Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Congressional Hearings Transcript

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Senator Lieberman. Mr. Chairman, you and the witnesses really
covered the questions I had, and I'll just therefore make a very
brief comment.
Obviously, there are big numbers monetarily, economically involved
in responding to Chernobyl and all the other reactors that
we're worried about as a result of Chernobyl. I hope that the
Ukrainian government shares your evaluation of the priorities
here, Mr. Dunbar, that this is really right at the top, and that with
international help and as the Ukrainian economy gets on its feet
that there will be money to support these efforts.
Then, of course, there's the other side of it, which you've all just
spoken to in response to the Chairman's question, which is, how do
we on behalf of American business workers, as the expression goes,
not only do good but do well? I mean, not only help them out, but
create some economic opportunity for American companies?
I'm troubled though not surprised to hear your response that
we're not only in a competitive environment, but we're in a competitive
environment over there in which you too often are competing
without as much support as your government as your foreign
competitors are getting from their governments, and I would invite
any—I hear the message about EXIM Bank financing, and I'd
invite anymore specific suggestions you have as to how we can be
of help to you.
In your statement, Mr. Dunbar, you made reference to some laws
and regulations that may be restricting the export of some cleanup
technologies. I think if you can pinpoint those, maybe we can try to
see if we can eliminate them.
Mr. Dunbar. Well, I'm fearful that there may be several, but the
example that has most recently come to our attention is Public
Law 101-513, section 510, which reads, "None of the funds appropriated
or made available pursuant to this act for carrying out the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 may be used to finance the export
of nuclear equipment, fuel, or technology." Our experience in deal-
that over
ing with agencies of the United States Government is,
the past year, this law has been interpreted to include environmental
remediation and safety improvements to operating reactors and
various things that are related to that.
Senator Lieberman. Which sure doesn't sound like what the
original intention was.
Mr. Dunbar. Well, we don't think it was the original intention,
but no matter what the original intention was, the whole world is
now different, and we think this law needs to be revisited. We understand
it has come up in the Freedom Act and amendments have
been placed before Congress in that act to search out laws of this
type and address them, and I hope that is forthcoming.
Senator Graham. I would imagine that as a residue of the Cold
War era that we've got provisions like that scattered through many
places, and what we need now is first a gathering of those and then
an assessment of whether they continue to be in the national interest,
given the conditions that exist today as opposed to the conditions
at the time they were adopted.
Senator Lieberman. Perhaps we can do that through the subcommittee.
I thank the three of you, and again, Mr. Chairman, I