Dumping of Nuclear and Radioactive Waste In the Oceans

Radioactive Waste in the Ocean

The belief that storing radioactive waste in the depths of the world’s oceans is a foolproof strategy of getting rid of this waste is an extremely flawed idea. Storing radioactive waste in the ocean is harmful to the organisms that inhabit the ocean and to humans as well due to radiation and in addition is a very expensive process. Poor insulation of the containers, leaks, volcanic activity, tectonic plate movement , limited locations, and several other factors – prove that storing radioactive waste in the oceans will only lead to many a catastrophe. (“ PRO's and CON's of Radioactive Waste in the Oceans”)

To begin with, it is a bad idea to store radioactive waste in the ocean because the facilities that hold the waste are sometimes flawed and may contain leaks that may become severe when exposed to such high pressures and this allows radiation to leak out into the oceans, where it can be carried everywhere by currents. For example, Russia’s vast amount of radioactive material is stored in the ocean in very poor containment facilities and these leaks risk being transported to other rivers and parts of the ocean. Over time, little amounts of radiation would accumulate and begin to destroy ecosystems in the ocean and contaminate entire food chains, starting with the abyssal creatures. (“ PRO's and CON's of Radioactive Waste in the Oceans”)

In addition, volcanic activity is another concern because the radioactive waste cannot be stored somewhere where there is volcanic activity or shifting tectonic plates due to risks of ruptures in the containers from the movement. More recently scientists have discovered that previous sites that the government approved for ocean dumping are now not so safe because the earth is constantly shifting. To solve this problem the government would have to pass legislation and approve new sites for dumping, as well as find a way of removing the containers that are stored in the “now” danger areas. This makes the storage very difficult because there are only a few “safe zones” for storing the waste, but getting to those places makes the transportation process long and very expensive. (“PRO's and CON's of Radioactive Waste in the Oceans”)

The United States has not adopted this policy also because it could possibly promote the spread of nuclear weapons. An example of this is when India used this reprocessing technology to make a nuclear explosive in the 1970’s. So the United Stated turned and adopted a policy that basically said, “that we don't reprocess [and] you don't need to either." (“Nuclear Waste May Get a Second Life”)

If we could overcome the issue of the price of the process and enact a new nuclear policy, this reprocessing idea would be an ideal thing because it would severely cut the life of the nuclear waste, which would make it more manageable, and we would find something to do with the waste. Instead of dumping it in the ocean, we could reuse it.

Russia is currently the biggest contributor to nuclear waste/radioactive waste dumping in the oceans, but other countries contribute as well. A recent radio broadcast on NPR (National Public Radio) about nuclear waste, suggests a better and smarter way of tackling the problem that is nuclear reactivity. “One option under consideration is a process that would dramatically reduce its radioactive lifetime.”(Increase the speed of radioactive decay) (“Nuclear Waste May Get a Second Life”) The idea is to extract the plutonium and other elements from the used fuel and reuse it, which would keep the long-lasting radioactive materials out of the oceans and other nuclear waste dumps. The Obama administration is promoting nuclear power, but it has put an end to plans of burying waste in the Yucca Mountain. The process is beneficial because in the reusing process the materials will break down into elements with much shorter radioactive lifetimes and faster radioactive decay, which means less radiation being put out there. But why NOT adopt this technology that could greatly reduce nuclear waste and provide cleaner energy? This process is very expensive. It is much more expensive than starting from scratch with uranium ore. It would only work if the price of uranium went up 10 times. (“Nuclear Waste May Get a Second Life”)

We should not be dumping radioactive waste into the oceans, as it causes harm to aquatic life and terrestrial life by radiation. Storing radioactive waste in the ocean is harmful to the organisms that inhabit the ocean and to humans as well, and in addition is a very costly process. Poor insulation of the containers, leaks, volcanic activity, tectonic plate movement, limited locations, and several other factors – confirm that storing radioactive waste in the oceans will only lead to catastrophes and health problems due to radiation. (“ PRO's and CON's of Radioactive Waste in the Oceans”)

Pro and Con." PRO's and CON's of Radioactive Waste in the Oceans.  Web. 08 Apr. 2010.

<http://students.kennesaw.edu/~rab3967/Pro%20and%20Con.html>.

"Nuclear Waste May Get A Second Life : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US,

Music & Arts : NPR . Web. 10 Apr. 2010.

<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125740818>.

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