July 20, 1971
Page 26059
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, in view of the grave doubts that have been expressed concerning the proposed Cannikin test – and I refer not only to the environmental dangers that have especially concerned many people in Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific Coast, but also the possibility that the test itself may be unnecessary from the military point of view – I must support the amendment to postpone the Cannikin test. The administration has yet to offer any convincing reasons this test is necessary for our national security.
It has been my hope that President Nixon would cancel the proposed test, and I understand that this possibility has been under consideration within the administration in recent weeks. I certainly hope that our action today in the Senate will further rather than hinder the chances that President Nixon will himself decide that this test must be stopped.
Mr. President, I am announcing today hearings on July 22 and 23 of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Arms Control on current prospects for a comprehensive nuclear test ban agreement – that is, a test ban that would include underground as well as other forms of nuclear testing. At that time, we also expect to have testimony on the proposed Cannikin nuclear test. I regret that today's debate on the AEC authorization anticipates those hearings by 2 or 3 days. I would hope to know more about the issues involved in underground nuclear testing as a result of these hearings, and to have a better basis on which to judge the significance of the Cannikin test and the necessity for future underground testing.
Nevertheless, it is already clear to me that the proposed Cannikin test should be cancelled. We have already had much information on the possible hazards to the environment. The possibility of a major disaster – a massive earthquake or tidal wave – is admittedly very slight. But as long as there is any possibility of a disaster of such magnitude, we can hardly dismiss as irrelevant the fears that are being expressed by the people who live in these areas that would be affected.
Moreover, even if it were clear that there is no possibility of a major disaster – and this is by no means clear – the environmental hazards resulting from radiation leakages are themselves serious enough to question whether this test should be allowed. I, for one, am certainly not satisfied by the assurances thus far given by the AEC that the Cannikin test will not cause unacceptable environmental damage.
But quite apart from the very important environmental question, I am not satisfied that this test is even necessary militarily. We now know that the Cannikin bomb is in the range of 5 megatons and is designed for the long-range Spartan anti-ballistic missile. This Spartan missile was originally designed for a thin area defense of the United States – presumably against the possibility of a small Chinese nuclear attack. However, now that the rationale of our ABM is primarily defense of our Minuteman bases, it is doubtful that the Spartan will require such a large warhead. Defense officials have already testified that a new improved Spartan missile will not use such a high-yield warhead.
For both these reasons – the environmental risks involved, and the fact that this test is evidently for a weapon that may already be obsolete – I support the amendment to postpone the test, in hopes that the administration will decide to cancel it altogether.