Radioactive nuclear waste buried beside 21% of the world's fresh water supply defies common sense
Reasons To Be Concerned
3. Failed Track Record of Deep Geologic Repositories (DGR)
There are only three DGR's on the entire planet (WIPP in the US and ASSE II and Morsleben in Germany) and all have leaked.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) constructed a DGR in New Mexico (USA) called the Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP). It is the only operating DGR in existence in the world. WIPP houses nuclear wastes from the US defence program. OPG's evidence to the Joint Review Panel is that WIPP is similar to OPG's proposed DGR because it is at depths of several hundreds of metres, founded in sedimentary rock, and developed for large volumes of low-and intermediate-level radioactive waste. OPG evidence indicates that the basis for long-term safety at WIPP (i.e., repository depth, low permeability natural barriers) is similar to the long-term safety basis for OPG's proposed DGR. Despite assurances by the DOE that WIPP would never leak, 15 years into its operation, a radiation leak occurred on February 14, 2014 resulting in 22 workers receiving internal radiation contamination. WIPP is presently closed. 11
The ASSE II DGR in Germany is located in a salt mine. ASSE II was used to house low and intermediate nuclear waste. After 20 years of operation, this DGR starting leaking, despite assurances that this would never happen. 12,000 litres of water per day are leaking into this DGR that was supposed to be completely dry and non-corrosive. The scientists have no idea where the water is coming from, or how to stop it. The groundwater at ASSE II is contaminated. The Asse II DGR is in danger of collapsing and remains an unmitigated disaster to this day.12
The Morsleben DGR in Germany is also located in a salt mine. This DGR has experienced problems and is in danger of collapse.13
11 http://www.sric.org/nuclear/wippleak2014.php
13/sup> http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Morsleben