Long-Term Stewardship and the Nuclear Weapons Complex

Long-Term Stewardship and the Nuclear Weapons Complex

Author: Katherine N. Probst

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-04-04

Total Pages: 72

ISBN-13: 1135893136

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Decades of U.S. nuclear weapons production have exacted a heavy environmental toll. The Department of Energy estimates that cleaning up waste and contamination resulting from production activities will cost over $150 billion. Yet even once that money is spent, these sites will need long-term attention to assure protection of human health and the environment. In the authors' words, stewardship refers to 'institutions, information, and strategies needed to ensure protection of people and the environment, both in the short and the long term.' Probst and McGovern make a compelling case for establishing a formal program of long-term stewardship for contaminated sites. Their report details the requirements of a successful stewardship program and discusses the daunting technical and political challenges facing such efforts, including the designation of an institutional home for key stewardship functions. The legacy of environmental damage is considerable; hazardous waste disposal, radioactive waste, and contaminated facilities are among the problems that will remain after DOE cleanup efforts are complete. Stewardship planning, according to Probst and McGovern, must start now.


Book Synopsis Long-Term Stewardship and the Nuclear Weapons Complex by : Katherine N. Probst

Download or read book Long-Term Stewardship and the Nuclear Weapons Complex written by Katherine N. Probst and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-04-04 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Decades of U.S. nuclear weapons production have exacted a heavy environmental toll. The Department of Energy estimates that cleaning up waste and contamination resulting from production activities will cost over $150 billion. Yet even once that money is spent, these sites will need long-term attention to assure protection of human health and the environment. In the authors' words, stewardship refers to 'institutions, information, and strategies needed to ensure protection of people and the environment, both in the short and the long term.' Probst and McGovern make a compelling case for establishing a formal program of long-term stewardship for contaminated sites. Their report details the requirements of a successful stewardship program and discusses the daunting technical and political challenges facing such efforts, including the designation of an institutional home for key stewardship functions. The legacy of environmental damage is considerable; hazardous waste disposal, radioactive waste, and contaminated facilities are among the problems that will remain after DOE cleanup efforts are complete. Stewardship planning, according to Probst and McGovern, must start now.


Long-Term Stewardship and the Nuclear Weapons Complex

Long-Term Stewardship and the Nuclear Weapons Complex

Author: Katherine N. Probst

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-04-04

Total Pages: 81

ISBN-13: 1135893063

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Decades of U.S. nuclear weapons production have exacted a heavy environmental toll. The Department of Energy estimates that cleaning up waste and contamination resulting from production activities will cost over $150 billion. Yet even once that money is spent, these sites will need long-term attention to assure protection of human health and the environment. In the authors' words, stewardship refers to 'institutions, information, and strategies needed to ensure protection of people and the environment, both in the short and the long term.' Probst and McGovern make a compelling case for establishing a formal program of long-term stewardship for contaminated sites. Their report details the requirements of a successful stewardship program and discusses the daunting technical and political challenges facing such efforts, including the designation of an institutional home for key stewardship functions. The legacy of environmental damage is considerable; hazardous waste disposal, radioactive waste, and contaminated facilities are among the problems that will remain after DOE cleanup efforts are complete. Stewardship planning, according to Probst and McGovern, must start now.


Book Synopsis Long-Term Stewardship and the Nuclear Weapons Complex by : Katherine N. Probst

Download or read book Long-Term Stewardship and the Nuclear Weapons Complex written by Katherine N. Probst and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-04-04 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Decades of U.S. nuclear weapons production have exacted a heavy environmental toll. The Department of Energy estimates that cleaning up waste and contamination resulting from production activities will cost over $150 billion. Yet even once that money is spent, these sites will need long-term attention to assure protection of human health and the environment. In the authors' words, stewardship refers to 'institutions, information, and strategies needed to ensure protection of people and the environment, both in the short and the long term.' Probst and McGovern make a compelling case for establishing a formal program of long-term stewardship for contaminated sites. Their report details the requirements of a successful stewardship program and discusses the daunting technical and political challenges facing such efforts, including the designation of an institutional home for key stewardship functions. The legacy of environmental damage is considerable; hazardous waste disposal, radioactive waste, and contaminated facilities are among the problems that will remain after DOE cleanup efforts are complete. Stewardship planning, according to Probst and McGovern, must start now.


Nuclear Legacies

Nuclear Legacies

Author: Bryan C. Taylor

Publisher: Lexington Books

Published: 2007-04-13

Total Pages: 278

ISBN-13: 0739158325

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Although the Cold War is commonly considered 'over,' the legacies of that conflict continue to unfold throughout the globe. One site of post-Cold War controversy involves the consequences of U.S. nuclear weapons production for worker safety, public health, and the environment. Over the past two decades, citizens, organizations, and governments have passionately debated the nature of these consequences, and how they should be managed. This volume clarifies the role of communication in creating, maintaining, and transforming the relationships between these parties, and in shaping the outcomes of related organizational and political deliberations. Providing various perspectives on nuclear culture and discourse, this anthology serves as a model of interdisciplinary communication scholarship that cuts across the subfields of political, environmental, and organizational communication studies, and rhetoric.


Book Synopsis Nuclear Legacies by : Bryan C. Taylor

Download or read book Nuclear Legacies written by Bryan C. Taylor and published by Lexington Books. This book was released on 2007-04-13 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although the Cold War is commonly considered 'over,' the legacies of that conflict continue to unfold throughout the globe. One site of post-Cold War controversy involves the consequences of U.S. nuclear weapons production for worker safety, public health, and the environment. Over the past two decades, citizens, organizations, and governments have passionately debated the nature of these consequences, and how they should be managed. This volume clarifies the role of communication in creating, maintaining, and transforming the relationships between these parties, and in shaping the outcomes of related organizational and political deliberations. Providing various perspectives on nuclear culture and discourse, this anthology serves as a model of interdisciplinary communication scholarship that cuts across the subfields of political, environmental, and organizational communication studies, and rhetoric.


Nuclear Health and Safety

Nuclear Health and Safety

Author: United States. General Accounting Office

Publisher:

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 16

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Nuclear Health and Safety by : United States. General Accounting Office

Download or read book Nuclear Health and Safety written by United States. General Accounting Office and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Long-Term Institutional Management of U.S. Department of Energy Legacy Waste Sites

Long-Term Institutional Management of U.S. Department of Energy Legacy Waste Sites

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2000-11-09

Total Pages: 179

ISBN-13: 0309071860

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It is now becoming clear that relatively few U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) waste sites will be cleaned up to the point where they can be released for unrestricted use. "Long-term stewardship" (activities to protect human health and the environment from hazards that may remain at its sites after cessation of remediation) will be required for over 100 of the 144 waste sites under DOE control (U.S. Department of Energy, 1999). After stabilizing wastes that remain on site and containing them as well as is feasible, DOE intends to rely on stewardship for as long as hazards persistâ€"in many cases, indefinitely. Physical containment barriers, the management systems upon which their long-term reliability depends, and institutional controls intended to prevent exposure of people and the environment to the remaining site hazards, will have to be maintained at some DOE sites for an indefinite period of time. The Committee on Remediation of Buried and Tank Wastes finds that much regarding DOE's intended reliance on long-term stewardship is at this point problematic. The details of long-term stewardship planning are yet to be specified, the adequacy of funding is not assured, and there is no convincing evidence that institutional controls and other stewardship measures are reliable over the long term. Scientific understanding of the factors that govern the long-term behavior of residual contaminants in the environment is not adequate. Yet, the likelihood that institutional management measures will fail at some point is relatively high, underscoring the need to assure that decisions made in the near term are based on the best available science. Improving institutional capabilities can be expected to be every bit as difficult as improving scientific and technical ones, but without improved understanding of why and how institutions succeed and fail, the follow-through necessary to assure that long-term stewardship remains effective cannot reliably be counted on to occur. Long-Term Institutional Management of U.S. Department of Energy Legacy Waste Sites examines the capabilities and limitations of the scientific, technical, and human and institutional systems that compose the measures that DOE expects to put into place at potentially hazardous, residually contaminated sites.


Book Synopsis Long-Term Institutional Management of U.S. Department of Energy Legacy Waste Sites by : National Research Council

Download or read book Long-Term Institutional Management of U.S. Department of Energy Legacy Waste Sites written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2000-11-09 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is now becoming clear that relatively few U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) waste sites will be cleaned up to the point where they can be released for unrestricted use. "Long-term stewardship" (activities to protect human health and the environment from hazards that may remain at its sites after cessation of remediation) will be required for over 100 of the 144 waste sites under DOE control (U.S. Department of Energy, 1999). After stabilizing wastes that remain on site and containing them as well as is feasible, DOE intends to rely on stewardship for as long as hazards persistâ€"in many cases, indefinitely. Physical containment barriers, the management systems upon which their long-term reliability depends, and institutional controls intended to prevent exposure of people and the environment to the remaining site hazards, will have to be maintained at some DOE sites for an indefinite period of time. The Committee on Remediation of Buried and Tank Wastes finds that much regarding DOE's intended reliance on long-term stewardship is at this point problematic. The details of long-term stewardship planning are yet to be specified, the adequacy of funding is not assured, and there is no convincing evidence that institutional controls and other stewardship measures are reliable over the long term. Scientific understanding of the factors that govern the long-term behavior of residual contaminants in the environment is not adequate. Yet, the likelihood that institutional management measures will fail at some point is relatively high, underscoring the need to assure that decisions made in the near term are based on the best available science. Improving institutional capabilities can be expected to be every bit as difficult as improving scientific and technical ones, but without improved understanding of why and how institutions succeed and fail, the follow-through necessary to assure that long-term stewardship remains effective cannot reliably be counted on to occur. Long-Term Institutional Management of U.S. Department of Energy Legacy Waste Sites examines the capabilities and limitations of the scientific, technical, and human and institutional systems that compose the measures that DOE expects to put into place at potentially hazardous, residually contaminated sites.


Management of Long Term Radiological Liabilities

Management of Long Term Radiological Liabilities

Author: International Atomic Energy Agency

Publisher: Branch Line Video

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13:

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Experience in IAEA member states has often shown that sites with radiation legacies cannot be remediated to residual levels of radioactivity below concern, and so cannot be released for unrestricted use. Residual contamination, buried wastes and other hazards may remain after cleanup is complete, for several reasons including technical limitations, economic feasibility, worker health and safety issues. This publication deals with the key conceptual, managerial and technical issues involved in the maintenance of institutional control over sites for prolonged periods of time, possibly for hundreds or even thousands of years. The management of sites with such long-term radiological liabilities is often referred to as 'stewardship'.


Book Synopsis Management of Long Term Radiological Liabilities by : International Atomic Energy Agency

Download or read book Management of Long Term Radiological Liabilities written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by Branch Line Video. This book was released on 2006 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Experience in IAEA member states has often shown that sites with radiation legacies cannot be remediated to residual levels of radioactivity below concern, and so cannot be released for unrestricted use. Residual contamination, buried wastes and other hazards may remain after cleanup is complete, for several reasons including technical limitations, economic feasibility, worker health and safety issues. This publication deals with the key conceptual, managerial and technical issues involved in the maintenance of institutional control over sites for prolonged periods of time, possibly for hundreds or even thousands of years. The management of sites with such long-term radiological liabilities is often referred to as 'stewardship'.


Superfund's Future

Superfund's Future

Author: Katherine Probst

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2010-09-30

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 1136523812

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Reauthorization of the Superfund law continues to be a major source of controversy among political leaders and environmental activists. Some seek a major overhaul of the statute, arguing that considerable cleanup still needs to be done. Others oppose major changes, asserting that cleanup is almost complete. One of the most contentious issues in the debate is whether the taxes that once stocked the Superfund Trust Fund need to be reinstated. The answer depends in large part on how much money EPA will need to implement the Superfund program. To inform this discussion, the U.S. Congress asked Resources for the Future (RFF) to estimate the program's future costs. The results of this research are included in Superfund's Future, a book that will become an essential reference for all participants in the debate about one of the nation's most controversial environmental programs.


Book Synopsis Superfund's Future by : Katherine Probst

Download or read book Superfund's Future written by Katherine Probst and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2010-09-30 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reauthorization of the Superfund law continues to be a major source of controversy among political leaders and environmental activists. Some seek a major overhaul of the statute, arguing that considerable cleanup still needs to be done. Others oppose major changes, asserting that cleanup is almost complete. One of the most contentious issues in the debate is whether the taxes that once stocked the Superfund Trust Fund need to be reinstated. The answer depends in large part on how much money EPA will need to implement the Superfund program. To inform this discussion, the U.S. Congress asked Resources for the Future (RFF) to estimate the program's future costs. The results of this research are included in Superfund's Future, a book that will become an essential reference for all participants in the debate about one of the nation's most controversial environmental programs.


America's Nuclear Wastelands

America's Nuclear Wastelands

Author: Max Singleton Power

Publisher:

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13:

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By the end of the Cold War, 45 years of weapons production and nuclear research had generated a sobering legacy: an astounding 1.7 trillion gallons of contaminated groundwater; 40 million cubic meters of tainted soil and debris; over 2,000 tons of intensely radioactive spent nuclear fuel; more than 160,000 cubic meters of radioactive and hazardous waste; and over 100 million gallons of liquid, high-level radioactive waste. After more than a decade of assessment, the Environmental Management Program estimated that it would need as much as $212 billion and 70 years to clean up the nuclear waste and contamination at 113 sites across the United States. By 2006, the Department of Energy had expended about $90 billion and greatly reduced risks from catastrophic accidents to both the public and its workers. Management of critical nuclear materials had become more efficient, secure, and accountable. Cleanup was complete at three relatively large and complex weapons productions sites, as well as many smaller ones. Yet many problems remain. Long-lived radioactive isotopes discharged into the soil will persist in slow migration, contaminating nearby groundwater. And while their potential for disastrous explosions has been virtually eliminated, storage tanks containing high-level waste will continue to deteriorate, posing further environmental risks. Long-term nuclear repositories will require unremitting management to protect future generations, and additional facilities still need to be developed. As in the past, public participation will be crucial. Lisa Crawford thought she lived across the road from an agricultural feed company--until one day in 1984, the Feed Materials Production Center inFernald, Ohio, released a toxic dust cloud. A year later, Lisa's well tested positive for excess uranium. She and several neighbors formed Fernald Residents for Environmental Safety and Health, or FRESH. We worked with people in the community and with our elected officials. When the government was ready to make legally binding cleanup decisions, FRESH members were involved. It took 22 years, but the work at Fernald was completed in the fall of 2006. In America's Nuclear Wastelands, Max S. Power uses non-technical language to present a brief overview of nuclear weapons history and contamination issues, as well as a description of the institutional and political environment. He provides a background for understanding the major value conflicts and associated political dynamics, and makes recommendations for navigating long-term stewardship, but his key purpose is to demonstrate the critical role of public participation, and in so doing, encourage citizens to take action regarding local and national policies related to nuclear production and waste disposal.


Book Synopsis America's Nuclear Wastelands by : Max Singleton Power

Download or read book America's Nuclear Wastelands written by Max Singleton Power and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By the end of the Cold War, 45 years of weapons production and nuclear research had generated a sobering legacy: an astounding 1.7 trillion gallons of contaminated groundwater; 40 million cubic meters of tainted soil and debris; over 2,000 tons of intensely radioactive spent nuclear fuel; more than 160,000 cubic meters of radioactive and hazardous waste; and over 100 million gallons of liquid, high-level radioactive waste. After more than a decade of assessment, the Environmental Management Program estimated that it would need as much as $212 billion and 70 years to clean up the nuclear waste and contamination at 113 sites across the United States. By 2006, the Department of Energy had expended about $90 billion and greatly reduced risks from catastrophic accidents to both the public and its workers. Management of critical nuclear materials had become more efficient, secure, and accountable. Cleanup was complete at three relatively large and complex weapons productions sites, as well as many smaller ones. Yet many problems remain. Long-lived radioactive isotopes discharged into the soil will persist in slow migration, contaminating nearby groundwater. And while their potential for disastrous explosions has been virtually eliminated, storage tanks containing high-level waste will continue to deteriorate, posing further environmental risks. Long-term nuclear repositories will require unremitting management to protect future generations, and additional facilities still need to be developed. As in the past, public participation will be crucial. Lisa Crawford thought she lived across the road from an agricultural feed company--until one day in 1984, the Feed Materials Production Center inFernald, Ohio, released a toxic dust cloud. A year later, Lisa's well tested positive for excess uranium. She and several neighbors formed Fernald Residents for Environmental Safety and Health, or FRESH. We worked with people in the community and with our elected officials. When the government was ready to make legally binding cleanup decisions, FRESH members were involved. It took 22 years, but the work at Fernald was completed in the fall of 2006. In America's Nuclear Wastelands, Max S. Power uses non-technical language to present a brief overview of nuclear weapons history and contamination issues, as well as a description of the institutional and political environment. He provides a background for understanding the major value conflicts and associated political dynamics, and makes recommendations for navigating long-term stewardship, but his key purpose is to demonstrate the critical role of public participation, and in so doing, encourage citizens to take action regarding local and national policies related to nuclear production and waste disposal.


Complex Cleanup

Complex Cleanup

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1991

Total Pages: 34

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Complex Cleanup by :

Download or read book Complex Cleanup written by and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Long-Term Stewardship Study Draft: Draft for Public Comment

Long-Term Stewardship Study Draft: Draft for Public Comment

Author:

Publisher: DIANE Publishing

Published:

Total Pages: 167

ISBN-13: 1428918167

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Book Synopsis Long-Term Stewardship Study Draft: Draft for Public Comment by :

Download or read book Long-Term Stewardship Study Draft: Draft for Public Comment written by and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: