Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and supporting continued efforts to control radiation and mitigate the adverse health consequences related to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Madam Speaker, as the world prepares to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, I rise in support of the H. Res. 703 Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and supporting continued efforts to control radiation and mitigate the adverse health consequences related to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. I applaud the leadership of Congressmen Gallegly, Hyde, Lantos and Wexler on this important issue.

Twenty years ago this month, a human error triggered an explosion at the Chernobyl Power Plant's Reactor No. 4, causing the worst civilian nuclear catastrophe in the history of mankind, one which transcended geographic boundaries. Immediately after the explosion, increased levels of radiation were registered as far as Japan and the United States. The hardest hit were the people of Ukraine, Belarus, and western Russia, collectively taking close to 70 percent of the radioactive fallout.

The scope of devastation that followed was truly unprecedented. More than 600,000 emergency workers, liquidators, risked their lives putting out the reactor's inferno that raged for 10 days while exposing themselves to extremely high and deadly doses of radiation. Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to leave their homes because of radioactive contamination. More than 5 million people in Ukraine, Belarus and western Russia found themselves coping with life in towns and villages contaminated by iodine and cesium. Thousands of square miles of agricultural land and forests had to be removed from use because of contamination.

Twenty years after the initial fallout, Chernobyl has not been relegated to history books. Twenty years later, it continues to cause human suffering, environmental and economic hardship.

The disaster at Chernobyl has triggered a well documented epidemic of thyroid cancer, particularly among those who were infants and teenagers at the time of the explosion. Long latency periods for other types of cancers and ailments suggest that the toll on human health in the affected populations is a developing story, and not a thing of the past.

The consequences to the environment, as well as agriculture are equally devastating. Shortly after the fallout, short-lived iodine deposits onto vegetation entered into the food supply, mainly through milk, delivering large doses of internal radiation to consuming public. As for long-lived long-lived cesium, that will remain a problem for decades to come.

The Chernobyl disaster has been causing tremendous economic hardships as well, with Ukraine and Belarus spending up to 5 percent of their respective GDP on mitigation of its consequences. Environmental and economic degradation in the affected regions, increased health care costs, loss in productivity of human capital add to the heavy burdens of Chernobyl's enduring legacy.

As scientists and researchers continue their pursuit of a greater understanding of Chernobyl's long term consequences on human health and environment, it is important that we avoid closing the page on Chernobyl by rushing to speedy conclusions. Instead, I join many of my constituents in urging caution in accepting as definitive and conclusive some of the findings of the IAEA-led Chernobyl Forum report, particularly in the area of health consequences. Our Ukrainian colleagues in particular, encourage long term commitment to researching and analyzing Chernobyl's legacy. The whole world stands to benefit as together, we advance our understanding of man-made environmental disasters of this scope.

Another important aspect of Chernobyl's legacy is its impact on energy policy choices that are before the Government of Ukraine. It is my belief that Ukraine's long term energy security is not feasible without renewed emphasis on renewable energy. We share the same concerns in U.S., and both of our countries share great potential for development of bio-fuels, and other renewable energy technologies, such as fuel-cells, wind power.

It is also critically important that we address the issue of completing the Shelter Implementation Plan with the urgency and efficiency it deserves. President Yuschenko has highlighted this priority in his address to the Joint Session of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. It is often said that the next Chernobyl can be Chernobyl itself--the decaying concrete-and-steel sarcophagus, hastily constructed after the accident to secure the Reactor No. 4, has an estimated warranty of 20 years. That time is now, as the structural integrity of the encasement causes great concern. It is not just an Ukrainian issue, but indeed an issue of European security. As the largest single country donor to the Chernobyl Shelter Fund, the U.S. provides important leadership in this multi-national donor effort. I urge the redoubling of efforts by all stakeholders to the Shelter Implementation Plan to ensure its timely completion.

The Congressional Ukrainian Caucus is stepping up to the plate in commemorating the somber milestone of the 20th anniversary of Chernobyl. I am grateful to my colleagues and our Caucus Co-Chairs, Congressmen Weldon, Levin and Bartlett, for their strong leadership and support in organizing events commemorating Chernobyl's anniversary. They include a special commemorative photo exhibit Chernobyl: 20 which documents the human experience there over the past 20 years, looking through the lenses of the world's top photographers. The exhibit is scheduled to open at the Rayburn Foyer on April 26, 2006 at 10 a.m.; an in-depth briefing, scheduled for April 27, 2006, 2 p.m-6 p.m, will explore a broad range of Chernobyl issues, including impact on human health and agricultural/food systems, environmental, economic and social rehabilitation in the affected regions, U.S. and international assistance, Chernobyl Shelter Implementation Plan progress; and finally, the Congressional reception honoring the tireless work of NGOs dedicated to improving human condition in the effected regions, scheduled for the evening of April 27, 2006, 6 p.m.-8 p.m.

The U.S. has provided assistance in remediation efforts in the aftermath of the catastrophe, followed by technical, humanitarian and economic assistance in the subsequent years that. One of the objectives of the briefing on Chernobyl is to review past U.S. assistance to the countries stricken by Chernobyl disaster, and identify current priorities that require continued commitment and financial support.

Life in the Chernobyl affected regions of Ukraine, Belarus and western Russia would have been a much more difficult challenge were it was not for the tireless work of many NGOs that go wherever they see human needs and opportunities to improve people's lives. Many lives were not just improved, but saved, because of the work of such organizations as Children of Chernobyl Relief and Development Fund and Chernobyl Children's Project International. This month, these charities send multi-million dollar convoys and airlifts of valuable medical equipment and medicine to Ukraine and Belarus, over the past decade bringing more than $100 million worth of medical supplies to those in need. This example of human compassion and resilience in the face of adversity is truly a hopeful sign for all survivors of the Chernobyl catastrophe.

I am submitting for the Record the respective statements of Children of Chernobyl Relief and Development Fund and Chernobyl Children's Project International in connection with H. Res. 703.

Finally, I would like to mention the political dimension of this catastrophe. When the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl blew up 20 years ago, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and other countries were part of the closed Soviet society, one where secrecy prevailed and freedom was denied. In my view, there was a direct link between the inefficiencies of the Soviet system, indeed its criminal disregard for the environment and for its citizens, and the disaster we commemorate today. In many ways, Chernobyl was a wake-up call for the Soviet Union, for the world. We dare not fall asleep again. We must continue to support Ukraine's democracy and ease her transition to the European Union; we must align ourselves with the brave people of Belarus who are trying to advance their own beleaguered country; and must build a strong relationship with Russia so that the authoritarian practices of the past that led to such disastrous results can be transformed to a more open, hopeful society, whose future will be of unlimited potential.

The occasion of the Chernobyl' s 20th anniversary offers a unique opportunity to step back in time and reflect on fragility of human life as we interact with powers of nature and technology. Let us be thoughtful and mindful of the lessons of Chernobyl in our everyday actions.

Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund

The Children of Chornobyl Relief and Development Fund

wishes to add its support to House Resolution No. 703:

``Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear

disaster and supporting continued efforts to control

radiation and mitigate the adverse health consequences

related to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant''.

For the past sixteen years our organization has been

working to address the human legacy of the world's worst

environmental accident. Relying almost exclusively on private

contributions, CCRDF has delivered over $53 million dollars

worth of medical supplies, state-of-the-art technology and

physician training programs to help save the lives of

children stricken with thyroid cancer, leukemia, birth

defects, and early childhood diseases.

The children who are undergoing treatment in our 20 partner

hospitals offer painful but eloquent testimony to the

critical need for continuing medical aid to the Chornobyl

survivors. It is now well established that the nuclear

disaster caused an epidemic in thyroid cancer beginning in

the 1990s. Children and adults who were exposed to

radioactive iodine were stricken at a rate of 80 times higher

than normal. Over 9,000 additional children in Ukraine have

been diagnosed with precancerous conditions. But thyroid

cancer is just one of many health problems confronting the

Chornobyl communities. Fully one-third of all children in

some provinces suffer from endocrine disorders or tumors that

require medical or surgical intervention. Children who live

in contaminated territories suffer from immune deficiencies

and depleted levels of killer-T cells at a much higher rate

than children from relatively clean zones.

Recent studies by Ukrainian and Israeli scientists have

shown that the children born to Chornobyl nuclear cleanup

workers--the so-called ``liquidators'' have a seven-fold

increase in chromosome damage as compared to their siblings

born prior to the Chornobyl accident. There is growing

evidence that birth defects have doubled in the wake of

Chornobyl, and the rate of some birth defects, such as spina

bifida and cataracts are even higher. The Ukrainian-American

Association for the Prevention of Birth Defects under the

direction of an eminent geneticist from Alabama--Dr.

Wolodymyr Wertelecki has been tracking birth defects among a

very large population of newborns in the provinces of Rivne

and Volyn in northwestern Ukraine. They have found an

epidemic of spina bifida, and a wide range of other

deformities that are ordinarily extremely rare. Although

USAID has discontinued funding for Dr. Wertelecki's research

centers, we believe that his program has proven its value.

The next stage could be even more important as Dr.

Wertelecki's team is developing programs to reduce the

incidence of birth defects through prenatal programs and the

introduction of folic acid into local foodstuffs.

The United States could play a vital role in creating a

nationwide birth defects registry in Ukraine and Belarus. Our

government could also help to save the lives of thousands of

youngsters who are born each year with congenital heart

defects by providing training and technology to diagnose

these life-threatening conditions at birth or in early

childhood,

We have seen how even modest investments can have a

dramatic impact on infant survival and cancer remission rates

at several of our partner hospitals. In Kharkiv Children's

Hospital No. 16, for instance, the recovery and remission

rates for childhood leukemia have improved from a dismal 5

per cent in 1991 (a virtual death sentence) to 75 per cent in

2004 thanks to the installation of modern equipment such as a

blood cell separator and a full protocol of chemotherapeutic

agents. We have created model neonatal intensive care units

in Poltava and Lviv and Dnipropetrovsk, where infant

mortality has dropped by as much as 45 to 80 per cent, even

as the hospitals began to take on a larger volume of infants

with more difficult pathologies. By raising the standard of

care, we have also stimulated citizen initiatives, private

philanthropy and indigenous government programs that were

virtually unheard of during the Soviet era.

Thanks to the generous support of the Ukrainian-American

community, and thanks to corporate donors such as John Deere,

Monsanto, Philip Morris and UMC, we have been able to bring

doctors the tools and training they needed to achieve quantum

leaps in the kind of care they can provide their patients.

Unfortunately, Chornobyl's legacy is likely to endure long

after this 20th Anniversary. We have to remember that the 20-

year latency period for many forms of cancer is just

beginning to toll, and already, Chornobyl liquidators are

dying of oncological illnesses at a rate almost triple the

rate of working age males in Ukraine. Of the 34,000

liquidators who have died in Ukraine to date, 25% died of

various forms of cancer as compared to a rate of 9% for most

Ukrainians. Our colleagues at the National Institute of

Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology in Kyiv have found

evidence of cesium-137 and strontium-90 in placentas and

breastmilk, showing that newborn infants are being directly

exposed to highly dangerous radioactive materials at their

most vulnerable stage. We need to remember that the half-life

for these elements is 30 years, so they will be with us for

many years to come.

In the coming years, the United States Government should

make significant efforts to strengthen Ukraine's medical

infrastructure, and to invest in better maternal and

children's health. We must also provide funding for

independent research studies that will look at a wide range

of other health problems such as the accumulation of

radionuclides in the gastro-intestinal tract of youngsters

who live in areas contaminated with radioactive materials.

For our part, we will do everything in our power to reduce

the impact of Chornobyl by giving Ukrainian children a

fighting chance to overcome even the most daunting illnesses.

We thank you for your consideration.

Alexander B. Kuzma

Executive Director

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 703) recognizing the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and supporting continued efforts to control radiation and mitigate the adverse health consequences related to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 703, a resolution introduced by Congressman Elton Gallegly, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe and Emerging Threats of the House International Relations Committee. House Resolution 703 recognizes the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and supports continued efforts to control radiation and mitigate the adverse health consequences related to this terrible accident.

I would like to commend Mr. Gallegly for his hard work on this resolution as well as that of Mr. Weldon of Pennsylvania; Ms. Kaptur of Ohio; Mr. Levin of Michigan; as well as our distinguished ranking member, Mr. Lantos of California, for their great interest in ensuring that the international community lives up to its obligations to assist Ukraine and other countries in the region to overcome the continuing health, environmental, and economic problems caused by the Chernobyl accident.

In just a few weeks, on April 26, the world will mark the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl power plant accident, the most devastating civilian nuclear disaster in human history. This disaster caused serious radiological, health, and socioeconomic consequences for the people of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. Millions of people, children in particular, suffered severe and debilitating health defects and were forced to flee from their homes.

Although 20 years have passed, the lives and health of individuals within the affected areas continue to be heavily burdened by the aftermath of the nuclear disaster. Ukraine must not only provide care for those affected but also ensure that the radioactive waste and environmental destruction from the explosion do not pose a threat to the region.

The sarcophagus currently encasing the remnants of the destroyed reactor is in disrepair and may collapse at any time. In response to this emergency, the United States, the European Union, and Ukraine developed the Shelter Implementation Plan for the purpose of protecting people and the environment from the large quantity of highly radioactive material contained in the reactor.

The most critical component of the Shelter Implementation Plan will be the construction of a new shelter designed to better protect the surrounding area from leakage of radioactive remains. The total cost of the shelter could well be in excess of $1 billion. In addition, Ukraine must still deal with the health and economic impact of the Chernobyl disaster, including the treatment of thousands of people who were exposed as children and have experienced significant increases in thyroid cancer.

This legislation expresses the sympathy of the House for the ongoing effects of the disaster. In addition, H. Res. 703 calls upon the U.S. and other countries to continue to provide assistance for the construction of a new shelter and a facility to store spent nuclear

fuel, and other efforts to mitigate the many adverse consequences of the Chernobyl disaster.

Madam Speaker, Ukraine is an important ally of the United States. Since the Orange Revolution, our bilateral relationship has been characterized by closer cooperation on trade issues, the strengthening of democratic institutions, and the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It is important that the House go on record in support of the Ukrainian people in their effort to overcome the negative economic and social impact resulting from this tragic accident.

Again, I would like to commend the work of Congressman Gallegly on this issue and for the introduction of this important resolution.

Madam Speaker, I urge the support of House Resolution 703.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 703, but I feel compelled to qualify my support to ensure the people of Ukraine continue to receive support in the wake of this tragedy.

To understand the gravity of the worst nuclear accident in history, let's review what happened on April 26th, 1986. While testing the reactor, a series of mishaps led to a large chemical explosion that resulted in the 1,000-ton cover blowing off the top of the reactor.

Ultimately, fifty tons of uranium fuel from the reactor core vaporized immediately, and were blasted high into the atmosphere; a further 70 tons of uranium and 900 tons of highly radioactive graphite were dispersed into the area around the reactor, starting more than 30 fires; the 800 tons of graphite that remained in the reactor core caught fire at once, creating a radiological inferno that would burn for 10 days, sending a continuous plume of lethal radionuclides roiling into the sky.

The Soviet government would wait nearly three full days before acknowledging that an accident had taken place, and did so only after the drifting plume set off radiation alarms in a nuclear plant in Sweden. Nine million people were exposed to radiation in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.

The contaminants, which included plutonium isotopes with a half-life of 24,360 years, eventually traveled around the globe, depositing radioactive material as far away as the lakes of Japan and the hill farms of north Wales. The long-lived radioactivity released was more than 200 times that of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The economic consequences of the accident remain a massive burden on the countries most affected; Belarus and Ukraine continue to spend around 6% of their Gross National Product on trying to deal with the consequences of the accident.

I have concerns with the following clause in H. Res. 703 because it sanctions an attempt to downplay the health effects on millions of innocent people.

``Whereas the findings of the Chernobyl Forum, issued in September 2005, significantly added to the understanding of the health consequences and economic impact caused by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster;''

The Chernobyl Forum study understates the health consequences of Chernobyl. The authors excluded more than 30,000 anticipated cancer deaths from the collective doses in all other countries in the Northern Hemisphere. Over 6,000 thyroid cancer cases have been diagnosed so far in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, and more are anticipated. Recent scientific studies are revealing an increased incidence of solid cancers, including breast cancer, as well as cardiovascular and ophthalmic effects. These effects have long latency periods of more than 20 years.

In the Rivne region of Ukraine, 310 miles west of Chernobyl, doctors say they are coming across an unusual rate of cancers and mutations. There is a 30 percent incidence rate amongst people in the highly radiated areas that have physical disorders, including heart and blood diseases, cancers and respiratory diseases. Nearly one in three of all the newborn babies have deformities.

It took some 600,000 workers for recovery and clean-up operations, all of them exposed to high levels of radiation. Studies show that almost 35,000 people who took part in the cleanup of Chernobyl have died in the years since the catastrophe. The rate of death from cancer was nearly three times as high as in the rest of the population.

The conflicting scientific studies suggest much more research needs to be done. But it is essential that we do not minimize the effects of this disaster without cause.

I am concerned that any effort to downplay the effects of this disaster may jeopardize the U.S. financial commitment to Ukraine and the innocent victims. I cannot support anything that might permit the U.S. to abandon the Belarus, Russia and Ukraine victims of Chernobyl.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of this resolution.

April 2006, marks the 20th anniversary of the catastrophic accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. At the time of this disaster, Ukraine was still under the iron domination of the Soviet Union. When the accident occurred, we saw the stock Soviet response to all major disasters: cover it up, regardless of the consequences to the innocent civilians living in the region. It was not until radioactive particles were being detected in Finland that the Soviets were forced to admit that the Chernobyl reactor No. 4 was burning.

While the authorities were engaged in a political coverup, scores of brave rescue and emergency workers were attempting to douse the burning reactor and hastily construct a concrete cover over the reactor, the so-called sarcophagus that is now in danger of collapse.

According to a United Nations study, Madam Speaker, more than 200,000 emergency workers were exposed to high levels of radiation and some 2,200 will ultimately die from radiation-caused illness during their lifetimes.

The Chernobyl accident also caused some 4,000 cases of thyroid cancer, the majority of which have occurred in individuals who were children or adolescents at the time of the accident.

On December 15, 2000, with the encouragement of the United States and the international community, the President of Ukraine decided to shut down the last functioning reactor at Chernobyl, thus effectively closing the entire nuclear plant and putting an end to a shameful Soviet legacy.

The Soviet response to the Chernobyl disaster should serve as an important reminder to future generations of the folly of totalitarian regimes and the need to ensure that democracy remains at the core of our foreign policy. Instead of covering up toxic chemical slicks traveling silently down China's waterways towards crowded cities, Beijing should move towards openness and transparency to save lives; and rather than pretending that the destruction of 700,000 homes in Zimbabwe was a cleanup operation, Zimbabwe's totalitarian leaders should be empowering the young people in these slums to become the next generation of democratic leaders in southern Africa.

Madam Speaker, the Chernobyl disaster has many lessons for our age, and our resolution is an important reminder of the importance of freedom and democracy worldwide. I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution. It is important to not only remember those that perished in this terrible tragedy, but to keep in mind that individuals in the affected area are still suffering.

Although the world's worst nuclear disaster occurred at Chernobyl nuclear power station in Northern Ukraine, the wind carried 70 percent of the radioactive material into the neighboring country of Belarus. This disaster has impacted the region economically, socially, and medically.

I would like to recognize the efforts of Chernobyl Children's Project International, a not-for-profit organization that works with the people of Belarus to help them overcome the lingering effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. This organization provides humanitarian and medical aid to over three million children the United Nations recognizes as suffering from the Chernobyl disaster. In addition, I would like to recognize Children of Chernobyl which is an organization that works to provide a respite from ongoing exposure to radiation by bringing children to the United States to stay with host families for the summer.

In my district, Annandale United Methodist Church has worked with Children of Chernobyl since 1993. Annandale area host families have opened their homes and hearts and allowed children from the effected region to stay with them for the summer to get some much needed rest. These children significantly benefit from the clean water, healthy food, fresh air, and love that Annandale area families provide. The children return to their homes with a new understanding of American culture as well as new clothes, shoes and other necessities. During the children's visit, Northern Virginia area doctors donate their time to provide the children with medical care, dental checkups and vision and orthopedic care.

It is important that here in America we continue to support the recovering from the Chernobyl disaster. Twenty years after this tragic accident, we are observing the devastating affects of long term exposure to radiation, and I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.