[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 41 (Thursday, March 17, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1846-S1848]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. AKAKA (for himself and Mr. Carper):
  S. 640. A bill to underscore the importance of international nuclear 
safety

[[Page S1847]]

cooperation for operating power reactors, encouraging the efforts of 
the Convention on Nuclear Safety, supporting progress in improving 
nuclear safety, and enhancing the pubic availability of nuclear safety 
information; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Furthering 
International Nuclear Safety Act of 2011 to enhance the implementation 
of the Convention on Nuclear Safety by taking a more systematic 
approach to improving civilian nuclear power safety. This legislation 
is cosponsored by Senator Carper, and Representative Fortenberry is 
introducing a House companion bill.
  The still unfolding nuclear emergency in Japan serves as a powerful 
reminder that the United States as a Nation, and as an influential 
member of the international community, must continually seek methods to 
enhance the safety posture of nuclear facilities worldwide.
  This year, April 26 will provide us with another sobering reminder: 
the 26th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine. The 
Chernobyl disaster was the worst nuclear power accident in history and 
made clear the need for international nuclear safety norms. According 
to a report commissioned by United Nations agencies, millions of people 
were exposed to high doses of radiation, and approximately 350,000 
people were displaced from their homes. The countries most directly 
affected by the disaster suffered estimated economic damages on the 
order of hundreds of billions of dollars, while thousands of square 
miles of agricultural and forest lands were removed from service.
  In the aftermath of this accident, over 50 countries, led by the 
United States, worked together to develop the Convention on Nuclear 
Safety. This convention was formally established in 1994, and the 
United States joined in 1999. Through the cooperative nature of the 
convention, which relies on peer-reviewed national reports and the 
sharing of best practices, countries that are party to the treaty work 
to improve their nuclear safety.
  Although civilian nuclear power programs have become safer since 
Chernobyl, the unfolding disaster in Japan makes clear that we must not 
become complacent. In future months, Japan and the international 
community will assess the damage and how to prevent its recurrence. 
This bill will provide a stronger framework for United States 
engagement in that process.
  Currently, there are nearly 450 civilian nuclear power reactors 
operating in 31 countries around the world, and at least 65 more are 
under construction. Countries such as Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, 
Thailand, and Vietnam have started or expressed interest in civilian 
nuclear power programs. The global expansion of nuclear power should be 
accompanied by greater attention to nuclear safety.
  Last year, the Government Accountability Office, GAO, completed a 
review of the Convention on Nuclear Safety in which GAO obtained the 
views of 40 parties to the Convention while carefully protecting 
individual respondent information. GAO found that the Convention has 
been very successful in improving nuclear safety but made 
recommendations to the United States Government that would enhance the 
Convention's effectiveness.
  The bill I am introducing today will implement GAO's recommendations 
and additional steps to improve nuclear safety worldwide. This bill 
urges the United States delegate to the Convention to take certain 
actions to enhance international nuclear safety. This includes the 
United States advocating that parties to the Convention more 
systematically assess their own progress through the broader use of 
performance metrics. Additionally, to increase access to information 
about nuclear safety, the delegate to the Convention will encourage 
parties to post their annual reports and answers to questions from 
other parties on the International Atomic Energy Agency's, IAEA, public 
website. IAEA will be encouraged to offer additional support, such as 
providing additional technical support; assistance as needed for 
parties' national reports; and support for Convention meetings, 
including language translation services. Further, the United States 
delegate will encourage all countries that have or are considering 
establishing a civilian nuclear power program to join the Convention. 
Finally, this bill calls for the Secretary of State to lead the 
development of a United States Government strategic plan for 
international nuclear safety cooperation for operating nuclear power 
reactors and to report on progress made in implementing this bill.
  International nuclear safety deserves our Nation's ongoing attention. 
As we continue to support Japan's efforts to prevent further 
deterioration at the damaged nuclear facilities, and as we approach the 
25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, we should be mindful that 
the use and expansion of nuclear power needs to be combined with 
supreme vigilance and concern for safety.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 640

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Furthering International 
     Nuclear Safety Act of 2011''.

     SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

       The purposes of this Act are as follows:
       (1) To recognize the paramount importance of international 
     nuclear safety cooperation for operating power reactors.
       (2) To further the efforts of the Convention on Nuclear 
     Safety as a vital international forum on nuclear safety.
       (3) To support progress in improving nuclear safety for 
     countries that currently have or are considering the 
     development of a civilian nuclear power program.
       (4) To enhance the public availability of nuclear safety 
     information.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
     ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
       (B) the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the 
     Senate;
       (C) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs of the Senate;
       (D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives;
       (E) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (F) the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the 
     House of Representatives.
       (2) Convention.--The term ``Convention'' means the 
     Convention on Nuclear Safety, done at Vienna September 20, 
     1994, and ratified by the United States April 11, 1999.
       (3) Meeting.--The term ``meeting'' means a meeting as 
     described under Article 20, 21, or 23 of the Convention.
       (4) National report.--The term ``national report'' means a 
     report as described under Article 5 of the Convention.
       (5) Party.--The term ``party'' means a nation that has 
     formally joined the Convention through ratification or other 
     means.
       (6) Summary report.--The term ``summary report'' means a 
     report as described under Article 25 of the Convention.

     SEC. 4. UNITED STATES EFFORTS TO FURTHER INTERNATIONAL 
                   NUCLEAR SAFETY.

       The President shall instruct the United States official 
     serving as the delegate to the meetings of the Convention on 
     Nuclear Safety pursuant to Article 24 of the Convention to 
     use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States, 
     while recognizing that these efforts by parties are 
     voluntary, to encourage, where appropriate--
       (1) parties to more systematically assess where and how 
     they have made progress in improving safety, including where 
     applicable through the incorporation of performance metric 
     tools;
       (2) parties to increase the number of national reports they 
     make available to the public by posting them to a publicly 
     available Internet Web site of the International Atomic 
     Energy Agency (IAEA);
       (3) parties to expand public dissemination of written 
     answers to questions raised by other parties about national 
     reports by posting the information to a publicly available 
     Internet Web site of the IAEA;
       (4) the IAEA to further its support of the Convention, upon 
     request by a party and where funding is available, by--
       (A) providing assistance to parties preparing national 
     reports;
       (B) providing additional assistance to help prepare for and 
     support meetings, including language translation services; 
     and
       (C) providing additional technical support to improve the 
     safety of civilian nuclear power programs; and
       (5) all countries that currently have or are considering 
     the establishment of a civilian nuclear power program to 
     formally join the Convention.

[[Page S1848]]

     SEC. 5. STRATEGIC PLAN.

       Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary of State, in cooperation with the 
     heads of other relevant United States Government agencies, 
     shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees the 
     United States Government's strategic plan and prioritized 
     goals for international nuclear safety cooperation for 
     operating power reactors.

     SEC. 6. REPORTS.

       (a) Report on Implementation of Strategic Plan.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the issuance 
     of each of the first two summary reports of the Convention 
     issued after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary of State, in cooperation with the heads of other 
     relevant United States Government agencies, shall submit to 
     the appropriate congressional committees a report that--
       (A) describes the status of implementing the strategic plan 
     and achieving the goals set forth in section 5; and
       (B) enumerates the most significant concerns of the United 
     States Government regarding worldwide nuclear safety and 
     describes the extent to which the strategic plan addresses 
     these concerns.
       (2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be 
     submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified 
     annex.
       (b) Report on United States Efforts to Further 
     International Nuclear Safety.--Not later than 180 days after 
     the issuance of each of the first two summary reports of the 
     Convention issued after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act, the United States official serving as the delegate to 
     the meetings of the Convention shall submit to the 
     appropriate congressional committees a report providing the 
     status of achieving the actions set forth in section 4.
                                 ______