The first safety drill in a decade to be carried out at the Daya Bay nuclear power plant in Guangdong will take place next year - and Hong Kong officials yesterday said it would be ramped up in the wake of the crisis at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant triggered by the earthquake and tsunami nine days ago.
More departments will be involved in the safety drill than previously expected, but the government has ruled out public participation in the safety exercise, as it would have too much of an impact on the daily life of the city.
As has been the case in previous drills, international experts will observe the drill, which will cover the two nuclear power stations at Daya Bay, 50 kilometres from Hong Kong, which began operations in 1994 and 2002 respectively.
Undersecretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok said large-scale drills had been carried out by the Hong Kong government in November 1990, May 1993, December 1996 and February 2001, according to security bureau information.
'As nuclear experts have given many new ideas and recommendations in the Fukushima nuclear crisis, we will take these into consideration for the revamp of our contingency plan on the Daya Bay nuclear plants,' Lai said.
More than 10 departments will participate in the safety drill next year, which will test their communications and response to the accidental release of radioactive materials from the plants.
At a special meeting yesterday of the Legislative Council's security panel, lawmakers asked if the drill could be brought forward to this year.