nuclear waste

Storage tanks for contaminated water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are near capacity.

5 things to know about Japan's Fukushima water release in the Pacific

1:38pm August 24, 2023

The water comes from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Although most scientists agree it does not pose an immediate environmental threat, some are worried about the long-term consequences.

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A historical sign memorializes the March 28, 1979, partial meltdown at Three Mile Island nuclear power plant.

National

Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Shuts Down

3:16pm September 20, 2019

by Brett Sholtis

The plant is best known for the partial meltdown of one of its nuclear reactors in 1979. The remaining reactor stopped producing electricity on Friday. Decommissioning the site will take decades.

Erich Berger and Mari Keto have made radioactive jewels, part of their Inheritance Project, that are unwearable by humans — and remain locked in a concrete vault equipped with radiation measurement devices.

Science
Arts

Can Nuclear Power Plants Generate Artistic Inspiration?

10:19am February 27, 2018

by Vincent Ialenti

"Nuclear" artists see motivating muses where others see only grey buildings, drab fences, and white steam piping out of concrete cooling towers, says guest commentator Vincent Ialenti.

Waste, Families Left Behind As Nuclear Plants Close

10:09am October 24, 2016

by Frank Morris

The Fort Calhoun nuclear plant in Nebraska shuts down Monday, 17 years ahead of schedule. It is just the latest U.S. nuclear plant to close because it can't compete with other cheaper energy.

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Flares at the Bridgeton Landfill outside St. Louis burn off noxious fumes, including those generated by an underground fire that's been burning since 2010. The "fire" is really a high-temperature chemical reaction that consumes the waste below the landfil

Landfill Fire Threatens Nuclear Waste Site Outside St. Louis

3:01pm November 03, 2015

by Véronique LaCapra

There's no barrier between the underground chemical reaction and nearby radioactive waste. Federal, state and local officials disagree about the danger it poses; residents are confused and concerned.

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Workers at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant are still investigating what caused a radioactive release at the site, but organic cat litter may be the culprit.

Science

Organic Cat Litter Chief Suspect In Nuclear Waste Accident

3:12am May 24, 2014

by Geoff Brumfiel

The release of plutonium at a New Mexico nuclear dump may have been caused by a bad purchase at the pet shop.

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