Is US nuclear waste leakage no big risk?

The recent incident of nuclear waste leakage in US has been declared no immediate risk to human health because of its tiny quantity and also owing to its occurrence far away from the Columbia River and city of Washington.

Is it no problem for environment?

However, the statement issued by state and federal officials is being seen as big joke that is equal to making fun of the requirement of safe environment and ecology. According to experts, the recent leakage of nuclear waste from the six underground tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation must be mixing into the soil. Therefore, it is very right to ask:

• Is it not adding arsenic contamination in underground water
• Is it not hurting the natural characteristics of the soil
• Is it not likely to increase if it keeps on happening

But the Governor of Washington DC Jay Inslee very smartly addressed the concerns of the Washingtonians by putting aside any immediate threat to the life of people of the nearby areas because leakage is occurring about 8 kilometers away from the Columbia River. However, she also expressed concerns about the aging 140 single-shell storage tanks that are obvious to leak because of their almost end of service life.

Contradiction in concerns

Another official of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation admitted that recent nuclear waste leakage by the six storage tanks is proof of their old age. She also defended her department by saying once any nuclear waste is leaked from the tank it is out of control to manage it which surely will add contamination in the ground water. However, US official version shrugged off any concerns about any addition in arsenic contamination in underground water though it is present everywhere in the world.

After-effects of cold war era’s nuclear race

Hanford Nuclear Reservation was established in 1943 near the small farming towns of Hanford and White Bluffs. It was a mega nuclear project of cold war era that forced all big powers of the world to become as much destructive as possible on the pretext of self defense. The cold war has ended since long but its after-effects are continuing to occurboth on human life and environment.

Polluting nuclear plant

Apart from nuclear pollution, the plant is also releasing ordinary effluent directly into the soil. US EPA admitted that so far 475 billion gallons of contaminated water has been discharged into the soil by this plant that was made for the great defense of the US. But now environment and ecosystem of the US are paying its price. US EPA officials say it will take years to develop a treatment plant to treat the wastewater of this plant to save the soil from further contamination.

Conclusion

According to environmental groups and experts, it is like making ridicule of environment by saying there is no immediate risk to health of the people living around the nuclear plant. Even a particle of such hazardous waste is equally harmful to the environment and underground water of the area. By just saying that the leakage was due to old age of the storage plants is not enough to calm down the concerns of the people. Historically speaking US nuclear authorities are very active to condemn any such type of incident if occurs in other parts of the world but on their own they keep defending instead of admitting the mistake. They must treat environment equally important like they treat their nuclear arsenals and their plans of self defense.