IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 905 

Congratulating Kazakhstan on the 15th anniversary of the closure of the 

world’s second largest nuclear test site in the Semipalatinsk region of 

Kazakhstan and for its efforts on the nonproliferation of weapons of 

mass destruction. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 29, 2006 

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA (for himself, Mr. LANTOS, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. ACKERMAN, Ms. BORDALLO, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. BERMAN, Mrs. 

CHRISTENSEN, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. ISSA, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. EDDIE

BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. 

MEEKS of New York, Mr. MELANCON, Mr. PITTS, Mr. SAXTON, Mr. 

SHERMAN, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania, and Mr. WEXLER) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on International Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Congratulating Kazakhstan on the 15th anniversary of the 

closure of the world’s second largest nuclear test site 

in the Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan and for its 

efforts on the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. 

Whereas on August 29, 1991, the Government of Kazakhstan 

shut down the world’s second largest nuclear test site in 

the Semipalatinsk region of the Republic of Kazakhstan; 


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•HRES 905 IH 

Whereas between 1945 and 1991, more than 450 nuclear 

tests were conducted at this site, exposing more than 1.5 

million innocent people to radiation and causing damage 

to the environment; 

Whereas the damage to the environment and to the health of 

the people of Kazakhstan from this terrible legacy of 

hundreds of detonations of Soviet nuclear explosive devices could be felt for decades to come; 

Whereas upon gaining independence, Kazakhstan inherited 

from the former Soviet Union more than 1,000 nuclear 

warheads, as well as a squadron of 40 TU–95 heavy 

bombers armed with 370 nuclear warheads, comprising 

the world’s fourth largest nuclear arsenal; 

Whereas Kazakhstan renounced this massive nuclear arsenal, 

unilaterally disarmed, and joined the Treaty on the NonProliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a non-nuclear weapon state, the first time a state that had possessed such a massive nuclear arsenal had done so; 

Whereas Kazakhstan’s leadership and cooperation with the 

United States on nonproliferation matters is a model for 

other countries to follow; 

Whereas Kazakhstan also inherited from the former Soviet 

Union the world’s largest anthrax production and 

weaponization facility, which had a capacity to produce 

more than 300 metric tons of anthrax per year; 

Whereas Kazakhstan, in cooperation with the United States 

Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, dismantled the military-related buildings and equipment associated with the anthrax production and weaponization facility; 


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•HRES 905 IH 

Whereas the Government of Kazakhstan, in cooperation with 

the United States, participated in a very successful secret 

operation code-named ‘‘Project Sapphire,’’ in which 581 

kilograms (1,278 pounds) of weapons-grade highly enriched uranium, enough to produce 20 to 25 nuclear warheads, were removed overnight from Kazakhstan; 

Whereas in December 2004 and May 2006, Kazakhstan and 

the United States concluded amendments to a bilateral 

agreement on the nonproliferation of weapons of mass 

destruction, which have moved the two countries toward 

a new level of cooperation in preventing the threat of bioterrorism; and 

Whereas in February 2006, Kazakhstan and the Nuclear 

Threat Initiative of Washington, D.C., with the support 

of the United States Department of Energy, blended 

down 2,900 kilograms (6,600 pounds) of weapons-usable 

highly enriched uranium, enough to produce up to 25 nuclear warheads, converting the material for peaceful use 

and preventing it from falling into the hands of terrorist 

organizations and being used in weapons production: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) congratulates the people and Government of 

3 the Republic of Kazakhstan on the 15th anniversary 

4 of the closure of the world’s second largest nuclear 

5 test site in the Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan; 

6 (2) commends Kazakhstan for greatly advanc7 ing the cause of the nonproliferation of weapons of 

8 mass destruction as a result of its dismantlement of 

9 its nuclear and biological weapons and facilities; and 


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•HRES 905 IH 

1 (3) calls upon the Administration to establish a 

2 joint working group with the Government of 

3 Kazakhstan to assist in assessing the environmental 

4 damage and health effects caused by nuclear testing 

5 in the Semipalatinsk region by the former Soviet 

6 Union. 

Æ 


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