187 



ther monitoring was done. This program could be expanded and ex- 

 tended in the future to include Alaskan sampling stations. 



I talked a little bit, and I think so far most people have focused 

 on what could be done with respect to past contamination. I think 

 we can't rule out, however, because of some of the deterioration as 

 we've heard of some of the nuclear facilities over there, that you 

 might have some future events that would require us taking some 

 protective action. As a consequence of that, I think it's worthwhile 

 considering various prudent types of activities that could provide 

 early warning as well as information associated with any further 

 future contamination. 



With respect to air contamination, EPA has a network called the 

 Environmental Radiation Ambient Monitoring System, which is 

 used to track the movement of Chernobyl aerial psirticulate radio- 

 activity and could be used to detect any significant atmospheric 

 particulate radioactivity that might arise from Arctic contamina- 

 tion in the future. We currently have ERAM stations operating in 

 Juneau and Anchorage, and we've just estabUshed a station at 

 Fairbanks, which I believe was set up within the past few days. 



I'd like to talk a httle about coordination with other nations and 

 interested groups. As we've noted, the Interagency Arctic Research 

 PoUcy Committee is a very significant activity to try to focus on 

 this. We have recognized the significance of the Arctic environ- 

 mental protection strategy which was signed last year. EPA partici- 

 pated in the development of the strategy and we intend to further 

 activities in developing that particular strategy, such as our activi- 

 ties along with NOAA in looking at an environmental monitoring 

 work group. 



In conclusion, EPA is concerned about the releases in the Rus- 

 sian Arctic Ocean as it was about the releases that may have oc- 

 curred in U.S. coastal waters in the past and from the Chernobyl 

 accident. Although it's clear that the environmental situation is the 

 responsibility of the Russians to rectify, EPA intends to support fu- 

 ture cooperative studies to better understand this issue. 



This completes my testimony and I'd be glad to respond to any 

 questions you may have, Mr. Chairman. 



Senator Murkowski. Thank you very much. Dr. Guimond. Let 

 me ask Dr. O'Dowd the first question. You've just returned from a 

 visit to Russia. And from indications the Russians have for a long 

 time been studying the Arctic. As you know, Dr. Komisar, and Ray 

 Vecci, Chairman of the Alaska Airlines, and Marjorie Johnson, the 

 Chairperson of the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce, and Chuck 

 Becker of the Department of Commerce, and myself were in Vladi- 

 vostok over the Easter recess. We were stuck by the number of peo- 

 ple involved in research, I think the indication was some 14,000 in 

 the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, with a 

 total of some 25,000 involved in Arctic science in Russia. I wonder 

 if you could give us an opinion of how good their science is? Some 

 of their facihties appear to be somewhat antiquated, but neverthe- 

 less the proof is obviously not in the facilities but the quality of 

 their science. I'm told that to some degree much of the science is 

 not involved in teaching but in pure, basic scientific research. Do 

 you have any thoughts on that. Doctor O'Dowd? 



