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THE MULTIFARIOUS LEGACIES OF NUCLEAR WASTE AND HYDRO TECHNOLOGIES

            Anthropogenic activities have for long posed questionable effects on the entire global ecosystem. The production of nuclear weapons and hydro technologies such as dams seemingly appear beneficial to humanity until their long-lasting repercussions on a broad range of species emerge into the picture. Such a bold claim is well advanced by the realities facing New Mexico’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and the United States Elwha River to name a few. The life-threatening scenarios exposed in these sites demonstrate the need for long-term solutions, and eco-friendly human activity.

            In his phenomenal piece, Martin Fackler acknowledges the daunting task facing robotic engineers in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. According to the author, this damaged power plant emits immense levels of radiation which make it highly difficult to engage in clean-up[1]. His sentiment is rightly grounded on the systemic failures experienced when robots were used to explore the debris. Also noteworthy is the locomotion obstacle caused by the unstable debris: some robots were immobilized during expedition. Fortunately, the engineers are using radiation-hardened materials and the muon imaging technology to prevent malfunctions and to facilitate x-ray imaging of the debris (respectively).1

            A somewhat similar trend is evidenced in New Mexico’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Inasmuch as the facility was designed to offer long-term storage of nuclear waste, it has proved ineffective after recording radiation blasts and accidental fires in barely one and a half decade. Such performance makes observers and analysts quite skeptical regarding the government’s promise to utilize the WIPP for 10,000 years.[2] When perceived from an analytical standpoint, this goal is almost unattainable given the unstable nature of nuclear waste. These hazardous chemical elements are ticking time bombs that are bound to affect the entire eco-system in a matter of time.

            Interestingly, the problem is not based entirely on nuclear wastage. The Elwha River Dam dilemma suggests that most, if not all so-called technology solutions, should be explored widely. Once the two dams were torn down, this river has been blocked by residue, which affects the geographic surrounding: Johnson describes a “mind-boggling large surge of sediment”[3]. Its thick silky sediment poses a threat to aquatic creatures, particularly ones that are dependent on light.[4] It seems important to add that the dams’ removal also affected the flow of water into downstream water sources.

On this note, it appears fair to conclude that the problem caused by nuclear waste lacks a comprehensive solution. First, the fact that these facilities were designed for long-term storage thwarts potential solutions since toxic debris continue to pile up, making clean-up highly dangerous. Second, the WIPP incident timelines show that the problem at hand is larger than it seems. This perspective is further enhanced by Shinki Kawatsuma when he describes the Fukushima clean-up process as the hardest experience in his 30-years as a robotic engineer. As a matter of fact, he defines it as a “divine mission for Japanese robotic engineers”[5]. His opinion makes sense considering the fact that the chemical waste keep transforming into more volatile elements, so, it is quite hard to solve at the moment.

[1] Martin Fackler, “Six Years After Fukushima, Robots Finally Find Reactors’ Melted Uranium Fuel,”, 1

[2] Robert Alvarez, “The WIPP Problem, and What it Means for Defense Nuclear Waste Disposal,”

[3] Kirk Johnson, “A River Newly Wild and Seriously Muddy”, 1.

[4] Johnson, 2.

[5] Fackler, 5.