FOR THE RECORD: Joint resolution on Chornobyl introduced in Congress (04/28/96)

FOR THE RECORD: Joint resolution on Chornobyl introduced in Congress

The following resolution was introduced on April 24 in the Senate by Sen. Frank Lautenberg and in the House of Representatives by Rep. Christopher H. Smith.

Co-sponsors of H. Con. Res. 167 are: Reps. Benjamin Gilman (R-N.Y.), Frank Wolf (R-Va.), Robert Torricelli (D-N.J.), Sander M. Levin (D-Mich.), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.), David Bonior (D-Mich.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), and Louis Guttierez (D-Ill.).

Co-sponsors of S. Con. Res. 56 are: Sens. Robert Dole (R-Kansas), Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), Claiborne Pell (D-R.I.) and Carl Levin (D-Mich.).

For more information, contact Orest Deychakiwsky at the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, (202) 225-1901.

Recognizing the 10th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster, and supporting the closing of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.

Whereas April 26, 1996, marks the 10th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster;

Whereas United Nations General Assembly resolution 50/134 declared April 26, 1996, as the International Day Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant Accident and encourages member-states to commemorate this tragic event;

Whereas serious radiological, health and socioeconomic consequences for the populations of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, as well as for the populations of other affected areas, have been identified since the disaster;

Whereas over 3.5 million inhabitants of the affected areas, including over 1 million children, were exposed to dangerously high levels of radiation;

Whereas the populations of the affected areas, especially children, have experienced significant increases in thyroid cancer, immune deficiency diseases, birth defects and other conditions, and these trends have accelerated over the 10 years since the disaster;

Whereas the lives and health of people in the affected areas continue to be heavily burdened by the ongoing effects of the Chornobyl accident;

Whereas numerous charitable, humanitarian and environmental organizations from the United States and the international community have committed to overcome the extensive consequences of the Chornobyl disaster;

Whereas the United States has sought to help the people of Ukraine through various forms of assistance;

Whereas humanitarian assistance and public health research into Chornobyl's consequences will be needed in the coming decades when the greatest number of latent health effects is expected to emerge;

Whereas on December 20, 1995, the Ukrainian government, the governments of the G-7 countries, and the Commission of the European Communities signed a memorandum of understanding to support the decision of Ukraine to close the Chornobyl nuclear power plant by the year 2000 with adequate support from the G-7 countries and international financial institutions;

Whereas the United States strongly supports the closing of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and improving nuclear safety in Ukraine; and

Whereas representatives of Ukraine, the G-7 countries, and international financial institutions will meet at least annually to monitor implementation of the program to close Chornobyl: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Represent-atives (the Senate concurring), that the Congress -

(1) recognizes April 26, 1996, as the 10th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant disaster;

(2) urges the government of Ukraine to continue its negotiations with the G-7 countries to implement the December 20, 1995, memorandum of understanding which calls for all nuclear reactors at Chornobyl to be shut down in a safe and expeditious manner; and

(3) calls upon the president:

(a) to support continued and enhanced United States assistance to provide medical relief, humanitarian assistance, social impact planning and hospital development for Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and other nations most heavily afflicted by Chornobyl's aftermath;

(b) to encourage national and international health organizations to expand the scope of research into the public health consequences of Chornobyl, so that the global community can benefit from the findings of such research;

(c) to support the process of closing the Chornobyl nuclear power plant in an expeditious manner as envisioned by the December 20, 1995, memorandum of understanding; and

(d) to support the broadening of Ukraine's regional energy sources, which will reduce its dependence on any individual country.

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