Hong Kong legislators slammed the operator of the Daya Bay nuclear power station in South Chi-na after it was revealed that the company failed to report a radiation leak that exposed several workers to high levels of radiation.

The October 23 leak in Guangdong Province spilled radiation equaled to about two chest X-rays, the operator said.

The operator, Hong Kong Nuclear Investment Company, informed the Hong Kong government about 10 days later on November 2. The public learned about it Monday.

"The company has not paid attention to public concerns," said legislator Wong Kwok-hing.

Hong Kong's Under Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok said in a Legislative Council security meeting Tuesday that data from the city's observatory showed the radiation level was within normal range.

The nuclear power station is less than 50 kilometers from Hong Kong and 70 kilometers east of Shenzhen. Hong Kong legislators said the company ignored concerns for public safety and they accused it of covering up the incident.

After an accident on May 23, there was public outcry after the firm failed to notify the public about a fuel rod crack that caused a slight increase in radioactivity in the cooling water at the reactor.

The company's managing director Chan Siu-hung explained in the meeting that the latest leak occurred at the unit 1 reactor, caused by a flaw in a water pipe.

Several workers were exposed to radiation of less than two millisieverts, the unit used to measure the dose of radiation on individuals, which the company says is less than the average radiation exposure by Hong Kong people in a year.

Chan told the legislators that he was informed of the leak four days after the incident.

He said the company did not immediately inform the public because the leak was classified as a "level one" incident on a scale of 0 - 7 set by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which did not require immediate disclosure because it did not pose a significant safety risk. "We wanted to have a comprehensive analysis and follow-up plan before announcing it to the public," he said.

However, James To Kun-sun said the company's explanation was unacceptable.

"The public has the right to know," he said.

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