Nuclear Legacy

'There is 10 thousand tons of nuclear waste on Earth.' Many scientist are in

search for new and efficient ways to dispose of these lethal by-products which can

destroy life itself. Radioactive products can be either beneficial or devastating. It all

depends on how we use them. In the field of medicine, some benefit from radiation

include, radiation therapy for cancer patients. Not all uses of radiation prove to be

beneficial. Many use the power of the atom for destructive purposes, introducing an

age of nuclear warfare. It doesn't matter if we use radiation for good or bad purposes,

they all contribute to the growing rate of 'unwanted nuclear waste.' The issue now is,

how do we dispose of these nuclear wastes?

Scientist have thought of several methods to dispose the nuclear by-products.

They tried to chemically treat the waste and reuse it, but 'that would cost a fortune'.

They thought of launching the waste into outer space but it too will cost a fortune.

Yucca Mountain Johnny, the cartoon miner.

English: Nuclear Waste Container coming out of Nev...

Railroad Valley, Nevada

They tried to dump barrels filled with nuclear waste into the ocean but they started

leaking. As you can see, there is a great need for a nuclear waste disposal site. These

sites may sound frightening, but it may be the only way for us to dispose the

devastation we had longed to create. In 1986, the decision for a nuclear waste

depositary proved to be 'the most frightening decision of the decade.' Of these sites,

three were chosen to be the 'most suitable' for the disposal of nuclear by-products.

These three sites consisted of Hanford, Washington; Yuka Mountain, Nevada; and

Defsmith, Texas.

Hanford, Washington is a low populated U.S. city, and is owned by the

Department of Energy. A low populated city is an ideal site for radioactive disposal.

Although the city...