Russia: Radioactive Waste Everywhere

Russia: Radioactive Waste Everywhere

“The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion, the world’s worst nuclear disaster, immediately killed 30 citizens, though as many as 9,000 citizens may have died from radiation poisoning...” ("65 Startling Facts about"). The explosion was an extremely terrible disaster and this event is not even close to what is going on in Russia. All over Russia, waste and radioactivity are harming the environment at a rapid rate. Russia is highly radioactive now. When Russia was part of the USSR, Russia was just as radioactive. Russia's historic drive for nuclear domination is taking a toll on the environment and it's citizens.

Russia has produced a tremendous amount of nuclear waste in the past and the effects are still present. One example of nuclear waste left behind is the nuclear submarines and waste in the Arctic ocean that are expected to rust and open in the year 2030 (Bodner). According to a joint Russian-Norwegian report issued in 2012, “...there are 17,000 containers of nuclear waste, 19 rusting Soviet nuclear ships and 14 nuclear reactors cut out of atomic vessels at the bottom of the Kara Sea” (Bodner). These lingering effects are already taking a toll on the Russia’s fishing industry worth an estimated net worth of 2 billion dollars (Bodner). The biggest threat is the K-27 nuclear submarine with its used up, experimental, uranium fuel (Bodner). All this waste may lead to an enormous environmental catastrophe if the changing ocean currents wash all this waste into the atlantic ocean where there is more population (Bodner). On top of all this raising a submarine from the ocean cost about 150 million (Bodner). These nuclear submarines will cause many issues in the future for Russia environment.

There are many nuclear dangers on Russian soil. At the Mayak chemical combine over 100 tons of nuclear waste was released, which exposed about 400,000 citizens to the nuclear wastes radiation. Fires and hazardous dust clouds are still happening there today . Another area with major nuclear waste problems is the Siberian chemical combine. The combine has over 120,000 tons of nuclear waste stored in poor ways that affect the surrounding population of animals and humans (Lee). The worst place of all is Lake Karachay. Lake Karachay is a dammed up lake that has enough radioactivity to kill a human in less than an hour. If the dam break all this waste may flow into a river and affect the water source of millions. At Lake Karachay in 1967, there was a drought which left radioactive dust that blew into a highly populated area and gave 41% of the area’s inhabitant cancer (Handley). Russia also has an unbelievable amount of nuclear warheads. After World War II, Russia had to have an unnecessary amount of nuclear warheads to compete with the USA, but contrasting from Russia, the USA disabled a majority of their nuclear warheads (Brown). Russia needs to start cleaning up before they pay the price.

Russia produces substantial amounts of nuclear waste now because of the tremendous amounts of uranium they use. According to the World Nuclear Association, “Russia uses about 3,800 tonnes of natural uranium per year” ("Russia's Nuclear Fuel Cycle"). That is an insane amount of uranium compared to most countries. Russia has plenty of uranium left over from the USSR. All this uranium is going to make nuclear waste in the future. Russia is also has plans to start mining more uranium even though they have enough already. Russia has plenty of uranium in storage. The uranium in storage has increased by at least 15% from 2008 ("Russia's Nuclear Fuel Cycle") .

Russia is increasing their nuclear warfare and nuclear energy presence. Russia already makes a substantial amount of nuclear energy because “Russia is number three in the world in the production of nuclear energy” ("Top 10 Nuclear Generating"). With Russia being number three at producing nuclear energy Russia also produces a tremendous amount of nuclear waste. Russia is building 10 more nuclear submarines in order to expand their nuclear fleet which is already powerful (Nilsen). Russia is also adding many nuclear power plants to generate energy ("No Nuclear Waste: Fuel" ). Nuclear power plants never turn out to be helpful. There is always a problem with nuclear power plants whether such as politics, technical issues, etc (Garcia). Russia is trying to make a no-waste reactor, but who knows how long that will take and if they are even telling the truth on how much progress they have already ("No Nuclear Waste: Fuel" ). Russia does not need to expand any type of nuclear presence because they are already powerful enough due to the fact that “Russia and the US own 90% of the world’s nukes” (Garcia).

Russia simply does not care about the environment. Russia imports waste from other countries and stores the waste in awful ways. Russia has put their waste everywhere, even in pools (Lee). Russia has ignored all the environmentalist’s warnings about the waste. The USSR dumped waste up until the collapse in 1991 (Bodner). Russia has imported over 2 tons of nuclear waste in the last year and they also imported special uranium used to make a warhead ("Nuclear Waste Arrives in Russia"). Russia needs stop importing nuclear waste.

Russia is arrogant and refuses to receive help from other countries. Norway is the only country that is helping Russia in the Arctic, but Norway is about to stop doing helping Russia due to the escalating problems in the Ukraine and also because Russia is not carrying their fair share of the workload. Russia is one of the only countries that puts money toward expanding their nuclear fleet, but other countries put money to destroying the old USSR fleet (Nilsen). At past UN nuclear summit, Russia refused to give some of their nuclear warheads up ("Russia Snubs Nuclear Security"). Russia and the US are about to stop dismantling their nuclear warheads for the first time since the Cold War (Garcia). Russia failed to show up at an UN nuclear security meeting which was a meeting that was meant to help countries control their nuclear waste ("Russia Snubs Nuclear Security") . Russia enjoys to cause problems for other countries, especially Norway.

Russia has never cared about nuclear waste and they won't start now. Russia has dumped waste everywhere that they possible can (Bodner). They have been uncooperative to other countries that want to help them with their nuclear issue (Nilsen). Russia’s nuclear past has hurt many citizens in their country and will continue to hurt them if the nuclear waste is not taken care of (Handley). Russia needs to start caring about the environment.

Though the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion was the worst nuclear disaster in the history of mankind Russia as a whole is not far from Chernobyl level radiation. The USSR has a lingering effects on Russia due to all the waste the USSR produced. Russia produces waste now at a level almost parallel to the USSR. Russia does not care how much waste is in the county as long as the citizens can not see the waste. Russia needs to start caring and cleaning up now or else the problem will become unmanageable.