51 



TES^'IMONY OF 



AMBASSADOR DAVID A. COLSON 



ASSISTANT SECRETARY (ACTING) 



FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL 



AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS 



DEPARTMENT OF STATE 



BEFORE A JOINT HEARING BY THE 



SUBCOMMITTEE ON MILITARY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 



OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY 



AND 



THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES, WILDLIFE AND OCEANS 



OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES 



UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 



6 DECEMBER 1995 



Mr. Chairman: 



I am pleased to appear before the joint Committees on 

 National Security and Resources to discuss the problems of 

 radioactive and other toxic contamination in the Arctic. 



My presentation addresses these important issues from the 

 international perspective and seeks to place them within the 

 context of United States Arctic policy and the international 

 mechanisms, both regional and bilateral, within which we pursue 

 that policy. 



In June 1994, President Clinton endorsed an Arctic Policy 

 reflecting our unique and critical needs and interests in the 

 region. This endorsement followed a broad interagency review of 

 U.S. interests in the Arctic, based on analyzing and responding 

 to post Cold-War challenges in the North in the areas of 

 security, resources, science and the environment. 



Let me review the policy briefly. It is based on the 

 following goals: 



Protecting the Arctic environment and conserving its 

 biological resources. 



Assuring that natural resource management and economic 

 development in the region are environmentally sustainable. 



