508 



STATEMENT OF CALVIN SIMEON, ASSOCIATION OF VILLAGE 



COUNCIL PRESIDENTS 



Mr. Simeon. Thank you, Mr, Chairman, members of the Commit- 

 tee. It's been a long day so I'll try to be short. I represent the Asso- 

 ciation of Village Council Presidents, a regional non-profit consor- 

 tium of 56 Native villages in Southwest Alaska. We rely on our ma- 

 rine resource for sustenance and we are very concerned about the 

 presence of heavy metals and radionuclides in our waters. If the re- 

 ports that we are getting are true, then these elements represent 

 the greatest threat to us since the epidemics that decimated entire 

 villages in Alaska at the turn of the century. 



Our needs with respect to this forum are basic: What is the ex- 

 tent of the contamination? How might it affect us and when will 

 it get here? This country has a significant amount of data within 

 the Department of Defense. However, its classified status prevents 

 a wholly-coordinated effort to ciphering the total extent of the dam- 

 age. We urge in the strongest terms possible that the Office of 

 Naval Research declassify this data. I request this Committee to 

 urge the former Soviet Union to release all their data for our acqui- 

 sition. 



Other nations also hold a certain amount of responsibility for the 

 deterioration in the arctic. And we are glad to see them assume 

 their full share. Sadly, this nation also has a considerable level of 

 involvement, including the Arctic. I can think of no task more dif- 

 ficult than an internal accounting, but it must be done. We may 

 not be able to stop the cesium from entering the east Siberian cur- 

 rent, but this nation can certainly contain its own activities. 



My people need to be assured that this nation will help the 

 former Soviet Union in a full monitoring effort of the flow of radio- 

 nuclides and heavy metals. My questions can be summarized as fol- 

 lows: What time line can we expect for a significant amount of 

 radionuclides to enter the east Siberian current? How does the ice 

 pack affect the flow of poUutsuits? Is there any likelihood that these 

 contaminants will become airborne? What can the people do to pro- 

 tect themselves? And what are the responsibilities of this nation 

 and the former Soviet Union in this respect? 



In simimary, I would just like to stress to both countries to hold 

 nothing back, either money nor data, in this monumental task. The 

 health of this nation depends on this effort and I can think of noth- 

 ing else more important to my people. 



I would like to close by saying that the people are ready and will- 

 ing to help the affected nations to both ascertain the extent of the 

 damage and to help them clean it up. 



Thank you. 



Senator MURKOWSKI. Thank you very much, Mr. Simeon. We ap- 

 preciate your standing in for Mr. Charles. And I think your state- 

 ment summarized the concern of many of the people that live in 

 the rural regions of our state and the bush. And we will attempt 

 to initiate a synopsis that is general enough in capturing the spirit 

 of this hearing with appropriate caveats on this initiation of action. 

 I would suggest that most scientists would probably acknowledge 

 to many of the questions the answers, we don't know enough yet. 

 And that's something that we simply have to address. And in order 

 to address it, we'll have to prioritize it and it has to be brought to 



