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Assessment Program. For example: although the Environmental 

 Protection Agency (EPA) was designated the lead agency for 

 development of the U.S. component of the Arctic Monitoring and 

 Assessment Program with the assistance of the National Oceanic and 

 Atmospheric Administration, these agencies do not have resources 

 available to effectively develop and implement such a plan. 



The Arctic Research Commission and the Interagency Arctic 

 Research Policy Commission should develop a coordinated monitoring 

 and response program for nuclear contamination issues. The program 

 should include strategies for national activities as well as actions to 

 provide U.S. leadership in the Arctic Environmental Protection 

 Strategy and the International Arctic Science Committee. 

 Strengthening U.S. monitoring and assessment programs will provide 

 more information on some of the less well-defined threats to the Arctic 

 environment. At the same time, we must also start to reduce the risk 

 from known threats, such as nuclear reactors that have been dumped 

 near Novaya Zemlya. Right now there are two possibilities: 



1) if the reactors are found to be leaking, then we must assist 

 the Russians with technology to raise the reactors or cap them 

 in place; and 



2) if they are not leaking, then we must also decide whether to 

 deal with them on the sea floor or remove them and dispose of 

 them elsewhere. 



Therefore, at this point we feel that it is crucial to involve our 

 nuclear and environmental engineers, as well as those of Russia to 

 assess the risk posed by the reactors and to design plans to deal with 

 the risks. An action plan should be developed immediately with high- 

 level State Department coordination. 



The Senate-passed Russian Aid Bill contains important provisions 

 concerning support of Russian scientists, improving energy efficiency 

 and environmental protection in general which have vital bearing for 

 the Arctic. Such assistance is required if we are to protect the Arctic. 

 This legislation deserves priority attention by congress when it returns 

 in September. EDF strongly believes that environmental protection 

 should be at the forefront of bilateral and multilateral assistance to 

 Russia. 



We are pleased to hear that the State Department intends to 

 place higher priority on the Arctic, including Assistant Secretary 

 Bohlen's statement at the recent Arctic Policy Conference to establish 

 an Arctic Advisory Committee at the State Department. An immediate 

 priority for this committee should be an evaluation of the effectiveness 



