Chinese lawmakers are addressing the issue of nuclear safety in a meeting from April 24th to 27th. NPC Standing Committee members are deliberating a draft law on nuclear safety to improve the way the country contains nuclear risks. about 3.5 percent of China's electricity is generated by nuclear power.
China's booming nuclear industry and a number of nuclear catastrophes that have happened around the world, have reinforced the need for China to pass its own laws aimed at strengthening management and supervision of the nuclear sector.
The draft law on nuclear safety, submitted to the National People's Congress for a second reading, proposes establishing a national emergency and coordination committee to deal with any nuclear accidents.
"There has been no absolute safety, especially when it comes to nuclear safety. We need to learn lessons from previous nuclear accidents," NPC Standing Committee deputy Ling Hu'an said.
"We should establish an emergency response in a legal sense in case one of our neighbouring countries launches nuclear tests," NPC Standing Committee deputy Fu Ying said.
Provincial governments would also set up such committees with the responsibility of organizing a response to a nuclear accident.
The draft also clarifies the importance of radioactive waste disposal, emphasizing that data on the source, amount, nature and location of such waste should be recorded and persevered indefinitely.
"I suggest we write into law that a public hearing should be conducted when it comes to the construction of future nuclear facilities. It's the public's right to know," NPC Standing Committee deputy Wan E'Xiang said.
"I suggest we establish state compensation for the victims of nuclear accidents," NPC Standing Committee deputy Wu Xiaoling said.
The draft highlights the need for transparency of nuclear information, requiring government departments responsible for nuclear safety supervision to publish information about accidents as well as other relevant data.
