[NukeNet] New NIRS report: Nuclear Weapons Materials Released to Landfills

[Michael Mariotte]

NEWS FROM NIRS


 

Nuclear Information and Resource Service

6930 Carroll Avenue, #340, Takoma Park, MD 20912

301-270-6477; fax: 301-270-4291; www.nirs.org <http://www.nirs.org/> ;
dianed at nirs.org

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                    

May 14, 2007


Contacts: Diane D'Arrigo, 301-270-6477 ext. 16

Mary Olson (NIRS Southeast) (after 1 PM eastern), 828-675-1792 

 

New Report Finds Nuclear Weapons Materials Released to Landfills

Pathways Open for Reuse and Recycling

 

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 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 - 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."


A copy of the full report can be found on the NIRS web site at:
http://www.nirs.org/radwaste/outofcontrol/outofcontrol.htm

 

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

 

###

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mail.energyjustice.net/pipermail/nukenet_energyjustice.net/attachments/20070514/7b933289/attachment.html