Climate change ‘cracks open Cold War nuclear tomb’ spilling deadly radioactive sludge into Pacific Ocean
CLIMATE change is cracking open 'a nuclear tomb' filled with radioactive waste, according to a recent investigation.
The Runit Dome is supposed to be holding more than three million cubic feet of waste from bombs detonated on the Marshall Islands in the 1940s and 50s.
However, an investigation by the and Columbia University has revealed that the 'concrete tomb' is leaking.
A research team made five trips to the area and found that sea levels around the dome are rising every year and there is evidence of coral bleaching, fish dying and negative impacts on the health of locals.
Sea levels are reportedly rising three times faster around the Marshall Islands than the global average.
Experts think that the waters around the area could be five feet higher by the end the century, which could result it in the concrete dome cracking and spilling the lethal waste inside.
The publication also states that the US government conducted around 12 biological weapons tests on the island before mixing together all the dangerous fallout materials and burying them in the dome.
The dome is located on Runit Island in the Pacific Ocean and was created as a dumping ground for radioactive waste in the 1970s.
Runit Island is part of the Enewetak atoll, a ring shaped coral structure made up of lots of little islands.
A lot of people who used to live on these islands and the surrounding area had to be forcibly evacuated and resettled due to radioactive fallout.
A total of 67 American nuclear weapons tests were carried out in the region from 1946-58 including the famous 1954 "Bravo" hydrogen bomb test, the most powerful ever detonated by the US.
Bravo was 1,000 times bigger than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, estimated to have killed 90,000–146,000 people.
In an attempt to clean up the Pacific Ocean islands, radioactive soil and ash from the explosions was tipped into a crater made on Runit Island and capped with a concrete dome that is 18 inches thick.
However, it was only ever supposed to be a temporary fix so the bottom of the crater was never lined, which is causing concern that the deadly nuclear waste could now be leaking out into the sea.
Officials from the Marshallese government have requested US assistance for help with what they refer to as "The Tomb".
They have reportedly been told that because the dome is on their land it has to be their responsibility even though they didn't produce the nuclear waste.
Earlier this year, the United Nations Secretary General admitted that he was "worried" about the waste escaping from a concrete dome.
Speaking to students in Fiji, Guterres described the structure as "a kind of coffin" and said that the Pacific has been "victimised" in the past by nuclear tests carried out by the US and France in the area.
Guterres, who was touring the Pacific Islands to raise climate change awareness, observed: "The consequences of these [tests] have been quite dramatic, in relation to health, in relation to the poisoning of waters in some areas.
"I've just been with the President of the Marshall Islands (Hilda Heine), who is very worried because there is a risk of leaking of radioactive materials that are contained in a kind of coffin in the area."
Around 4,000 servicemen spent three years making the dome.
Of those, six died during the process and hundreds more developed radiation exposure related illnesses like cancer.
The LA Times report also claimed that 130 tons of soil from a nuclear test site in Nevada in the US was buried in the dome.
This is something that the Marshallese government was reportedly not made aware of and could help its claims that the US needs to help with the issue.
The US has previously been told to pay $2.3billion (£1.7billion) after an international tribunal but hasn't done so yet.
According to the LA Times, only $4million (£3.1million) has been paid so far.
There have also been suggestions that the Chinese government might step in to help as it attempts to gain favour in the Pacific.
The 1986 agreement between the US and the Marshallese is up for renegotiation in 2023.
Why is radioactive waste dangerous?
Nuclear waste is hazardous for numerous reasons...
- Nuclear waste is a byproduct of nuclear fission, which is a reaction caused when atoms are thrown together to create energy and end up splitting into tiny particles
- These particles are highly unstable and can cause cells in the body to malfunction, leading to cancer and cell death
- Long term exposure to nuclear radiation can leave people with incurable illnesses but the changes in their bodies are often not apparent until it is too late
- Nuclear powerplants are good at creating lots of energy to power the World but there is no current 100% safe way to store their waste
- If storage facilities are not sealed properly then radiation can leak out into the environment, resulting in lots of diseases and the death of animals and ecosystems
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In other news, extreme sea level rise of 11 feet a century could drown major cities by 2100.
Scientists recently warned that ocean waves are getting stronger, and say we've "underestimated" the risks of climate change.
And, experts think climate change could cause areas of the ocean to turn a "deep green" colour by 2100.
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