A Shandong reader, Zhang Han, of
Guangming Daily, a
Beijing-based Chinese language newspaper, recently asked the
newspaper about what safety measures are in place in China to guide
the nuclear power industry. A
Guangming Daily editor did
some research to provide a description of the China's nuclear
safety regulatory system.
Nuclear power and security management is managed by the China
National Nuclear Corporation, a special division directly under the
State Council of China that is empowered by the State Council to
govern nuclear power factories and their safe operation.
China National Nuclear Corporation set up in October 1984 a special
supervising bureau, the National Nuclear Safety Administration, to
inspect and direct the construction, operation and security
management of nuclear power factories. As an independent nuclear
safety regulatory authority, the National Nuclear Safety
Administration is responsible for overseeing civil nuclear
facilities in accordance with Chinese law. The State Environmental
Protection Administration and the Ministry of Health are in charge
of inspection and evaluation on environment quality and personal
security respectively and independently. The State Council has
promulgated the Regulations on Supervision of Nuclear Facilities.
The National Nuclear Safety Administration, the State Environmental
Protection Administration and the Ministry of Health have issued
safety-related rules concerning selection, design, operation,
quality control, radiation protection and waste disposal as well as
basic radioactivity standards. China National Nuclear Corporation
also has drafted a series of technology standards in a graduated
series of improvements to the safety system.
Operators of a nuclear power plants, before the construction of
workshops and operations, must apply with the National Nuclear
Safety Administration for a safety license and also submit to the
administration a preliminary and a final safety analysis report. In
the meantime they need to submit environmental impact reports to
the State Environmental Protection Administration. The two
administrations organize separate reviews of the reports by related
experts, and the administrations will also seek advice from the
professional groups of nuclear safety and environmental protection
expert committees concerning existing problems as well as the
opinions of the relevant departments of the State Council and the
local government. Safety licenses are issued only when all
conditions concerning the construction and operation of the nuclear
power plant conform to the relevant state rules. Operators cannot
start corresponding work without the licenses.
The designing of the plant is required to take into consideration
of the most serious natural disasters including earthquakes,
tsunami, tropical storms and flood so that the reactors can close
safely in case of a disaster to avoid damage to local people and
natural environment.
In
addition, the designers should also consider such accidents as dam
collapse, plane crash, traffic accidents and chemical factory
accidents which may happen in the area of the plant.
Waste treatment facilities must be designed, built and put into
operation at the same time with the principal project to recycle
wastes and reduce discharge to the minimum. Solid residues
including those that are converted from radioactive liquid waste
are forbidden to be discharged. Worker's bath water and washing
water cannot be discharged without treatment being up to standard.
Gas waste must be refined and absorbed and filtered before
discharge at a high altitude. Waste discharge of nuclear power
plants must strictly follow the national standards. In fact, the
level of discharged radiation materials is far below the regulated
standard.
(光明日報(bào)[Guangming
Daily], translated by Li Liangdu for china.org.cn, May 11,
2002)