Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Congressional Hearings Transcript

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67 uncontaminated. Two weeks ago, at a conference at Yale University, Dr. Anna Petrova of Belarus and Dr. Olesya Hulchy of Ukraine presented startlingly similar results from epidemiological studies on women's reproductive healdi. Several striking patterns emerged. Anemia among pregnant women has risen to alarming levels - over 60 % in regions affected by radioactive fallout (1 to 5 cxiries per square kilometer). Anemia is only one factor which greatly reduces the ability of mothers to deliver healthy babies. Hypoxia and increases in other, normally rare conditions have also had a severe efTect on the survival rate of newborns and yoimg mothers. A study under tiic supervision of the University of Illinois School of Public Health is currently imderway to track more than 15,000 mothers and newborns in six provinces of Ukraine to determine the effect of economic and environmental factors on maternal and children's healtii. This study has received extremely modest funding from the Soros Foundation and the World Health Organization, yet has made much more substantial progress tiian many studies which have received far greater financial support from Western agencies. For some time now we have received persistent reports from the Ukrainian health ministries that the rate of binh defects has doubled in areas closest to the evacuated regions. A team of Japanese health experts from the University of Hiroshima studied more than 30,000 fetuses and newborns in contaminated regions of Belarus. Their findings were reported by UPI and the Kyodo News Service in 1994, but received scant attention in Westem news publications. The Jj^janese team observed nearly twice as many birth defects as would be normally expected. Cleft palates, missing digits, extra digits, deformed critical organs and otiier malformations have been reported with greater frequency since Chomobyl. In areas with higher levels of contamination (between 5 and 10 curies of cesium per square kilometer), the rate of birth defects has risen eight-fold.
68 During repeated visits to the neonatal ward at the Kyiv Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology I have witnessed numerous children with defects that I have never seen in the United States. Dr. Valery Kuznetsov, the director of the Neonatal Division at the Institute has noted that since Chomobyl, the number of birth defects has mcreased sharply and the number of children with multiple defects has also increased. Arguably, these are anecdotal reports but they deserve much broader followup. Members of the Commission who watched the recent CNN documentary on Chomobyl may have been struck by the irony that Western scientists know more about Chomobyl's impact on wild voles and field mice Ihan they know about the genetic impact on the human population of Ukraine. Clearly priorities in the research establishment need to be shifted, or at least the same level of diligence and a comparable sense of urgency needs to be applied to human health studies. Many Western scientists - particularly those involved with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - have been eager to dismiss widespread reports of severe health effects by ascribing them to "radiophobia", - supposedly unfounded fear of radiation, and psychological stress. Without even looking at the population in question, some researchers have adopted the posture of the Soviet government in the early days following the accident, accusing the Western media of exaggerating the accident's effects and by promoting the stereotype of Belarusians and Ukrainians as hysterics or hypochondriacs. This kind of bias is antithetical to the principles of scientific inquiry. It has abeady embarrassed many well-respected scientists who prior to 1992 emphatically denied that thyroid cancer might be appearing in significant nimibers of children in the Chomobyl zone. Now that the link between Chomobyl's fallout and the explosion in thyroid cancer has been conclusively established, we believe that the scientific community needs to assume a more open-minded attitude
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CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR ACCIDENT DOCUMENT
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About BACM Research - PaperlessArch
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days, so they left nearly everythin
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The 1986 Report of the U.S. Departm
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S. Hrg. 99-869 THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDE
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COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RES
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BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY THE CHERNOBYL
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statement of Senator J. Bennett Joh
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We will contiue to work to make nuc
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. - the foreign reactor market that
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STATEMENT OF HON. HOWARD M. METZENB
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11 with the wrong report. He came u
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13 The residents of the state of Oh
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15 Yes, I am not satisfied with eve
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17 We accomplished our work by coll
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19 Senator Metzenbaum. Mr. Chairman
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21 The work of the Task Force was t
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23 On May 3 the State Department se
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25 The first elevated levels of rad
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27 8 Foreign data received suggeste
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29 By way of comparison, you might
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31 - 2 - around the world. In the i
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33 4 - In addition to these meeting
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35 - 6 radiological release mechani
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37 DESCRIPTION OF THE CHERNOBYL SIT
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40 SIX OPERATING PUMPS (8 PUMPS TOT
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42 .'ill a* O > S 2s5Sg sxs.f 2-53
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46 10 I. 3 c o u .>$ «o
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48 12 H
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50 14 SUPPRESSION POOL ARRANGEMENT
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52 16 SOURCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
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54 18 EXTRAPOLATION FACTORS (BACK T
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56 20 FUTURE PLANS PREPARE REPORT I
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58 The Department's Nuclear Safety
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60 STATEMENT OF MARY L. WALKEK ASSI
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62 to minimize and manage risks so
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64 Third, the United States nuclear
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66 The priority the Department plac
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68 of the reactor core melted. Unli
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70 Introduction As a member of the
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72 questions concerning fuel behavi
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74 While each of these areas are pa
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76 promises to be able to demonstra
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78 The Chairman. Thank you. Dr. Bun
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80 The most important actions we ca
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82 Nonetheless, I will try to recou
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84 I doubt If I can today convert e
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86 All of our eggs are In the baske
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88 8 safety margins and more fall -
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90 10 The existing emergency planni
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92 12 Further, If we want to ensure
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94 14 never survive the kind of pro
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96 firmed, but at least suspected t
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The Chairman. If we were to 98 have
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100 2 THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, MR
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102 THE SOVIET UNION ALSO AGREED TH
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104 6 MR. CHAIRMAN, IT WILL DO US L
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106 12 tific developments. includin
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108 14 The participating States a^^
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no speculation in the press that it
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112 than the Soviet Union. They hav
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114 We find that as a glimmer that
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116 Mr. Denton. I don't have that a
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118 My next question is what is the
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120 Mr. Meyers. These are the Easte
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122 Los Anpeles Times, 5/22/86 Radi
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124 us trig au m ifistead of a u to
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126 have it go through a peer revie
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128 Mr. Meyers. Mr. Chairman, may I
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130 -2- The health assessment subgr
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— 132 and ask my questions. If he
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134 Mr. Denton. I do not think they
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136 Senator Melcher. To clarify you
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^ 138 human error then, leading to
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140 are 25 BWR units with Mark I co
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142 engineering safeguards for ther
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144 STATEMENT SUBMITTED FOR THE REC
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146 2 - Process Heat for the chemic
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. 148 - ^ THE HEAT IS TRANSPORTED B
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150 Senator Domenici. Mr. Taylor, w
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152 Of that, over the many, many ye
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154 statement to Senate Committee o
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. 156 have become vital and continu
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158 NRC and our industry to produce
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s" 160 on the facts and to ensure t
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. 162 the fuel elements and light w
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164 generations of RBMK designs to
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166 • Third, the design appears t
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168 and ramifications of flow and h
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— 170 Senator Domenici. Thank you
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172 Soon we will have seen a fivefo
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174 Testimony to the Energy and Nat
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176 o The June 1986 folder entitled
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178 Corporate Evaluations Evaluatio
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180 EVENT ANALYSIS AND INFORMATION
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182 accessible from remote terminal
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184 o INPO has also developed good
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186 Members of the full Board are l
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. 188 NATIONAL ACADEMY FOR NUCLEAR
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" 190 o In May and June of 1985, th
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192 identified during INPO evaluati
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194 increased awareness at all leve
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196 o Collective radiation exposure
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198 Establishment of these long-ter
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200 Senator Domenici. Thank you, ve
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202 STATEMENT SUBMITTED FOR THE REC
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. 204 -2- capacity, and has long be
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206 • 4- Temperature Stability Th
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208 In addition. It also appears th
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210 Senator Domenici. Thank you. Dr
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212 The billions of dollars per yea
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214 As a nuclear physicist who has
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216 industry and strong reaction fr
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218 -5- Nevertheless, despite our o
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220 Citizen groups are going to int
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] 222 -9- Footnotes and References
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224 THE BULLETIN OF THE ATOMIC SCIE
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226 clear power plants since 1975
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228 Jan Beyea, a physicist, is a se
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230 ... a filtered vent system coul
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232 It is possible that it will tak
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234 Senator Domenici. I appreciate
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APPENDIX Responses to Additional Co
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. . 239 A2 . As noted above, we wou
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241 QUESTION 1. Some people have sa
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243 QUESnON_l. (Continued) 3 - For
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245 QUESTION C.tt . What do we know
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247
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: 249 -S-Vi9S>-ftv\.S>6)N^>^ -^'S^V
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251 QUESTION 2. (Continued) - 2 - P
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253 fiU E S no N_2 . (Continued) -
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255 QUESTION 3 . Just to set the re
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257 QUESTION 5. If you were to choo
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259 2UEST|0N_5. (Continued; 3 - Fir
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261 SMilII2!!_Z- ^° "^ "°" ^^^^ ^
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263 SMilllO^l-^- You attended the I
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I A 265 QU E ST 1 N_ 1 , year ago,
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267 QUESTION 10. (Continued) 3 - in
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269 QUESTION 10. (Continued) - 5 Wi
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271 QUESTION 10. (Continued) - 7 su
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I 273 QUESTION 10. (Continued) - 9
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: i 275 QUESTION 11. (Continued) -
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277 QUESTION 12. (Continued) - 2 -
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279 QUESTION 1 2. (Continued) - 4 -
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281 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATOR
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283 g U E S T 1 N 13. What are the
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I 285 POST-HEARING QUESTIONS AND AN
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287 2 maintained current. Computer
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289 QUESTIONS FROM CHAIRMAN JAMES A
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297 -2- Answer 7 (continued): posse
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299 -2- Answer 8 (continued): The S
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301 -2- Answer 9 (continued): The f
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303 Answer 10 j. -- xu (continued):
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305 nUESTION FROM CHAIRMAN JAMES A.
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307 QUESTION FROM CHAIRMAN JAMES A.
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309 Answer 14 (continued); 2. Early
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311 Answer 15 (continued): verifica
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313 -2- Answer 16 (continued): Desi
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315 -2- Answer 17 (continued): forc
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317 POST-HEARING QUESTIONS AND ANSW
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319 2 b. By legislation, existing D
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321 Question 3: Has the DOE designe
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, 323 JAMU A. WeCLUW. OAHO. CHAMHAN
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PROF. DR. RUDOLF SCHULTEN Direklor
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327 Questions from Senator Wallop 1
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329 i-ooi trnl Electric Power Resea
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: 331 J. A. McClure -2- July 08, 19
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333 J, A. McClure -4- July 08, 1986
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.. 335 ES, TUESDAY. JUNE 3. 1986 NE
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337 INPO RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS BY
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339 Answer: INPO's strength is in i
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SAN 341 SENATE COMMITT-E ON F'-'fm;
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343 Answer There is wide participat
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S. Hrg. 102-765 EFFECTS OF THE ACCI
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,,0S10H PUBUC UBRWV- COMMITTEE ON E
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EFFECTS OF THE ACCIDENT AT THE CHER
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It is clear that the remaining RBMK
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the Federal prosecutor of the USSR
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With growing urgency, the Ukrainian
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We did check soil samples and radia
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11 the cancer registry data in gene
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13 we are medical investigators and
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15 standard of medical diagnostic a
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17 nobyl. An American-Ukrainian Med
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19 The temperatures, however, were
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21 down on the kind of horizontal p
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23 those who got, shall we say, bla
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25 Well, in the May 1992 issue of t
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27 people just haven't complained a
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29 — physicians that come in. Bec
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31 tumor registries together. There
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33 like on the 1st of January 1995
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35 Ukraine, and two in Lithuania. T
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37 the training of the operators, e
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39 issue. The directions that the w
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41 Further, there is no easy way of
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43 I thank you for your attention.
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45 • WERs that have not been turn
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47 thank you for convening this hea
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I am am 49 INTRODUCTION My name is
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1 . 51 The Ukrainian Ministry of He
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53 information on the actual doses
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55 First, it is well known that wit
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57 1) The U.S. Government should in
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59 Level of malignant tumors of Lym
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61 Level of Malignant Diseases amon
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63 The Level of non-malignant hemat
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65 The Children of Chornobyl Relief
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2 67 TB8TIMOHT Of rr«d K, MattlMT,
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pnxlucing ihere 69 Pan H 4. Public
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• , t ( (iiiiiii i M 71 P«n H ev
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73 TESTIMONY OF WLADIMIR WERTELECKY
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. 75 education. The same comprehens
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77 Should epidemics and other medic
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. 79 Massive psychological effects
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81 American-Ukrainian Medical Scien
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83 circumstances in Ukraine, there
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85 flep:acaBHa AyMa yKpaiHM Kojieri
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I I 87 C.KHOliA (DMKl'AHUI Mxl'AIlK
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89 MiHiCTepCTBO OXOpOKH 3flopoB'a P
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. 91 m XAPKIBCbKA OBflACHA AEP>«AB
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93 U.S. Senate Committee on Environ
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95 What Happened The Chernobyl acci
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97 -? 15 U) (0 < Figure 1. Estimate
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99 form lava.' This material ran th
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101 V) S O aċo V) (A « aQ. 3 W f
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103 Unit 4 of ChernoSvt A'PP after
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105 3 O) (0 £ Q. O o
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107 •M E Mr -n. 136 \sss .4U>-^
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109 Natural processas of decay have
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Ill Clean up actions should be take
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113 those involved in 1986 and part
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115 Prepared Statement of Murray Fe
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117 with those who are classified a
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119 economies. Economic chaos and h
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121 Table 1.—Operating Reactors i
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123 FORMULA FOR FUNDING American as
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125 their transition to a new forms
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127 Table 1.—Cost Estimate—Cont
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129 Nuclear Materlai;s Management U
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131 Weeks Seven and Eight—Prelimi
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133 Four sets dictation and transcr
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. Develop 135 Ukrainian entrepreneu
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137 be achieved during the first ph
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139 tion measures. As required, the
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141 and services. The laboratory wi
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143 The reactor vessel, primary shi
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145 • fixation, • restrictions
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147 environmental compartment to an
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149 In order to plan for and accomp
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151 4.1.2.2 Ground Water Contaminat
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— 153 should provide direction on
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— 155 relative sensitivity of the
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. . and . . they 157 ( Prepared Sta
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. . and 159 generator. The result i
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161 5 mln hectares of agricultural
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' 163 Not only Ukraine, but the who
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165 taking forceful steps to help c
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167 late seventies." ^° Although t
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169 actors; this information gap ma
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171 To encourage this implementatio
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173 production is solid fuels, eith
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175 the energy efficiency of the ec
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177 ' Because closing costs will in
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. May BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ..Hopki
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BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY 9999 U^/ 0275
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. 'HE LEGACY OF CHORNOBYL 1986 TO 1
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COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERAT
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THE LEGACY OF CHORNOBYI^1986 TO 199
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— The Helsinki Commission is very
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and its Belarus but any single coun
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Over 10 years after the events, I c
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Mr. Smith. Thank you very much, Mr.
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— 11 If you look at standardized
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13 births. We find it difficult to
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15 leagues have made a long-term co
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Page 578 and 579: 19 burg is not too far. Greographic
Page 580 and 581: 21 Mr. Smith. Dr. Feshbach, can you
Page 582 and 583: 23 One of the problems with the Int
Page 584 and 585: 25 Mr. KuzMA. There's quite a large
Page 586 and 587: — 27 bombardment of low-level rad
Page 588 and 589: 29 are proposals that Kyiv be procl
Page 590 and 591: 31 good people there, everywhere, a
Page 592 and 593: 33 Only one percent of the territor
Page 594 and 595: 35 an extent possible the consequen
Page 596 and 597: 37 up of the Consequences of the Ac
Page 598 and 599: 39 Ukrainian people realized that t
Page 600 and 601: 41 presses the brake pedal to slow
Page 602 and 603: 43 The "Sarcophagus" facility was t
Page 604 and 605: 45 8 Rivers and lakes in the vicini
Page 606 and 607: 47 10 According to maximum estimati
Page 608 and 609: 49 12 Immediately after the acciden
Page 610 and 611: 51 14 experienced radiation doses t
Page 612 and 613: 53 16 ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES Over th
Page 614 and 615: 55 18 LEGISLATION ON CHORNOBYL The
Page 616 and 617: 57 20 children affected by the Cher
Page 618 and 619: 59 22 - ensuring proper infrastruct
Page 620 and 621: 61 24 private religious, non-profit
Page 622 and 623: 63 26 environmental effects of radi
Page 624 and 625: 65 STATEMENT BY ALEXANDER B. KUZMA
Page 628 and 629: 69 towards other health concerns ex
Page 630 and 631: 71 the enoimity of the task that li
Page 632 and 633: 73 Testimony of Dt. Natalia Lakiza-
Page 634 and 635: 75 About 5 mln people continue to l
Page 636 and 637: 77 Changes in the childbearing func
Page 638: 79 - a possible many-fold increase
Page 643: This is a U.S. Government publicati
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Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Congressional Hearings Transcript

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