72 



Hearing of die Senate Select Committee on Intelligence of the U.S. 

 CoGgfess August 15. 1992 at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks 



Radioactive and other Environmental Threats to the United States 

 and Ute Arctic resulting from past Soviet activities 



Statement by the Govemment of Iceland 



The Ooveinment of Iceland is greatly ccmcemed over the growing 

 risk of serious contamination in the Arctic region. The tbreat is posed 

 from various anthropogenic sources, not least ftom the alarming 

 environmental problems ftom past Soviet activities. Iceland's geographic 

 position and the country's dependence on sustainable utilization of living 

 marine resources, highlight ^ interests at stake. 



Contamination in the Arctic region and pollution in distant areas 

 can easily be tran^xjited by air and sea currents into the waters nortfi of 

 Iceland. A part of the Icelandic 200 mile exclusive economic zone 

 borders the Arctic region and many of the living marine resources in 

 Icelandic waters are dependent upon biomass productivity in the Arctic. 

 Furthermore, ocean currents originating in the Arctic region have a 

 significant impact on the development of marine life, dirougji {diysical 

 and chemical processes, in the waters around Iceland. 



It is c<»nm<Hily acc^ted that the fragile ecosystem of the Arctic is 

 very vulnerable to all kinds of pollution or otbcr environmental 

 disturbances and should, because of its global significance, be subject to 

 stringent environmental protection (cf. the Rovaniemi Declaration). 



n. 



The rich nuuine life in the waters around Iceland provides a food 

 source of global itapoitaacc and is the mainstay of the fcelandic 



