Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Congressional Hearings Transcript

23
On May 3 the State Department sent cables to diplomatic
posts to request available radiological data be sent to the
United
States.
The U.S. dispatched scientists to make environmental
measurements in U.S. embassies and consulates in selected cities
in the U.S.S.R., Poland, and Hungary on May 3. EPA scientist
Richard Hopper went to Warsaw and Krakow, Poland, Budapest,
Hungary, and Sophia, Bulgaria. A military team was dispatched
to the Soviet Union, (Levels at several times background were
reported at each location visited.)
Sampling frequency in the U.S. for radioactive airborne
particulates was increased from twice weekly to daily in EPA's
ERAMS on April 29. The Canadian air monitoring network also
increased their sampling to daily. On April 30 collection of
rain water samples was increased to daily; collection of milk
samples was increased from monthly to twice weekly.
I would like to expand on the ERAMS system. The ERAMS has
been in place since 1973 when several separate, but related
radiation monitoring networks were combined. The ERAMS collection
and analyses of environmental samples constitutes the Nation's
single major continuous source of environmental radiation data
acquisition and analyses. It is a cooperative program between
the States and local governments which collect the samples, and
the EPA which performs the analyses using verified analytical and
quality assurance procedures.