SHENZHEN will stage an emergency response exercise March 25 in a simulated nuclear leak at the Ling'ao Nuclear Power Station in eastern Shenzhen, the city's emergency response office announced yesterday.

The drill, the city's sixth large nuclear leak exercise, will be conducted ahead of the April 1 commencement of operations of the third generator in Phase II of the Ling'ao station.

About 1,800 people from the 11 nuclear emergency response teams will participate in the drill, to be directed by a command center headed by Vice Mayor Li Ming. About 350 vehicles will be deployed.

The 11 teams include task forces responsible for medical treatment, public security, environmental monitoring, information release, evacuation, traffic, telecoms, power supply and logistics.

Officials at the office said the exercise was designed to test the teams' capability in protecting the public and the environment, public relations capability and effectiveness of the emergency command system.

Two three-hour rehearsals will be held tomorrow and March 16. Traffic control will be imposed during the drill and rehearsals on some roads, including Shennan Thoroughfare, Xinzhou Road, Binhe Road, Luosha Road, Shenyan Passage Phase II, Yanba Expressway and Pengfei Road.

Officials urged residents not to panic when they see vehicles and personnel with symbols of nuclear leak exercise during the drill and rehearsals.

Chen Degan, technical adviser to Daya Bay Nuclear Operation Co., said yesterday that nuclear power was safe and clean energy, with a very low possibility of a radioactive leak. There would be no nuclear explosion at nuclear power stations because of the low density of nuclear fuel used in pressurized water reactors.

In case of a nuclear leak, residents within a 5-km radius of the nuclear station would be evacuated. They should take protective cover if they live within a 10-km radius. Residents within a 50-km radius can only consume food and water stored at home.

Timetable:

First rehearsal: 2:30 p.m., tomorrow

Second rehearsal: 8:30 a.m., March 16

Drill: 8:30 a.m. March 25

Source:Shenzhen Daily