[SustainableTompkins] Nuclear Weapons Materials Released to Landfills

[Tony Del Plato]

 Rachel's Democracy & Health News #907 *"Environment, health, jobs and
justice--Who gets to decide?"* Thursday, May 17, 2007
www.rachel.org<http://rachel.org/>
Originally from: Nuclear Information and Resource Service, May 15, 2007

*NUCLEAR WEAPONS MATERIALS RELEASED TO LANDFILLS*

Takoma Park, Md. -- Radioactive materials are being released from
nuclear weapons facilities to regular landfills and could get into
commercial recycling streams, finds a new
report<http://www.nirs.org/radwaste/outofcontrol/outofcontrol.htm>released
today by
Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS).

The report: Out of Control -- On Purpose: DOE's Dispersal of
Radioactive Waste into Landfills and Consumer
Products<http://www.nirs.org/radwaste/outofcontrol/outofcontrol.htm>--
was
commissioned to track if and how the Department of Energy (DOE)
releases some of the radioactive wastes from nuclear bomb production.

The report authors, led by Diane D'Arrigo, NIRS' Radioactive Waste
Project Director, researched seven sites and the DOE national
headquarters. The seven sites were: Oak Ridge TN, Rocky Flats CO, Los
Alamos NM, Mound and Fernald OH, West Valley NY, and Paducah KY.

"People around regular trash landfills will be shocked to learn that
radioactive contamination from nuclear weapons production is ending up
there, either directly released by DOE or via brokers and processors,"
D'Arrigo said. "Just as ominous, the DOE allows and encourages sale
and donation of some radioactively contaminated materials."

The report tracked the laws, guidance and technical justifications
that DOE uses to rationalize allowing radioactive scrap, concrete,
equipment, asphalt, plastic, wood, chemicals, soil, and more out to
landfills, commercial businesses and recreation areas, recycling and
reuse in places unprepared to handle radioactivity. Applauding DOE's
ban on recycling of radioactive metal from nuclear weapons, the report
cautions there are loopholes and it is again threatened.

"DOE is ignoring public opposition to unnecessary exposures and
releasing radioactivity even though the U.S. Congress revoked such
release policies," said Mary Olson, director of the NIRS Southeast
office and a co-author of the report. "DOE is using its own internal
guidance to allow radioactive weapons wastes out of control, claiming
the doses to people will be 'acceptable' even though they are not
enforced or tracked."

Under the current system, the DOE and other nuclear waste generators
release materials directly, sell them at auction or through exchanges
or send their waste to processors who can then release it from
radioactive controls to landfills, to recyclers or for reuse.

The report found that the State of Tennessee is a leader in licensing
processors that can release radioactive materials for the nuclear
waste generators.

"Tennessee is serving as a funnel to bring in nuclear weapons and
power waste from around the country to disperse into the landfills and
recycling without public knowledge," D'Arrigo said.

The waste is processed by state-licensed companies and in some cases
"redefined" as "special" then released to regular landfills. This free
release also opens up the potential for the materials to enter the
recycling stream to make everyday household and personal items or to
be used to build roads, schools, and playgrounds.

"As long as DOE and other nuclear waste generators can slip their
contamination out -letting it get Out of Control -- On Purpose --
there is really no limit to the amount of additional radiation
exposure members of the public could receive," D'Arrigo concluded.
"Only an informed, outraged public can force DOE and agreeable states
to shift the goal from dispersal to isolation of radioactive waste."

The report authors and contributors include:

Diane D'Arrigo, NIRS' Radioactive Waste Project Director Mary Olson,
Director, NIRS Southeast Office Cindy Folkers, NIRS, Health and
Environment Project Dr. Marvin Resnikoff, Radioactive Waste Management
Associates, NYC


-- 
I am against using death as a punishment. I am also against using it as a
reward.
  - Stanislaw J. Lec