Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Congressional Hearings Transcript

JAMIS A MfClUtW. aiANO CHAINUAN
MAM O M*1*t|iO CMCO*! i IINNfrT JOMMftTOM LOUKIANA
lo«niv r wt>c«l* ^ COMvtciiCUT DAii L'M>int a««msas
nit V OOM'>.::t kIW Vla-CO WIMOIll H fO''0 «|X1l>C«V
HOWAMO U WTTZINI'UM OnK)
MAtCOiM WM.VO* OsnOV-Mw
X>"*t W VtAom W«C>*>IA
JOMM MdCMlM MOMIAMA
rHAIhK N MUtl'OMId AOSU ftitt lUOlIt NIW JIMItV
OOMNKUli CSLAtOWA
Jiff ••Ok^tAN MtVtf MIKiCO
CMC MicMT. MtVACiA JOKN MOCti'tiLin rv. wtsT vmciH\A
DAM41 . rVAMS WAININOTO*!
ihasi w cushtnc f T*f» OIKICTOM
c»»> c iniwo«iH CMiii cou»u
O 1^ CHMl lUJtvtv. CNit* COUNSli fOM 1M( UIHOWTV *
Bnited States Senate
COMMITTEE ON
ENERGY *ND NATURAL RESOURCES
WASHtNGTON. DC 30510
May 7, 1986
Honorable James A. McClure
Chairman
Comniittee on Energy and Natural Resources
U. S. Senate
Washington, D. C. 20510
Dear
Jim:
The accident at the Soviet nuclear power station at Chernobyl
has captured the attention of the American public and has
received unprecedented media coverage. In fact, the media has
been the major source of information on the accident and its
implications for the 0. S. nuclear power and nuclear weapons
programs. Comment and analysis from official U. S. sources has
been fragmented and often overshadowed by media reports.
We believe that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
should be playing a lead role in informing the public about this
accident and in analyzing its lessons by bringing together the
best and most informed comment, including the official views of
Accordingly, we ask that you convene a series of hearings at
the earliest possible date, hopefully before the coming recess,
to thoroughly analyze the implications of the Chernobyl accident
for
- public health and safety in the U, S., in the Soviet
Union and in Eastern Europe;
- management and regulation of domestic nuclear
reactors, especially those most like the ones at Chernobyl;
the Plutonium production reactors operated by the Department
of Energy;
- plans in the U. S. to reform the nuclear reactor
licensing process and to extend and revise the Price-Anderson
Act;