IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 703 

Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and 

supporting continued efforts to control radiation and mitigate the adverse 

health consequences related to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 1, 2006 

Mr. GALLEGLY (for himself, Mr. HYDE, Mr. LANTOS, and Mr. WEXLER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

International Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear 

disaster and supporting continued efforts to control radiation and mitigate the adverse health consequences related to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. 

Whereas April 26, 2006, marks the 20th anniversary of the 

Chernobyl nuclear disaster; 

Whereas serious radiological, health, and socioeconomic consequences for the populations of Ukraine, Belarus, and 

Russia, as well as for the populations of other affected 

areas, have been identified since the disaster; 

Whereas the Chernobyl Forum, an initiative launched by the 

International Atomic Energy Agency and supported by 

the World Health Organization, the United Nations DeVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:46 Mar 02, 2006 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR703.IH HR703

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•HRES 703 IH 

velopment Program, and other United Nations agencies, 

as well as by the governments of Ukraine, Belarus, and 

Russia, examined the scientific evidence of the human 

health affects and the environmental impact of the 

Chernobyl nuclear disaster; 

Whereas the findings of the Chernobyl Forum, issued in September 2005, significantly added to the understanding of 

the health consequences and economic impact caused by 

the Chernobyl nuclear disaster; 

Whereas the Chernobyl Forum found that approximately 

5,000,000 people live in areas of Ukraine, Belarus, and 

Russia that were contaminated by radioactivity; 

Whereas the populations of the affected areas who were exposed as children have experienced significant increases 

in thyroid cancer; 

Whereas the lives and health of people in the affected areas 

continue to be heavily burdened by the aftermath of the 

Chernobyl nuclear disaster; 

Whereas numerous charitable, humanitarian, and environmental organizations from the United States and the 

international community are committed to overcoming 

the extensive consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster; 

Whereas the United States has sought to help the people of 

the affected areas through various forms of assistance; 

Whereas humanitarian assistance and public health research 

into the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster 

will continue to be needed in the coming decades when 

a large number of latent health effects are expected to 

emerge; 


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•HRES 703 IH 

Whereas the United States strongly supports improving nuclear safety in Ukraine; 

Whereas, in 1997, the United States, the European Union, 

and Ukraine developed the Shelter Implementation Plan 

for the purpose of protecting people and the environment 

from the dangers of the large quantity of highly radioactive material contained in the Chernobyl nuclear power 

plant; 

Whereas as the United States is the largest single country 

donor to the Chernobyl Shelter Fund, which was created 

with the purpose of funding the Shelter Implementation 

Plan, having pledged a total of $203,000,000; and 

Whereas the most critical component of the Shelter Implementation Plan will be the construction of a new shelter 

designed to better protect people and the environment 

from the radioactive remains of the Chernobyl nuclear 

power plant: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the 20th anniversary of the 

3 Chernobyl nuclear disaster and expresses sympathy 

4 for the ongoing effects of the disaster, including ad5 verse health consequences and deaths; 

6 (2) calls upon national and international health 

7 organizations to focus their research into the public 

8 health consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear dis9 aster into areas identified by the Chernobyl Shelter 

10 Fund, so that the global community can benefit 

11 from the findings of such research; 


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•HRES 703 IH 

1 (3) supports continued United States assistance 

2 to the Chernobyl Shelter Fund, the Shelter Imple3 mentation Plan, construction of a facility to store 

4 spent nuclear fuel, and other efforts to mitigate the 

5 consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster; and 

6 (4) urges other countries and the European 

7 Union to continue to provide assistance to the 

8 Chernobyl Shelter Fund, the Shelter Implementation 

9 Plan, construction of a facility to store spent nuclear 

10 fuel, and other efforts to mitigate the consequences 

11 of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. 

Æ 


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