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America's Nuclear Wastelands
- Politics, Accountability, and Cleanup
- Narrated by: Todd Belcher
- Length: 4 hrs and 42 mins
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America's Nuclear Wastelands
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Summary
By the end of the Cold War, 45 years of weapons production and nuclear research had generated a sobering legacy: an astounding 1.7 trillion gallons of contaminated groundwater; 40 million cubic meters of tainted soil and debris; over 2,000 tons of intensely radioactive spent nuclear fuel; more than 160,000 cubic meters of radioactive and hazardous waste; and over 100 million gallons of liquid, high-level radioactive waste.
After more than a decade of assessment, the Environmental Management Program estimated that it would need as much as $212 billion and 70 years to clean up the nuclear waste and contamination at 113 sites across the United States. By 2006, the Department of Energy had expended about $90 billion and greatly reduced risks from catastrophic accidents to both the public and its workers. Management of critical nuclear materials had become more efficient, secure, and accountable. Cleanup was complete at three relatively large and complex weapons productions sites, as well as many smaller ones.
Yet many problems remain. Long-lived radioactive isotopes discharged into the soil will persist in slow migration, contaminating nearby groundwater. And while their potential for disastrous explosions has been virtually eliminated, storage tanks containing high-level waste will continue to deteriorate, posing further environmental risks. The long-term nuclear repositories will require unremitting management to protect future generations, and additional facilities need to be developed.
America's Nuclear Wastelands presents an expert, yet straightforward overview of this complex topic, including nuclear weapons history and contamination issues. The author, a government consultant with a long career in Pacific Northwest nuclear waste issues, also explores the current institutional and political environment, demonstrating the critical role of public participation for past and future generations.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- T.
- 24-02-23
Regulations and Politics Handbooks - Not Good!
I thought this would be narrative about what occurred around the world. What you get is a long list of regulations:
It destroys any interest in the subject as it is paper thin as it believes from the person who job was to do with nuclear waste.
So, there is a subtle attempt at impartiality but not really the ending sentence is always to the rescue of nuclear energy or nuclear weapons.
A very long list of and to do with this act by... state or local government is peppered through this book to make it a quasi-regulations book on nuclear waste.
I am sure in every chapter he must do 20 citations of acts to do with waste:.".. regulation act of... ". If you had to do a glossary of the regulations and organisations it would be 150 pages,
Senate
Congress
Local State
Meeting
Groups
Act A..Z
Regulation 1...100
It DOES not mention Fukushima so must be well of date or the various other problems.
Glancing counter arguments to people who live off the land and who love the land.
Regulations are VERY IMPORTANT, but this is not the way to do it. You were meant to explain that vast areas of land in the USA are gone for thousands of years.
What I wanted how the waste got there, why and what people think. Not more scientific huff, huff and and the only thing lasting is: "and regulation 1abcd.100. as per city or state or federal…" And some scientists saying GREENHOUSE, but we get BROWN-HOUSED this area for thousands of years with WASTE.
All through out the book I felt it was condescending to the general pubic and sneering.
The glib response we are better now than the past were we allowed various releases and storage issues. Eh, so the guys who said it was okay were proven wrong. But we should trust you now?
The simple question is all this waste and we are only talking about the USA - man-made waste,
A few accidents here and nuclear waste in the air or in the water table, but we spent billions and now it is safe!. So, if we hadn't created the nuclear waste we would have
"The USA NUCLEAR WASTELANDS". I would love to know the actual size, but must be thousands of hectares of USA land.
I will probably be asking for a refund.
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