[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 21, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2035]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      CONCERNS REMAIN OVER CASSINI

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                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 21, 1997

  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, in the weeks prior to the launch 
of the Cassini spacecraft, I heard from many of my constituents who 
were greatly concerned about the use of plutonium in Cassini and its 
potential hazard.
  I wrote to President Clinton before the launch, urging him to review 
the safety of the mission and address the concerns of Americans worried 
about the possibility of exposure to plutonium. I was greatly 
disappointed that he chose not to do so before Cassini was launched.
  Thankfully, Cassini was launched without incident. But there are 
still important concerns about the use of nuclear power in space that 
need to be addressed. Furthermore, Cassini's trajectory will take it 
close to earth, and many are worried that this poses an additional 
threat of nuclear contamination.
  I have been asked to submit a resolution, adopted by the City of 
Monterey on October 7, in opposition to the Cassini mission. It 
represents the concerns of many of my constituents, and raises 
important questions about the Cassini mission. Therefore, I ask 
unanimous consent that this resolution be placed in the Congressional 
Record.

                      City of Monterey, California

                         Resolution No. 97-185

       Resolution of the City Council of the City of Monterey 
     calling for the cancellation of the planned National 
     Aeronautics and Space Agency [NASA] Cassini Space Probe 
     launch and communicating the council's position to President 
     Clinton and our congressional Representatives.
       Whereas, as elected officials of the City of Monterey 
     dedicated to the safety and protection of the public, we call 
     for cancellation of the launch of the Cassini Space Probe 
     which plans to carry 72.3 pounds of Plutonium-238 into space; 
     and
       Whereas, NASA's environmental impact statement outlines 
     several scenarios in which Plutonium might be released 
     including an explosion of the Titan IV rocket, which is to 
     loft the Cassini Space Probe into orbit, or an explosion of a 
     small rocket, a Centaur, which is to propel the Probe on to 
     Saturn; and
       Whereas, presently NASA's environmental impact statement 
     warns that ``approximately five billion of the estimated 
     seven to eight billion world population could receive ninety-
     nine percent or more of the radiation'' if an inadvertent 
     reentry occurred; and
       Whereas, scientists and medical experts indicate that the 
     ``number of cancer doses are so high as to make calculations 
     extraneous'' and that the speed at which the Cassini Space 
     Probe would hit the Earth's atmosphere would completely 
     disintegrate the Probe and release all the Plutonium; and
       Whereas, there is no medical disaster plan in place that 
     could be adequate in case of a Cassini Space Probe accident; 
     and
       Whereas, worldwide fallout would contaminate much of the 
     globe for generations and severely damage all living things; 
     and
       Whereas, there is no need to use deadly Plutonium at all 
     due to a breakthrough in the development of new high-
     performance solar silicon cells for use in the future for 
     demanding deep space missions. Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the City Council of the City of Monterey 
     calls on the President and the Congress immediately to stop 
     NASA from launching the Cassini Space Probe.

     

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