[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2214]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CLOSING THE CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR REACTOR

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 15, 2000

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, today Ukraine took a historic step--closing 
the Chernobyl nuclear reactor for all time. I welcome this critical 
step, writing a final chapter to one of mankind's most ominous events. 
The explosion of the flawed, Soviet-designed nuclear power station in 
1986 was a dramatic warning to all of us of the frightening potential 
for disaster in this nuclear age. It served to underline the cold 
reality that precise design, continuous careful maintenance and a 
dedication to safety are essential if we are to avoid nuclear 
catastrophe.
  Ukraine's President, Leonid Kuchma, incurred a substantial political 
risk with his own people when he negotiated with the European Union and 
the United States to close the station in exchange for financial 
pledges to assist in completing two modern nuclear power plants 
designed to Western standards to replace the lost power production. 
Even in its damaged condition, Chernobyl is believed to provide 
approximately 5% of Ukraine's total power production. One of 
Chernobyl's four graphite reactors was undamaged and has continued to 
produce power for Ukraine's consumers.
  Mr. Speaker, not only is the Chernobyl power source lost--it will be 
at least a year before either of the two new reactors now under 
construction comes on line. In the meantime, 16,000 jobs at the 
Chernobyl station will be lost, although a few hundred workers will 
remain in order to deal with the high-risk construction of a permanent 
housing for the damaged, highly radioactive unit. The new city of 
Slavutich, built with considerable U.S. assistance to provide safe 
housing for Chernobyl's work force, will be heavily impacted by the 
shutdown.
  In Ukraine there has been criticism of President Kuchma for 
``knuckling under to the West'' and for the hardships the Ukraine 
people will have to shoulder as the energy supply is reduced and jobs 
are lost. The obvious benefit to Ukraine and all of mankind by placing 
their very dangerous reactor in ``deep-freeze'' seems abstract and 
distant to the Ukrainian people.
  Mr. Speaker, today's decision to close Chernobyl is but the latest 
courageous action by the government of Ukraine in facing up to the 
nuclear dangers to civilization. Rarely acknowledged publicly, the 
newly independent Ukraine joined with the United States and Russia in a 
dramatic partnership to reduce the danger and threat of nuclear 
warheads to all of us. Ukraine, in cooperation with the United States, 
has completely rid its soil of the nuclear warhead inventory from 
Soviet days--decommissioning weapons on its soil and shipping them to 
Russia to joint U.S.-Russian controlled facilities for destruction 
under strict controls.
  Mr. Speaker, the world today is safer from nuclear accidents because 
of Ukraine's leadership, cooperation and sacrifices. I invite my 
colleagues to join me in saluting President Kuchma for this latest 
important step.

                          ____________________