S4 E22: Nuclear Waste, Steve Bannon & Charlottesville: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

26 Aug 2024 (21 days ago)

Donald Trump and Charlottesville

Nuclear waste is a dangerous substance that needs to be stored safely.
The United States has a large amount of nuclear waste, including over 71,000 tons from nuclear reactors and over 100 million gallons of liquid waste from weapons production.
For years, the United States disposed of radioactive waste by filling barrels with it, covering them in concrete, and dumping them in the ocean.
One proposed solution for dealing with radioactive waste, blasting it into space, was rejected due to the risk of contaminating Earth in the event of a rocket explosion.
The United States needs a permanent storage facility for dangerous nuclear waste. Yucca Mountain in Nevada was chosen as the sole candidate for waste storage 30 years ago, and $15 billion has been spent on site preparation. However, the project was shut down due to opposition from Nevada residents and former Senator Harry Reid, despite scientific consensus supporting Yucca Mountain as a safe and feasible option.
The United States government has been discussing solutions for nuclear waste for decades, with no solutions yet implemented.
A 1977 NBC News special titled "Danger Radioactive Waste" covered many of the same issues regarding nuclear waste that persist today.
The correspondent of the 1977 NBC News special stated that the U.S. is accustomed to acting only in times of crisis, but with nuclear waste, when the crisis comes, it will be too late.

The Hanford site in Washington state, responsible for producing two-thirds of the plutonium in the US Arsenal, currently stores 56 million gallons of highly toxic and radioactive waste underground and is considered the most contaminated place in the Western Hemisphere.
The Hanford Site in Washington state has experienced numerous problems, including explosions, toxic vapor releases, and over a million gallons of waste leaking from tanks. The government has paid nearly $1.5 billion in compensation to workers for illnesses caused by radiation and toxic chemical exposure.
A local news station's investigation into Hanford following a tunnel collapse revealed that some infrastructure, including 55-60 year old tunnels, is significantly deteriorated. Wooden support beams in the tunnels are eroding due to radiation exposure.