Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Congressional Hearings Transcript

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Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to testify before this Comnittee
and the American public on the safety of the Department of Energy's research
and production reactors. Accompanylny me today are Troy Made, Hanager, Idaho
Operations Office; Donald Ofte, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of
Defense Programs; Del Bunch, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Reactor
Deployment, Office of Nuclear Energy; John Hunter, Director, Nuclear Energy and
Surplus Facility Management, Richland Operations Office; and Mel Sires,
Assistant Kbnager for Operations, Savannah River Operations Office.
The nuclear disaster in Chernobyl understandably generates Iceen interest,
questions, and comparisons of U.S. nuclear reactors, particularly those owned
by DOE, with those in the Soviet Union. The reactors operated by DOE are
critical to our national security and to our leadership in scientific and
technical research. Therefore, I appreciate your invitation to testify to
help in assuring you that the Department has and will continue to address
nuclear safety as a matter of the highest priority.
Emphasis on Safety
Before proceeding to more detailed issues, I would like to put the issue of
safety in perspective.
Safety does not mean the absence of danger. Scientists and engineers will
argue that there are no absolutes in dealing with complex systems. In
1903, Wilbur Wright wrote: "Carelessness and overconfidence are usually
more dangerous than deliberately accepted risks." Therefore, it's appropriate
for ne to discuss with the Committee how the Department manages the
risks that are inherent in all of its operations, and in particular, its
nuclear operations. The Department is committed to operate our facilities
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