Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Congressional Hearings Transcript

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There are four primary assets held by the United States that are unmatched by
our international competitors. Utilizing these assets will provide Ukraine with the
best the world has to offer gmd will firmly establish an economic bridge between
Ukraine and the United States.
Nuclear Science and Engineering
No other nation can match the technical prowess of the United States in nuclear
science and engineering. Over the past fifty years, the national investment of the
United States in nuclear energy and technology has been unmatched in its magnitude
and effectiveness.
This is an asset with an uncertain future and is endanger of being lost. While *^his
asset made the United States powerful in the cold war, it can make the United
States economically strong in the new world. The technology, knowledge and skills
of this asset are precisely what is needed to address the Chernobyl situation and to
restore Ukraine's capacity for economic vitality.
Other nations have impressive resources to offer, but it is clear that the United
States is the provider of first choice. United States industry. National Laboratories
and Educational institutions are combined in this program to provide the best.
Environmental Remediation
Despite the flamboyant rhetoric of conferences and the press, the programs for
protection and remediation of the environment in the United States are unsurpassed.
Over the past three decades, we have spent hundreds of millions to protect
and improve our environment. In this process we have created technology and
knowledge resources that are unmatched. Evidence supporting this statement is the
very program being presented. The Government of Ukraine has lived with the Chernobyl
for over six years now; they have worked with organizations from all parts of
the world; they have extensive research being conducted by the Europeans; they
have interviewed and visited private firms and government institutions in many
countries; and only from the United States have they received a comprehensive approach
to remedy the problems of the Chernobyl accident. The reason for this is
simple. Only in the United States have professional scientist and engineers undertaken
and successfully implemented comprehensive environmental restoration programs.
Program and Project Management
All industrialized nations have good program and project management capabilities.
There are, however, unique management issues in environmental remediation
projects. From a project management view, these project are totally different from
building a tower, a tunnel, a bridge or a industria complex. Environmental programs
must be managed to produce results in situation with frequently changing
scientific and engineering datas and criteria. Management approaches have been developed
in the past decade that have proven effective for these tj^pes of programs.
Again, the environmental programs of the United States are unique in their approach
to project management. This is yet another special attribute that our plan
presents to Ukraine.
Highly Competitive Technical Services
We have strong competitive strengths and we are the low cost provider. In business,
we are positioned to win.
The program I am presenting does not exist in a passive business world, indeed,
there is a great deal of competition for the Chernobyl project and the future business
relations with Ukraine. What I have told you is widely know and understood. I
recently attended a meeting in Kiev with Germans, British, French, and Italians.
All of the firms from these nations where there to obtain work on the Chernobyl
project. In addition, European financial institutions attended in order to begin to
their evaluation of funding approaches. This opportunity will move from a plan to
reality, with or Without the United States.
Since the United States hgis such strong competitive assets and since the private
firms of the United States cost less than the British, French and Germans it is logical
for us, not just to participate, but to lead.
FRAGILITY OF INmATIVE
There is a sasdng in business that windows of opportunity open slowly and shut
fast. This is true of the situation with the Newly Independent States and the Chernobyl
problem. The governments and citizens of these nations know that they must
get on with their lives. They must make the best decision they can and proceed with