[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 13 (Thursday, February 10, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 10, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
          SAFETY AND PEACE OF MIND FOR THE PEOPLE OF OJAI, CA

                                 ______


                          HON. ELTON GALLEGLY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 10, 1994

  Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to propose legislation to 
protect our citizens from a potentially grave health risk.
  There is a growing realization that exposure to potentially harmful 
amounts of radiation is a problem that many people face in the ordinary 
activities of their lives. While most people realize that you cannot 
reduce this risk to zero, it is only common sense that this risk should 
be minimized whenever possible.
  For this reason, the residents of Ojai, CA, are rightly concerned 
about the installation of a new, very powerful, Doppler radar station 
atop Sulphur Mountain. The people of Ojai, who have worked so hard to 
preserve a healthy environment in which families can raise children, 
are now faced with the uncertainty that their homes may be subjected to 
a serious health hazard.
  From the start, I have insisted that this sensitive subject be 
handled with the utmost care so that the underlying issues can be 
resolved in a fair manner. My central concern is that the health risks 
associated with this tower must be examined carefully so that the 
community of Ojai is protected.
  My efforts in this area include hosting a town meeting at which 
National Weather Service officials appeared, and extensive contacts 
with that agency as well as with the Secretary of Commerce to air these 
concerns. None of these efforts has produced evidence to convince me 
that the strong concerns voiced by Ojai residents are unfounded.
  The legislation I am introducing will address these difficult 
questions head-on and will allow them to be resolved once and for all. 
My bill will direct that an independent study be performed by the 
National Academy of Sciences on the health risks associated with this 
Doppler radar. To protect all those who must live and work in the 
radar's path, my legislation will prohibit the operation of the unit 
atop Sulfur Mountain unless the NAS can show that it will not impose 
any significant risk to their health.
  Mr. Speaker, the Ojai radar tower, at a minimum, should be moved to 
another, less populated, area to ameliorate its impact on human health. 
In order to work with the National Weather Service, however, my 
legislation will provide an alternative way to resolve the issue. 
Within 12 months of enactment, my bill will give us concrete evidence 
from a credible, independent source on whether it is safe for the 
operation of the unit to go forward.
  I ask my colleagues to consider whether they would be willing to 
raise their families in the path of the powerful beam from this Doppler 
radar. Twelve months is not too long to wait for assurance that the 
community of Ojai is protected from any unreasonable health risks.
  The text of my legislation follows this statement, and I urge my 
colleagues to consider it favorably.

                                H.R. --

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SEC. 1. STUDY.

       The Secretary of Commerce shall enter into a contract with 
     the National Academy of Sciences for the conduct of a study 
     of the human health risks to National Weather Service 
     employees and the public associated with the operation of 
     doppler radar installations such as the National Weather 
     Service's WSR-88D units. Such study shall focus on the unit 
     constructed on Sulphur Mountain in Ojai, California, and 
     shall examine the effect of radiation emitted by such 
     installations on National Weather Service employees and on 
     persons living in the vicinity of, or otherwise required to 
     be in the vicinity of, the installation. The Secretary of 
     Commerce shall transmit the results of such study to the 
     Congress within 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
     Act.

     SEC. 2. PROHIBITION.

       No Federal funds may be expended to operate the National 
     Weather Service doppler radar installation on Sulphur 
     Mountain in Ojai, California, unless the study carried out 
     under section 1 finds that there is no significant health 
     risk to National Weather Service employees or the public 
     associated with the operation of such an installation.

                          ____________________