[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 98 (Thursday, June 15, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H6027-H6029]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     FRENCH NUCLEAR TESTING--NO. 3

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from American Samoa [Mr. Faleomavaega] is recognized for 5 
minutes.

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strongest opposition 
to France's announced resumption of exploding nuclear bombs in the 
South Pacific.
  After decades of work, and through the efforts of peoples of 
divergent countries throughout the world, we are, or at least we were, 
moving toward a common goal of removing nuclear weapons from the face 
of this planet. Last month, the United States, France, and the major 
nuclear powers promised over 170 non-nuclear nations that the nuclear 
powers would exercise ``utmost restraint'' with regard to nuclear 
testing and work toward a comprehensive test ban treaty. Despite 
reservations, these commitments were accepted at face value by the non-
nuclear nations, which are the vast majority of the countries of the 
world, and it was only with their support that permanent extension of 
the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty [NPT] was gained.
  Following in the footsteps of China's nuclear detonation right after 
the NPT's renewal, a testing
 resumption by France would confirm the ugliest fears of the non-
nuclear nations. The implications are quite obvious, and what the 
French Government is now saying to the international community and 
especially countries like India, Pakistan, North Korea, Iraq, and Iran 
is--the nuclear powers in the name of national interest are more than 
willing to undermine the NPT, and their commitment to nuclear 
nonproliferation and disarmament is suspect. The French Government is 
also sending the message that it does not care about the concerns of 
some 27 million people who live in the South Pacific region--and we 
should also add some 1.5 million Americans who live in the State of 
Hawaii, Guam, the Northern Marianas, and American Samoa.

  Mr. Speaker, what the French Government is saying is we're going to 
explode eight nuclear bombs in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean--
and there is nothing you can do about it.
  Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe for a minute that the citizens and the 
good people of France want its government to explode nuclear bombs that 
will have tremendous negative impact upon the marine environment of the 
Pacific Ocean. I cannot believe the good people of France will permit 
their government to exercise poor judgment on such an important and 
critical international issue as nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. 
Mr. Speaker, what a reprehensible display of arrogance of power by a 
major European country that loves to expound upon moral principles of 
human rights, protection of the environment, and due fairness and 
equity to all of humanity.
  Instead of complying with the spirit of the nuclear Nonproliferation 
Treaty, France has said, in effect, we still want to ban nuclear 
testing, we really do, but not just yet. We want to get every possible 
advantage we can from our testing program before we stop our tests. So 
please just ignore these eight nuclear bomb explosions, then next year 
we will sign a treaty to stop further testing.
  Mr. Speaker, I suspect that the military establishment of every 
nuclear power wants to perform more tests of weapons from their nuclear 
arsenals to ensure the reliability of their systems. But the fact is 
all of the nuclear powers, except China, have given up this benefit and 
stopped testing programs in the interest of making the world a safer 
place to live. The United States has stopped its testing program 
because it could derive no more benefit from further tests; it stopped 
testing to encourage other countries to cease their testing. It is only 
through leadership such as this that we can hope to rid our planet of 
the most dangerous weapon mankind has devised--the only weapon we have 
created that can destroy every form of life as we know it.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to comment President Clinton and his 
administration for standing by its commitment to continue this 
country's ban on nuclear bomb testing, and I also want to commend the 
United Kingdom for its statement committing to maintain its ban also. 
Other governments which have already spoken in opposition to France's 
resumption of testing include Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, 
Fiji, Austria, and Norway.
  The 15 island nations which comprise the South Pacific Forum have 
also stated their objection to resumed testing, noting that it would be 
a major setback to relations between France and the region. These South 
Pacific nations are members of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone 
Treaty [SPNFZ] and have consistently supported all international 
efforts to prevent and terminate nuclear proliferation.
  The people of the South Pacific want nothing to do with nuclear 
weapons. They know firsthand of the horrors of nuclear testing and have 
agreed amongst themselves to keep
 their part of the planet nuclear-free. Isn't it ironic that the region 
is about to become not nuclear-free, but a nuclear hazard. This is not 
happening by the choice of the 27 million people of the South Pacific, 
but through the arrogance of a European world power, again playing the 
role of a colonial master to the detriment of peaceful citizens on the 
other side of the world.

  In announcing France's intent to resume nuclear bomb testing, 
President Chirac has asserted that exploding the series of nuclear 
bombs is environmentally safe. Mr. Speaker, we have all seen the 
results of the nuclear explosions during World War II and the 
devastation they wreaked. Today's bombs are many times more powerful. 
France's testing program is to involve the detonation of eight nuclear 
bombs, almost one a month, all under one small, coral atoll. How many 
tons of dead fish and countless other marine life are going to be 
sacrificed this time? What about the safety and health conditions of 
the Polynesians living in the surrounding islands?
  My question to President Chirac is, if the testing is so safe, why 
are the bombs being exploded in the South Pacific--so far away from 
France? Why were France's early nuclear bomb explosions conducted in 
Algeria? Why not detonate these bombs under French soil? If they are so 
safe, why not explode these bombs under Paris?
  Mr. Speaker, the explosions of thermonuclear bombs are not safe. It 
is not safe for people, it's not safe for animals or plants, and it's 
not safe for the environment. Nuclear bombs have only one purpose, they 
were created to slaughter people, but the result is to annihilate 
everything. We all know they are extremely hazardous. We all know the 
reason France explodes its bombs in French Polynesia and not in France. 
It's the same reason the United States early on conducted its tests in 
the Pacific--the bombs are extremely dangerous, and no one wants to 
subject their homeland to this danger, if they have a choice.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to appeal to the people of France to tell their 
government and their President to stop this insanity, stop this renewal 
of the threat of global destruction. President [[Page H6028]] Chirac 
does not have to prove France is a world military power. Everyone 
acknowledges that. France already has the third largest nuclear weapons 
stockpile and the fourth largest Navy in the world. In the post-cold-
war era, who does France fear or seek to deter by further testing and 
additions to its nuclear arsenal? Now is the time for France to use its 
strength to show real world leadership, not national insecurity.
  The true leaders of the world are leading the way toward peace and 
stability by not testing or using nuclear bombs. China, North Korea, 
Iran, and Iraq are leading the way also. Their direction is toward a 
more unstable, violent, and dangerous world. I do not want to include 
France in the list with these countries, but if it resumes its testing, 
I am afraid I must.
  Mr. Speaker, our future lies not in thermonuclear bombs; our future 
lies in peace. I urge President Chirac and the people of France--do not 
renew your nuclear testing program--do not explode any more 
thermonuclear bombs--join with the rest of the world by putting 
pressure on China to stop its testing and putting pressure on North 
Korea, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran and Israel to stop development of 
these horrible weapons.
  Mr. Speaker, the welfare of the South Pacific's 27 million people and 
its fragile marine environment should not be the sacrifice paid in the 
name of France's paranoia about nuclear deterrence.
      [From the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, May/June 1995]

                Known Nuclear Tests Worldwide, 1945-1994

       China was the only nation that tested nuclear devices 
     during 1994. China conducted its first test on June 10, and 
     another on October 7. The United States last tested on 
     September 23, 1992; the Soviet Union on October 24, 1990; 
     Britain on November 26, 1991; and France on July 15, 1991. 
     During the 34-month November 1958-September 1961 moratorium, 
     the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union did not 
     test, but the French conducted their first four tests during 
     this period. As of April 1, 1995, the current moratorium has 
     lasted 30 months (except for four Chinese tests).
       Since last year's update (May/June 1994 Bulletin), the 
     release of more information about the nuclear testing 
     programs of the United States and Russia continues to re-
     categorize and refine the global testing record. On December 
     7, 1993, U.S. Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary divulged that 
     there had been 204 ``secret'' (unannounced) tests from 1968 
     to 1990. On June 27, 1994, O'Leary released further 
     information, adding three more to the list and bringing the 
     total number of tests to 1,054. (The two combat uses at 
     Hiroshima and Nagasaki are not included, but 24 joint tests 
     with Britain are.)
       The reason for the additions had to do with the definition 
     of a nuclear ``test.'' The United States defines a test--for 
     purposes of the above count--as either a single explosion, or 
     two or more explosions fired within 0.1 second of each other 
     within a circular area 2 kilometers in diameter. On further 
     analysis of the record, the Energy Department found that 
     three explosions had been detonated more than 0.1 second 
     apart from a nearly simultaneous explosion, and therefore 
     should be counted as separate tests.
       More light was shed on the practice of simultaneous 
     explosions as well. Sixty-three tests involved more than one 
     explosive device, and were fired within 0.1 second or less of 
     each other. These 63 tests involved 158 detonations resulting 
     in 95 additional explosions that are not counted as tests. 
     One test used six nuclear explosive devices, two used five, 
     four used four, 14 used three, and 42 used two devices.
       Those conducted in a single vertical shaft are sometimes 
     referred to as the ``string of pearls.'' In other tests there 
     were two or more drilled shafts separated by a considerable 
     distance with one device in each hole. The new official total 
     of 1,054 ``tests'' thus involved the detonation of 1,149 
     discrete nuclear explosive devices.
       Another refinement of the data was a clarification of the 
     number of safety experiments. For many years the number had 
     been listed as 34. After review, 54 tests that had previously 
     been described as weapons-related were added to the safety 
     category, bringing the new total to 88.
       An additional number of hydronuclear tests were conducted 
     during the 1958-1961 testing moratorium. Los Alamos 
     acknowledges that they conducted 35 such tests at Los Alamos 
     beginning in January 1960. Livermore conducted a smaller 
     number of hydronuclear tests (we estimate about 15) at the 
     Nevada Test Site.
       This data is more than merely a historical curiosity. The 
     question of safety experiments and hydronuclear tests are a 
     contentious issue at the comprehensive test ban negotiations 
     in Geneva. Some would prefer a ban on all types of nuclear 
     experimental activity, while others want some kinds to be 
     permitted--and they differ as to what size yield to allow.
       The U.S. position is to limit the experiments to four 
     pounds of nuclear yield. Britain--for reasons not altogether 
     clear--favors 100 pounds. The Russians want to test at yields 
     of at least 10 tons, the French to levels of 100-200 tons, 
     and the Chinese reportedly up to 1 kiloton. There is general 
     consensus among scientists that tests with yields of a few 
     tons or more would be of substantial value to proliferators, 
     and would begin to be of value to nuclear weapon states in 
     developing new weapons.
       Russia has yet to publish a definitive list of all of its 
     tests, but some new information has been supplied to the 
     authors about aspects of their test program. According to 
     this private information, the Soviet Union/Russia has 
     conducted approximately 1,100 discrete device detonations.
       Of these, nearly 1,000 produced yields greater than one 
     ton. In line with the threshold definition used by the United 
     States, Russia counts these 1,000 as 718 ``tests.'' Most of 
     the other 100 or so--those below one ton--were hydronuclear 
     experiments with yields under 100 kilograms. Until we have a 
     fuller accounting of these, and an agreed-upon definition of 
     a test, the accompanying table remains incomplete.


                             test locations

       The five declared nuclear powers have acknowledged 
     conducting a total of 2,036 nuclear tests since 1945; 942 of 
     these have taken place within the continental United States, 
     making it by far the most common testing location. The tests 
     in Kazakhstan include those at the Semipelatrek test site and 
     26 Peaceful Nuclear Explosions (PNE's). The tests in Russia 
     include 132 at Novaya Zemlya, 81 PNE's, and one at Totak. 
     Islands and atolls in the Pacific were the location of 306 
     tests conducted by the United States, Britain, and France.

Nevada..............................................................935
Kazakhstan..........................................................496
Russia..............................................................214
Mururoa Atoll....................................................\1\175
Enewetak.............................................................43
China (Lop Nur)......................................................41
Christmas Island.....................................................30
Bikini...............................................................23
Algeria..............................................................17
Johnston Island......................................................12
Australia............................................................12
Fangataufa Atoll.....................................................12
Pacific Ocean.........................................................4
Malden Island.........................................................3
South Atlantic Ocean..................................................3
Alaska................................................................3
New Mexico............................................................3
Mississippi...........................................................2
Colorado..............................................................2
Ukraine...............................................................2
Uzbekistan............................................................2
Turkmenistan..........................................................1
India.................................................................1

     \1\Assumes the 12 French safety tests were conducted at 
     Mururoa.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               United States       Soviet Union           Britain             France               China                
                   Year                    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Total 
                                                A         U         A         U         A         U         A         U         A         U             
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1945......................................         1         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         1
1946......................................         2         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         2
1947......................................         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0
1948......................................         3         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         3
1949......................................         0         0         1         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         1
1950......................................         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0
1951......................................        15         1         2         0         0         0         0         0         0         0        18
1952......................................        10         0         0         0         1         0         0         0         0         0        11
1953......................................        11         0         5         0         2         0         0         0         0         0        18
1954......................................         6         0         9         0         0         0         0         0         0         0        15
1955......................................        17         1         6         0         0         0         0         0         0         0        24
1956......................................        18         0         8         0         6         0         0         0         0         0        32
1957......................................        27         5        18         0         7         0         0         0         0         0        57
1958......................................        62        15        35         0         5         0         0         0         0         0       117
1959......................................         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0
1960......................................         0         0         0         0         0         0         3         0         0         0         3
1961......................................         0    \1\9/1        52         1         0         0         1         1         0         0        65
1962......................................        39      55/2        71         1         1      \1\2         0         1         0         0       171
1963......................................         4      41/2         0         0         0         0         0         3         0         0        50
1964......................................         0      39/6         0        10         0         2         0         3         1         0        61
1965......................................         0      37/1         0   \2\10/4         0         1         0         4         1         0        58
1966......................................         0      44/4         0      16/2         0         0         5         0         3         0        75
[[Page H6029]]
                                                                                                                                                        
1967......................................         0      39/3         0      16/1         0         0         3         0         2         0        64
1968......................................         0      52/4         0      14/4         0         0         5         0         1         0        80
1969......................................         0      45/1         0      14/4         0         0         0         0         1         1        66
1970......................................         0      38/1         0      11/3         0         0         8         0         1         0        62
1971......................................         0      23/1         0      16/7         0         0         5         0         1         0        53
1972......................................         0        27         0      17/8         0         0         3         0         2         0        57
1973......................................         0      23/1         0      12/5         0         0         5         0         1         0        47
1974......................................         0        22         0      17/4         0         1         7         0         1         0     \4\53
1975......................................         0        22         0      17/2         0         0         0         2         0         1        44
1976......................................         0        20         0      18/3         0         1         0         4         3         1        50
1977......................................         0        20         0      18/5         0         0         0         8         1         0        52
1978......................................         0        19         0      22/7         0         2         0         8         2         1        61
1979......................................         0        15         0      24/8         0         1         0         9         1         0        58
1980......................................         0        14         0      20/5         0         3         0        13         1         0        56
1981......................................         0        16         0      16/5         0         1         0        12         0         0        50
1982......................................         0        18         0      12/9         0         1         0         9         0         1        50
1983......................................         0        18         0      19/9         0         1         0         9         0         2        58
1984......................................         0        18         0     18/11         0         2         0         8         0         2        59
1985......................................         0        17         0      10/2         0         1         0         8         0         0        38
1986......................................         0        14         0         0         0         1         0         8         0         0        23
1987......................................         0        14         0      20/6         0         1         0         8         0         1        50
1988......................................         0        15         0      14/2         0         0         0         8         0         1        40
1989......................................         0        11         0         8         0         1         0         8         0         0        28
1990......................................         0         8         0         1         0         1         0         6         0         2        18
1991......................................         0         7         0         0         0         1         0         6         0         0        14
1992......................................         0         6         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         2         8
1993......................................         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         1         1
1994......................................         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         0         2         2
      Total...............................       215       815       207       508        21        24        45    \3\147        23        18  \4\2,036
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\All British underground tests were conducted in the United States.                                                                                   
\2\Numbers after ``/'' represent Soviet or U.S. peaceful nuclear explosions.                                                                            
\3\12 French safety tests not identified by date are not included here; however, they have been added to the grand total.                               
\4\Includes one underground explosion by India on May 17, 1974.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                        
Note.--A=atmospheric; U=underground.                                                                                                                    



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