IV
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 167
Recognizing the tenth anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster, and
supporting the closing of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 24, 1996
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. WOLF, Mr. CARDIN,
Mr. MARKEY, Mr. SALMON, Mr. TORRICELLI, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. BONIOR,
Mr. DURBIN, and Mr. GUTIERREZ) submitted the following concurrent
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International
Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Recognizing the tenth anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear
disaster, and supporting the closing of the Chornobyl
nuclear power plant.
Whereas April 26, 1996, marks the tenth anniversary of the
Chornobyl nuclear disaster;
Whereas United Nations General Assembly resolution 50/134
declares April 26, 1996, as the International Day Com-
memorating the Tenth Anniversary of the Chornobyl Nu-
clear Power Plant Accident and encourages member
states to commemorate this tragic event;
Whereas serious radiological, health, and socioeconomic con-
sequences for the populations of Ukraine, Belarus, and
•HCON 167 IH
Russia, as well as for the populations of other affected
areas, have been identified since the disaster;
Whereas over 3,500,000 inhabitants of the affected areas, in-
cluding over 1,000,000 children, were exposed to dan-
gerously high levels of radiation;
Whereas the populations of the affected areas, especially chil-
dren, have experienced significant increases in thyroid
cancer, immune deficiency diseases, birth defects, and
other conditions, and these trends have accelerated over
the 10 years since the disaster;
Whereas the lives and health of people in the affected areas
continue to be heavily burdened by the ongoing effects of
the Chornobyl accident;
Whereas numerous charitable, humanitarian, and environ-
mental organizations from the United States and the
international community have committed to overcome the
extensive consequences of the Chornobyl disaster;
Whereas the United States has sought to help the people of
Ukraine through various forms of assistance;
Whereas humanitarian assistance and public health research
into Chornobyl’s consequences will be needed in the com-
ing decades when the greatest number of latent health ef-
fects is expected to emerge;
Whereas on December 20, 1995, the Ukrainian Government,
the governments of the G–7 countries, and the Commis-
sion of the European Communities signed a memoran-
dum of understanding to support the decision of Ukraine
to close the Chornobyl nuclear power plant by the year
2000 with adequate support from the G–7 countries and
international financial institutions;
•HCON 167 IH
Whereas the United States strongly supports the closing of
the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and improving nuclear
safety in Ukraine; and
Whereas representatives of Ukraine, the G–7 countries, and
international financial institutions will meet at least an-
nually to monitor implementation of the program to close
Chornobyl: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress—
(1) recognizes April 26, 1996, as the tenth an-
niversary of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant dis-
aster;
(2) urges the Government of Ukraine to con-
tinue its negotiations with the G–7 countries to im-
plement the December 20, 1995, memorandum of
understanding which calls for all nuclear reactors at
Chornobyl to be shut down in a safe and expeditious
manner; and
(3) calls upon the President—
(A) to support continued and enhanced
United States assistance to provide medical re-
lief, humanitarian assistance, social impact
planning, 
and 
hospital 
development 
for
Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and other nations
most heavily afflicted by Chornobyl’s aftermath;
(B) to encourage national and inter-
national health organizations to expand the
•HCON 167 IH
scope of research into the public health con-
sequences of Chornobyl, so that the global com-
munity can benefit from the findings of such re-
search;
(C) to support the process of closing the
Chornobyl nuclear power plant in an expedi-
tious manner as envisioned by the December
20, 1995, memorandum of understanding; and
(D) to support the broadening of Ukraine’s
regional energy sources which will reduce its de-
pendence on any individual country.
Æ