Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Congressional Hearings Transcript

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other activities of the Task Force include the following:
EPA acted as the clearinghouse for offers of assistance and
coordinated this activity with the State Department.
FAA requested and received measurement assistance from DOE.
The CDC/FDA medical network was used to provide information to
State health officers. DOE had primary responsibility for
Congressional liaison on the Soviet accident.
In addition, a Dose Assessment Working Group consisting of
representatives from several Federal agencies was formed.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and
Inspection Service and the FDA had in place routine procedures
to monitor imported products. Increased monitoring and analysis
of tresh fruit and vegetables, fish and selected dairy products
were conducted at points of entry into the U.S. and countries who
export meat and poultry products to the U.S. were notified of
special monitoring procedures to undertake prior to shipment
to the U.S. Working with U.S. Customs officials, particular
attention was given to products from Austria, Czechoslovakia,
East Germany, Finland, Hungary, Japan, Norway, Poland, the
Soviet Union, Sweden, and West Germany.
FDA measurements have shown low amounts of iodine-131 and
other radionuclides in imported shipments of fresh vegetable
and dairy products from Europe. Two shipments of cheese exceeded
the level of concern for iodine-131 for imported foods and were
refused entry. Collectively, all of FDA's results would present
no public health hazard to U.S. citizens.