Download America's Nuclear Wastelands: Politics, Accountability, and Cleanup AudioBook Free
By the end of the Freezing War, 45 many years of weapons development and nuclear research got made a sobering legacy: an astounding 1.7 trillion gallons of polluted groundwater; 40 million cubic meters of tainted ground and dust; over 2,000 a great deal of intensely radioactive put in nuclear fuel; more than 160,000 cubic meters of radioactive and unsafe waste; and over 100 million gallons of water, high-level radioactive waste. After more than a decade of evaluation, environmentally friendly Management Program estimated that it could need just as much as $212 billion and 70 years to clean in the nuclear waste and contaminants at 113 sites over the USA. By 2006, the Team of Energy got expended about $90 billion and greatly reduced risks from catastrophic mishaps to both the public and its individuals. Management of critical nuclear materials got become more effective, secure, and responsible. Cleanup was complete at three relatively large and complicated weapons productions sites, as well as much smaller ones. Yet many problems remain. Long-lived radioactive isotopes discharged into the ground will persist in slow migration, contaminating local groundwater. And while their prospect of devastating explosions has been virtually eliminated, storage tanks containing high-level waste will continue steadily to deteriorate, posing further environmental risks. The long-term nuclear repositories will require unremitting management to protect future generations, and extra facilities need to be developed. America's Nuclear Wastelands reveals an expert, yet straightforward overview of this complex topic, including nuclear weapons history and contaminants issues. The author, a government expert with an extended career in Pacific Northwest nuclear waste issues, also explores the existing institutional and political environment, demonstrating the critical role of general public participation for recent and future generations.
