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"The Hong Kong government is considering a plan that would require Daya Bay Nuclear Power Operations and Management Co. to report minor accidents, Hong Kong's Ming Pao Daily News reported today. Under the proposal, Daya Bay would need to report small accidents such as the leakage on May 23 to shareholder CLP Holdings Ltd., the government's Environmental Protection Department and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Chinese- language paper said, without saying where it got the information. "

"A recent operational abnormality at the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant triggered public concern, even though management assured there were no safety implications. Increasing nuclear power use is now the central government's official policy. To meet its emission reduction targets, China Light & Power has to purchase more nuclear power. The difficult part is maintaining public confidence in the safety of nuclear power while achieving environmental objectives. The Daya Bay power plant, located in Guangdong province about 50 kilometers from Hong Kong, was built in 1985 amid a cacophony of objections. Some even chose to emigrate because of the project. Fortunately, the plant has operated since 1993 without incident until recently, when an increase in radioactive levels was reported in the cooling system."

"China's Daya Bay nuclear power plant had a "very small leakage" from a fuel rod last month that has been contained, CLP Holdings Ltd., Hong Kong's biggest electricity supplier, said in a statement. A "small increase" in radioactive substances were detected in cooling water at the plant's Unit 2 on May 23, according to the statement sent today. "The reactor cooling water is sealed in completely and isolated from the external environment, thus causing no impact to the public," it said."

"A radioactive leak occurred at a Chinese nuclear power plant last month but has just been made public. Radio Free Asia reported that "radioactive iodine and noble gas" were in high levels around Southern China's Shenzhen's Daya Bay nuclear power station plant and that the May 23 leak had been covered up. Hong Kong electric utility CLP has a 25 percent stake in the power plant, which is 75 percent owned by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group. The plant, 31 miles from Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui district, supplies 70 percent of its electricity to Hong Kong."

A survey of a nuclear plant, carried out continuously over a period of 25 years, shows it has not affected the health of nearby residents, the Shenzhen health bureau said on Wednesday. The Daya Bay station is located about 70 km away from the center of Shenzhen, Guangdong province. The survey showed there was no greater incidence of diseases in Shenzhen such as malignant tumors, leukemia and goiter, compared to other cities in the province.