[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 53 (Friday, May 5, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E740-E741]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  UKRAINIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY STATEMENT ON CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR DISASTER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SANDER M. LEVIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 4, 2006

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, last Friday evening, I was honored to join 
Southeast Michigan's Ukrainian American Community in remembrance of a 
terrible tragedy: the Chernobyl nuclear disaster on April 26th, 1986.
  Here in Washington, the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus organized a 
number of events last week to ensure that Congress adequately 
remembered this solemn anniversary. Through all of these events, and at 
the commemoration I attended in Michigan, there was a consensus that as 
we remember those victims of Chernobyl who lost their lives, we must 
continue, and indeed strengthen, our efforts to help those who are 
still living with its consequences.
  To that end, I ask that a statement from the Ukrainian American 
Community in Michigan be placed in the Record. It calls on us all to do 
our part in standing with the Ukrainian people to address the 
consequences of this disaster that so many still struggle with 20 years 
later.

[[Page E741]]

Appeal: to the Members of the Michigan Delegation to the U.S. Congress 
on the Occasion of the Solemn 20th Anniversary of the Nuclear Disaster 
                         at Chernobyl, Ukraine

       The Ukrainian American community, gathered at St. 
     Josaphat's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Warren, Michigan, on 
     Friday, April 28, 2006 in solemn commemoration of the 20th 
     Anniversary of the Nuclear Disaster at Chernobyl, Ukraine, 
     recommends to the Michigan Delegation to the United States 
     Congress the Testimony of H.E. Oleh Shamshur, Ambassador of 
     Ukraine to the United States, before the Commission on 
     Security and Cooperation in Europe and urges the members of 
     the Delegation to assist in addressing the urgent problems 
     noted in Ambassador Shamshur's testimony, excerpted below:
       ``Chernobyl was not only a ``maximum credible accident'' 
     and the greatest man-made technological disaster. There is 
     much more about Chernobyl catastrophe: this has become a 
     frightening reminder of the awesome human cost--measured in 
     lives and life-threatening health problems--of the lack of 
     freedom, democratic procedures, civic control and 
     transparency.
       The plain and awful fact is that the biggest nuclear 
     catastrophe in human history was kept secret from ordinary 
     citizens, who were massively exposed to radiation exceeding 
     the maximum acceptable level by hundred times.
       During the critical period after explosion, while 
     evacuating the local population from direct neighborhood of 
     the nuclear power station, the Soviet government let millions 
     of people in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia conduct their daily 
     life as usual--unaware, unwarned, unprotected. On May 1st, 
     four days after the disaster, people in Kyiv and dozens of 
     other cities were urged to go outdoors to celebrate May Day, 
     an official holiday in the Soviet Union. In those moments 
     when radioactive cloud was reaching Sweden, when West 
     Europeans were called to restrain from buying fruit and 
     letting children play outside, in Ukraine parents carried 
     their kids to the festivities. It was only days later, that 
     people of Ukraine came to know the full extent of what had 
     happened to them, their families, their land. By early May 
     millions of people, including children, received unthinkable 
     amounts of radiation as the volume of radioactive materials 
     released into atmosphere exceeded Hiroshima by 400 times.
       Experts and humankind are yet to comprehend and assess the 
     full scope of the hazardous consequences of the nuclear 
     devastation, including continuous exposure to radiation of 
     such magnitude. About 5 million people were directly affected 
     by explosion. As of January 2006, 2.6 million Ukrainians have 
     had the status of those affected by consequences of the 
     Chernobyl accident. Over 570 thousand children officially 
     registered as affected by the disaster continue to live in 
     Ukraine. 6,769 children died of horrible diseases caused by 
     the calamity including thyroid and other cancers. Tens 
     thousand square kilometers of once fertile and flourishing 
     land remain radiation-polluted, as well as 2,218 Ukrainian 
     townships and settlements.
       The international community should be aware that the period 
     of so-called half-life of radioactive strontium released into 
     atmosphere in 1986 is 90 years. Therefore however scaring it 
     might sound, the full story has not been told yet. The 
     gravest implications of the catastrophe might be still ahead 
     for Ukraine and other nations. We should be well prepared to 
     face this eventuality.
       The price Ukraine has paid for the lies, hypocrisy and 
     greed of the Soviet regime epitomized by Chornobyl and its 
     aftermath has been enormous. What we need now is assistance 
     in addressing two very concrete and urgent problems.
       Building a new reliable Shelter. Taking this opportunity I 
     am asking the distinguished members of the Commission to 
     weigh in their political authority to call upon all G8 
     members and other countries concerned to follow the example 
     of the U.S. Government and to make adequate financial 
     contributions making possible the erection of the Shelter-2. 
     The construction costs are estimated at slightly over 1 
     billion USD representing rather modest amount of money 
     compared to the damages which 200 tons of highly radioactive 
     waste still glowing underneath the corroded Shelter-1 might 
     incur. We also urge all the signatories of the Ottawa 
     Memorandum to honor their obligations concerning compensation 
     of the losses suffered by Ukraine due to the decommissioning 
     of the Chernobyl NPS.
       Meeting the health needs of the innocent children, 
     suffering from hazardous effects of Chornobyl. We deeply 
     appreciate the work done in this respect by the members of 
     the U.S. Congress, such as Co-Chairman Chris Smith and 
     Representative Lincoln Diaz-Ballard. It was largely due to 
     Mr. Diaz-Ballard's efforts that on April 20th one of the 
     biggest humanitarian airlifts organized by the Children of 
     Chornobyl Fund arrived in Ukraine for the benefit of 
     Chornobyl-affected children. I know that more projects are in 
     preparation and I'm deeply thankful for them to our American 
     partners.''
       Ambassador Shamshur concludes with the following words, 
     words which the Ukrainian American community in Michigan and, 
     we trust, our elected officials, fully share and support.
       `` I strongly believe that our two countries--Ukraine and 
     the United States--will stand united in facing the challenges 
     and preventing any new human tragedies that might be caused 
     by the consequences of the disaster that happened twenty 
     years ago, but remains so present in our lives.''

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