[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 55 (Thursday, April 14, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E722]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMEMORATING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR DISASTER

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                           HON. MIKE QUIGLEY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 14, 2011

  Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of more than 111,000 of my 
constituents who are of Polish descent, I rise to commemorate the 25th 
anniversary of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. We remember those in 
Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, many of whom suffered the loss of life, 
health, and home as a result of this tragedy.
  The accident at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl occurred on 
April 26, 1986, and is considered to be the most serious nuclear 
disaster in human history. A flawed reactor ruptured, causing a cloud 
of highly radioactive smoke to be spread over a wide geographic area. 
Unaware of the seriousness of the situation, firemen and emergency 
workers were summoned to the catastrophe. Many received high doses of 
radiation and later died as a result.
  The entire town of Pripyat was forced to evacuate, and, in total, it 
is believed that more than 200,000 people were forced to relocate due 
to the Chernobyl disaster. An area of more than 150,000 square 
kilometers is considered to be contaminated, and the immediate area 
around the plant is still, for the most part, uninhabited.
  This tragedy came at a huge human and environmental cost, and so it 
is of the utmost importance that it not be forgotten. For this reason, 
I would like to acknowledge the work of the Kyiv Committee of the 
Chicago Sister Cities International Program which is working to 
commemorate the anniversary of this tragedy through a program 
highlighting response and recovery efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, on this, the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl tragedy, 
I invite my colleagues to remember those who suffered as a result of 
this disaster, as well as recognize the efforts of the Chicago Sister 
Cities International Program. Only by commemorating and learning from 
this catastrophe will we able to move forward towards a safe and 
productive future for nuclear energy.

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