Lawmakers call for transparency in nuclear safety

China's lawmakers on Tuesday deliberated a new draft law on nuclear safety, calling for more public participation in selecting nuclear power plant sites.

The new draft was submitted to the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee on Monday at the start of its four-day bi-monthly session.

During the group deliberation on Tuesday afternoon, Wan Exiang, a vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said that public hearings should be held when choosing the locations of nuclear facilities.

Chen Changzhi, another vice chairman of the committee, suggested that a poll should be conducted before construction of any nuclear project.

Public understanding and supports are important to nuclear projects, said Chen.

The new draft listed a series of items that must be disclosed to the public, including nuclear accidents, the general safety situation and the quality of the radioactive environment.

In emergency response, lawmakers called for a mandatory insurance system to cover compensation in the event of accidents, in addition to an emergency response fund proposed in the draft.

NPC member Zhu Lieyu also pointed out the need for a fund on the disposal of radioactive waste.

China currently has more than 30 operational nuclear reactors and is building 20 more. Endi