) that the Security Bureau liaised with the relevant national ministries and commissions both yesterday (June 14) and today (June 15), and learned from the National Nuclear Safety Administration that TNPS is in a safe condition. It has also been confirmed that there has been no radiation leak to or impact on the environment. Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Co Ltd has also indicated that, according to its continuous radiation monitoring data, the indicators at TNPS and in its surroundings are normal.

     The HKSAR Government has maintained close co-operation and communication with the Nuclear Emergency Committee Office of Guangdong Province. Relevant notification mechanisms on information exchange and notification arrangements during emergencies have been established. The mechanisms cover different levels of accidents and incidents at all operating nuclear power stations in the Guangdong Province, including non-emergency operational events (i.e. Level 0 deviations under the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale jointly developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development). In 2021, we have so far received two notifications regarding TNPS, which are about the operational events that occurred on February 21 and April 5 respectively. Both events were Level 0 deviations and did not affect the safe operation of the unit, the health of the workers, the communities in the vicinity or the environment. The current situation at TNPS does not trigger the relevant notification mechanisms.

     The HKSAR Government attaches great importance to nuclear safety. We have standing monitoring systems, including the radiation monitoring network of the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), water contamination monitoring systems of the Water Supplies Department and food surveillance by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, to monitor radiation levels of the environment, water and food for safeguarding public health. HKO's radiation monitoring network, consisting of 12 radiation monitoring stations, continuously measures the ambient radiation levels of Hong Kong. HKO also uses various equipment to detect if there is any abnormality in radiation levels. According to the radiation monitoring results from HKO, the environmental radiation levels in Hong Kong have remained normal over the past year.

     HKO will continue to closely monitor the radiation levels in Hong Kong and will strengthen its relevant work as necessary. Meanwhile, the Security Bureau will continue to maintain close contact with the relevant national ministries and commissions.

Ends/Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Issued at HKT 21:46

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