[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 56 (Friday, April 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR DISASTER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SANDER M. LEVIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 15, 2011

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, today, as we conclude legislative business 
for the month of April in Washington, D.C., it is appropriate that we 
mark an important milestone in Ukraine: On April 26th, 2011, we 
recognize the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear 
disaster.
  On this date in 1986, Reactor Four at the Soviet-designed Chernobyl 
Nuclear Power Plant in northern Ukraine exploded, releasing more than 
100 tons of lethally radioactive material into the environment. The 
human cost of this disaster is staggering. It is unlikely we will ever 
know how many deaths can be directly attributed to the Chernobyl 
disaster, but the loss of life of even one life is truly a tragedy.
  Twenty-five years later, the consequences of the world's worst 
nuclear accident continue to plague Eastern Europe. Ukraine has been 
especially impacted. The World Health Organization estimates that over 
6,000 people have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer from the 
radioactive materials in the atmosphere. The concrete and steel 
sarcophagus that encases the ruined Nuclear Reactor Four is 
deteriorating and in need of replacement. In addition, the loss of 
Chernobyl's generating capacity exacerbates an already difficult energy 
shortage in Ukraine, which depends heavily on energy imports, 
especially during harsh winters.
  We must be mindful that Chernobyl's legacy remains a heavy burden for 
the people of Ukraine. The fatally flawed nuclear technology that built 
Chernobyl resulted in lasting harm to Ukraine's people and the 
environment. The sole consolation is that we can yet hope to redress 
the damage.
  We must continue to support U.S. and international efforts to address 
the lingering health, social, and economic consequences from the 
disaster, including the permanent encasement of the damaged nuclear 
Reactor Four in Chernobyl. I call on every Member of the House to join 
with me in remembering the victims of this tragedy and to support these 
efforts. Let us resolve to do our part to help Ukraine build a better 
future.

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