Communication with the Public on Nuclear Emergency Preparedness

M.C. Wong, C.C. Chan and H.T. Poon

Hong Kong Observatory, 134A Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. E-mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has implemented a comprehensive contingency plan to cope with nuclear emergencies at two nuclear power stations some 50 kilometers northeast of Hong Kong. A good understanding of the basics of radiation protection as well as the contingency plan will help the public appreciate the situation and react in a rational manner. As such, the plan includes a public information programme for the public. The Hong Kong Observatory under the HKSAR Government publishes pamphlets on emergency preparedness, as well as displays exhibits containing information on nuclear power and environmental radiation monitoring in its Exhibition Hall. Additionally, a publicity video and a webpage with multimedia presentation aiming to educate the public on matters related to nuclear accident response, have recently been launched. The paper describes how information is communicated to the public in Hong Kong to promote public awareness and understanding of nuclear contingency preparedness.

INTRODUCTION

In accordance with international practice, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has drawn up a comprehensive contingency plan to cope with nuclear emergencies at two nuclear power stations located about 50 kilometres away from the urban centre of Hong Kong. The nuclear reactors are of the pressurized water reactor type, which has a good safety record worldwide. Despite the low probability that Hong Kong will be significantly affected by accidental release of radioactivity from the nuclear stations, implementation of the contingency plan also aims at addressing the concern of the public on safety of the nuclear power stations.

OBJECTIVES OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC

The objectives of the public information programme are three-fold:

1. The prime objective is to let the public know more about the contingency plan on nuclear emergencies. The more familiar of the public with the plan, the higher will be the chance of its successful implementation. The important messages to communicate to the public are the likely consequences of a nuclear accident, the appropriate actions to take, as well as how to obtain information and advice from the government during a nuclear emergency.

It is natural that the general public fears a nuclear accident. It is incumbent upon the government to take steps to assure people that adequate protective measures are in place and that in the unlikely event of a nuclear incident, the Government is in ready state to respond and advise the public of the appropriate measures to protect themselves.

2. Another important objective is to instill the correct concepts on nuclear power generation and radiation in members of the public. During the construction phase of the first station in the late 1980s, people of Hong Kong took to the streets to express their worries about the proximity of the nuclear power station. Their worries were aggravated by the accident at Chernobyl in 1986. The worries are largely due to the lack of knowledge on nuclear power generation. Correct knowledge of nuclear radiation, nuclear power and the defence-in-depth design of the nuclear power stations therefore goes towards alleviating public anxiety.

3. Last but not the least, communication helps establish government authority on radiation protection, public safety and nuclear emergency response. This contributes towards building public confidence in the contingency plan and their proper response in the event of a nuclear incident.

1 THE INFORMATION PROGRAMME ON NUCLEAR RADIATION FOR THE HONG KONG PUBLIC

Public opinions in Hong Kong are mixed in respect of nuclear energy and emergency response. Attitudes are varied and strongly related to social and educational status. In formulating a communication strategy, care has to be exercised in deciding how to use the limited resources to reach the most influential audience and the messages must be appropriately shaped to appeal to various target audience.

The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) under the HKSAR Government has contributed towards the implementation of the public information programme on nuclear contingency planning in Hong Kong. The programme consists of two components: (1) contingency arrangements for nuclear emergencies, and (2) basics of nuclear power generation and radiation.

One main feature of the programme is the extensive use of web technology, the Internet being a 24-hour source of updated information. The Internet facilitates the transfer of information at the time and pace suitable to individual users. The programme uses specially designed webpages in multimedia format to communicate with the public. Further, with the popularity of the Internet especially among the young generation, it is a very useful channel for instilling the correct concepts in people in their formative stages.

The details of the programme are as follows:

1. Contingency arrangements for nuclear accidents or incidents

The HKSAR Government has made use of a number of methods to achieve the prime objective of raising public awareness towards nuclear contingency arrangements in Hong Kong. Here, the aim is to put across the following key messages:

(a) what are likely to happen during a nuclear emergency, (b) what measures will be taken to protect the public, (c) where to get information on the accident, and (d) how should the public respond to the government’s advice.

Pamphlets and booklets (Figure 1) to promote understanding of the nuclear contingency plan have been published and freely distributed. A set of webpages and a video on nuclear emergency preparedness have been produced and launched in mid-2002 and early 2003, respectively.

The webpages serve as an authoritative source of information on nuclear emergency response in Hong Kong. Information at various levels, from public education materials to research studies, is available and is grouped in a “3-tier” structure in order of depth and complexity.

First-tier information provides a background on nuclear contingency arrangements. The objective is to let the public know how to respond to the advice from the government in the unlikely event of a nuclear accident. The information in this tier is written in “Question and Answer” format. This enables users to go straight to the issue of interest and obtain a short and informative answer easily.

More detailed data and facts are available in the second- and third-tier information. The second-tier information is targeted at those who are interested in the subjects and would like to know more about nuclear power and radiation. Photographs and animated graphics are used whenever possible. Reporters can use the information in this tier to gather authoritative facts, data and reports for their stories. The third-tier information contains in-depth technical information and research materials for professionals and academics.

For example, the reader may want to know how the HKSAR Government would respond in the unlikely

2 event of a serious nuclear accident. The reader will know from the first-tier information that the Government will carry out immediate assessment of the nuclear accident consequences as well as advise the public of the countermeasures to be taken. Further, to facilitate accident consequence assessment, the Government will obtain the latest conditions at the nuclear power plant and to conduct enhanced radiation measurements in Hong Kong. From the second-tier information, the reader will learn that HKO is carrying out an accident consequence assessment with the help of an Accident Consequence Assessment System (ACAS). The ACAS uses meteorological data from weather stations Hong Kong, information on the magnitude of the radiological release and meteorological data around the nuclear power stations to model the transport and dispersion of the radioactive release. Based on the results of radiation monitoring and the ACAS simulation, the government will advise the public of the necessary countermeasures. For in-depth details of the ACAS such as model characteristics and relevant scientific papers on accident consequence assessment, the reader has to go to tier-three information. Figures 2(a) to 2(c) show a series of webpages demonstrating the 3-tier structure.

A short video on the nuclear emergency response arrangement in Hong Kong has also been produced. Through lively images and a voice-over, the video depicts scenarios about what are likely to happen during nuclear emergencies and how the public should respond to government advice. It reassures the public that the government is well-prepared for any nuclear incident at the nuclear power stations. As of late 2003, more than 11 000 copies of the video in VCD or DVD format (Figure 3) have been distributed to the public. It has also been uploaded to the webpages for viewing by users.

2. Basics of nuclear power generation and radiation

Before the launching of the webpages, the exhibition hall at the Hong Kong Observatory Headquarters serves as the main forum to educate the public about nuclear radiation. Open since the 1980s, the exhibition hall displays exhibits covering a large variety of topics ranging from the basics of radiation, to exposure pathways and nuclear reactor design. The exhibits are updated from time to time. Apart from colourful photographs and graphics, interactive games are used to demonstrate the operating principles of nuclear power reactors and illustrate the likely radiation dose received in everyday life.

Regular visits to the exhibition hall are scheduled for students, community groups and social organizations. On average, about 140 groups of students and the general public visit the exhibition hall each year. Together with HKO’s annual open day, the outreach amounts to over 10 000 people every year.

To allow more people to see the exhibits, a “Virtual Exhibition Hall” (Figure 4) was launched in the website of the Hong Kong Observatory in early 2002 (http://www.weather.gov.hk/ or http://www.hko.gov.hk/). Through this channel, people from all over the world can access the Exhibition Hall in a virtual reality environment. More detailed descriptions and explanations of the exhibits, and more interactive games are available in the Virtual Exhibition Hall. Close to 860,000 visits were registered in 2002.

The webpages on the HKO website also contains information on the radiation monitoring work undertaken by the Observatory and radiation measurement results. The information is included to reaffirm to the public that the Government is doing the necessary work to ensure their safety. The measurement results show no noticeable difference in the environmental radiation levels in Hong Kong before and after the commercial operation of the unclear power stations. This is strong reassurance to the public about the safety of the two nuclear stations.

Communication with the public is an on-going process. The information and channels of dissemination will be updated and enhanced from time to time. Through continual communication, the public will have a better understanding of radiation. The ultimate aim is for them to be able to better appreciate the situation during a nuclear emergency and react in an appropriate manner.

References

1 Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Daya Bay Contingency Plan Part I, 2000.

2 The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Consultancy on the Environmental Aspects of the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station for the Government of Hong Kong, 1987.

Figure 1. Pamphlets and booklets

Figure 2(a). First tier webpages describing the nuclear contingency plan in Hong Kong

Figure 2(b). Second tier webpages providing more detailed information on specific topics relating to Emergency Response Management

Figure 2(c). Third tier webpages providing in-depth information on immediate assessment of the nuclear accident consequences

Figure 3. A short publicity video on nuclear emergency responses in VCD and DVD format