Nuclear Legacy :: essays research papers

Nuclear Legacy "There is 10 thousand tons of nuclear waste on Earth." Many scientist are in search for new and efficient ways to dispose of these lethal by-products which can destroy life itself. Radioactive products can be either beneficial or devastating. It all depends on how we use them. In the field of medicine, some benefit from radiation include, radiation therapy for cancer patients. Not all uses of radiation prove to be beneficial. Many use the power of the atom for destructive purposes, introducing an age of nuclear warfare. It doesn't matter if we use radiation for good or bad purposes, they all contribute to the growing rate of "unwanted nuclear waste." The issue now is, how do we dispose of these nuclear wastes? Scientist have thought of several methods to dispose the nuclear by- products. They tried to chemically treat the waste and reuse it, but "that would cost a fortune". They thought of launching the waste into outer space but it too will cost a fortune. They tried to dump barrels filled with nuclear waste into the ocean but they started leaking. As you can see, there is a great need for a nuclear waste disposal site. These sites may sound frightening, but it may be the only way for us to dispose the devastation we had longed to create. In 1986, the decision for a nuclear waste depositary proved to be "the most frightening decision of the decade." Of these sites, three were chosen to be the "most suitable" for the disposal of nuclear by-products. These three sites consisted of Hanford, Washington; Yuka Mountain, Nevada; and Defsmith, Texas. Hanford, Washington is a low populated U.S. city, and is owned by the Department of Energy. A low populated city is an ideal site for radioactive disposal. Although the city of Hanford is sparsely populated, geologists fear the possibility of a nuclear seepage into the Colombia river. The Columbia River is an important factor for the U.S. production of wheat. "This makes it the worst of site," says the geologist. If the Colombia River is contaminated with nuclear waste, it will lead to the contamination of land surrounding the large body of water, thus making land unusable. Radioactive contamination of the Colombia river will affect both America's economy and agricultural production. Yuka mountain, Nevada is a heavily guarded desert region of America. It is far away from any lakes, rivers, or oceans, and its repository is located above ground water levels. These geological conditions make Yuka mountain an almost perfect place for nuclear waste disposal to take place. This is due to