Climate change threatens to unearth US nuclear waste abroad

Rising sea levels and melting ice sheets may expose nuclear waste from U.S. projects in Greenland and the Marshall Islands, posing environmental and health risks.

Anita Hofschneider reports for Grist.

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In short:

• A Government Accountability Office report highlights the risk of climate change disturbing nuclear waste in Greenland and the Marshall Islands.
• The waste includes radioactive material and carcinogenic chemicals, potentially impacting local food chains and health.
• Disagreements persist between local governments and the U.S. Department of Energy regarding the handling and communication of these risks.

Key quote:

"The possibility to influence the environment is there, which could further affect the food chain and further affect the people living in the area as well."

— Hjalmar Dahl, president of Inuit Circumpolar Council Greenland

Why this matters:

Nuclear waste has left the Marshall Islands and parts of Greenland as environmental sacrifice zones. Peter Dykstra chronicled several such sites for EHN, noting how climate change-induced phenomena like sea level rise and permafrost melt are exacerbating risks to human health and the environment.