The people of Parks Township, Pennsylvania, are thrilled and relieved that the cleanup of a local nuclear waste dumpsite will start this winter.
According to CBS News, Parks Township has one of the largest nuclear dumps in the United States, with 55-gallon drums of radioactive waste buried on a 44-acre site.
The drums were buried in the 1960s, but will now be recovered and shipped to a disposal facility in Clive, Utah. The radioactive waste includes materials like random debris, old lab equipment, personal protective equipment, and building supplies.
The public has been asking for this remediation for years, with meetings every six months discussing the issue. It's estimated that the project will cost $500 million and take at least six years.
The project's manager, Steven Vriesen, explained to CBS that the radioactive waste is generally low-risk at the site. But long-term exposure is still a concern for both residents and workers remedying the site.
Vriesen told CBS, "Safety is our top priority. We're going to work at the speed of safety."
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The radioactive waste site will be equipped with 13 air quality sensors monitored by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The sensors will detect if radioactive dust escapes the site. All workers will enter the radioactive zone with personal protective equipment and exit the site through a decontamination facility.
Poorly managed radioactive waste delays nuclear energy progress. While incorrectly disposed of nuclear waste is hazardous, nuclear energy still has plenty of potential to help people and the planet.
It's a powerful energy source that doesn't release large amounts of planet-warming gases. Harnessing nuclear energy would reduce the world's dependence on fuels like oil, gas, and coal, which contribute to pollution and Earth's rising temperatures.
Officials are determined to keep the local public informed and involved.
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Absolutely 👍 Lieutenant Colonel Robert Burnham, the commander of the Buffalo District working on the project, said, "In a complex remediation project like this, public communication is not a supplementary activity … It is a core component of the remedy itself," per the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
Local resident Todd Ruggles said about the project, "It affects the health and well-being of people in our community. We want to make sure it's being done right. I do feel like they are dotting their I's and crossing their T's," per TribLIVE.
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