The Honorable Frank H. Murkowski -2- August 28 1992 



program in detail, is enclosed. We request, with this letter, 

 Congressional funding of $285,000 to install this monitoring effort. 



2. The United States, Russia, regional governments in Russia, and the State 

 of Alaska need to develop appropriate prevention and response plans for 

 a nuclear incident, including a power-plant accident, submarine mishap 

 or rupture of improperly disposed nuclear waste. TTiis plan needs to be 

 tested with regular drills involving national and local governments. 



A copy of Governor Nickel's April 20 letter to Ambassador Strauss 

 requesting improved notification and monitoring is also enclosed. 



3. The United States and other Arctic nations need to work with national 

 and regional governments in Russia to fully identify, map and develop a 

 mitigation plan for the nuclear and other major environmental threats in 

 the Arctic. We understand the U.S. Arctic Research Commission has 

 recently discussed this issue, with the objective of producing a hazards 

 map for the eastern Arctic of Russia similar to the map produced by 

 Norway, Poland, and Russia for the western Arctic. Besides finding the 

 source of radionucleides in the Arctic, we must also work quickly to 

 identify the source of mercury, cadmium, and PCBs which are 

 increasingly found in the Arctic food chain. Mitigation can only begin 

 when we know the source. The State of Alaska, through existing 

 cooperative agreements with environmental agencies in Magadan 

 Kamchatka, and Vladivostok, can assist in this effort. The Northern 

 Forum is also structured to assist in this effort. U.S. disarmament 

 support programs, the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy and U S 

 activity under the proposed aid package should help this work as well. 



4. TTie United States and Alaska need to develop a coordinated action plan 

 to use the Russian aid package to support environment, health and key 

 economic infrastructure in the Russian Far East that affects Alaska. Parts 

 of the proposed aid package which support joint research, investment 

 and intergovernmental exchange should be used to support these goals. 



By separate cover, you will receive a letter detailing the State's interest in 

 this goal as the aid package goes to conference. 



5. The United States should, wherever possible, support the Northern 

 Fonjm as a means to strengthen local participation in international Arctic 

 affairs and as a means to strengthen the role of regional governments in 

 the Russian North. That support can include placement of U.S. State 



