Managing the Environmental Legacy of U.S. Nuclear-Weapons Production

The federal government is making large expenditures of taxpayer funds to address the environmental legacy of the arms race, but after almost 13 years of effort and outlays of over $70 billion, the goal of "cleanup" is proving elusive. Crowley and Ahearne examine the DOE cleanup program...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American scientist 2002-11, Vol.90 (6), p.514-523
Main Authors: Crowley, Kevin D, Ahearne, John F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Environmental cleanup
Nuclear weapons
Radioactive wastes
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Summary:The federal government is making large expenditures of taxpayer funds to address the environmental legacy of the arms race, but after almost 13 years of effort and outlays of over $70 billion, the goal of "cleanup" is proving elusive. Crowley and Ahearne examine the DOE cleanup program's efforts to come to terms with the environmental consequences of weapons production. Their examination suggests that it is time for the cleanup program to redefine success based on reducing and managing the human and environmental health risks that will extend far into the future.
ISSN:0003-0996
1545-2786
DOI:10.1511/2002.39.514