By Yu Huapeng and Hua Yan
November 17, 2010
Translated by Ruoji Tang
Original Article: [Chinese]



On October 23rd, during a routine inspection of the No. 1 reactor at Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant, a small leak of radioactive material was discovered, the third leak detected in a Hong Kong Nuclear Investment Company plant since May this year.

Yesterday, Daya Bay Nuclear Power Operations Management Ltd. Co. released a report stating that one of the heat removal pipes had been found to be defective but had since been dealt with.

The leak was categorized as a "level one" radiological event according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the lowest on a scale from one to seven.

The report also claimed that the minor leak will have no detrimental effects on the plant employees, the environment or the general public.

The report also went on to say that plants in the United States, Japan and France have experienced similar problems with the same pipelines and that methods for dealing with the problem have already been developed.

The Daya Bay Nuclear Power plant is China's first commercial nuclear power plant and produces about 25 percent of Hong Kong's power supply. 

Daya Bay Nuclear Power Operations Management Co. Ltd., is a company established by the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group and Ling Ao Nuclear Power Co. Ltd.

Links and Sources
www.hknuclear.com: Image
Daya Bay Nuclear Power Operations Management Ltd. Co.: Announcement Regarding Leak (Chinese)
The Economic Observer: Small Radioactive Leak Detected at Guangdong's Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant