Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Congressional Hearings Transcript

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industry and strong reaction from a public that often takes planning for
a nuclear accident as
an admission of guilt.
Consider the fact that before the Three Mile Island (TMI) accident,
emergency planning zones in the United States did not extend beyond a few
miles. And even TMI would not have brought us ten-mile zones without
Congressional pressure.
Is ten miles enough? Chernobyl provides a resounding, "So." The
Soviets evacuated out to eighteen miles. Chernobyl confirms the fact
that the choice of a ten-mile emergency planning zone in the United
States was based on politics, not public health considerations.
Lesson 4: The enthusiasm of nuclear engineers needs to be tempered by a
strong regulatory process, one in which the voices of independent scientists
and the
public can be heard.
The Russian nuclear program demonstrates the dangers of a regulatory
system in which believers in a technology are given free rein. In light
of this lesson, it is distressing that the Chernobyl accident has not
dampened tne enthusiasm of the nuclear industry for restricting public
involvement in the licensing process. Apparently, the industry is still
promoting its restrictive version of licensing "reform," What such
restrictive legislation will do is bring us closer to the regiolatory
system used by the Russians.