Radioactive waste is a major global problem. It can be left over from various stages of the mining and refining of uranium. It can be a by-product of the creation of weapons grade nuclear materials. Radioactive materials are used in medicine and industry and must be disposed. Nuclear power reactors generate huge quantities of spent nuclear fuel which must be dealt with. Radioactive wastes are separated into high-level and low-level. Each has its own recommended methods of disposal. There can be problems with the competent execution of these disposal method. In addition, there are many cases in which no attempt was made to dispose of the materials in any legitimate way. Illegal dumping of radioactive waste is also a global problem.
There are naturally occurring radioactive isotopes in soil and rock. When fracking wells are drilled and fluids are pumped down into rock formations to shatter the rock and release oil, the mixture of fluids that returns to the surface carries some of these radioactive isotopes. Many states have laws against dumping radioactive waste in state landfills. This poses a serious problem for fracking operations that are constantly generating such waste materials. Unscrupulous companies which prefer profit to following the law have a track record of illegally disposing of radioactive waste from fracking operations.
A company in West Virginia recycles the fluids from fracking operations in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This concentrates the radioactive isotopes in the fluids. The Kentucky Division of Waste Management has reported that forty seven sealed boxes of radioactive wastes from this company's operations was illegally sent to the Blue Ridge landfill in Estill County, Kentucky between July and November of 2015. It is believed that the boxes have been buried since November.
The Waste Management Division is working with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and its Radiation Health Branch on are working on the Blue Ridge landfill investigation as well as investigation of other possible illegal dumping at a landfill in Greenup County. They think that the illegal waste sent to Greenup County was not put through the full recycling process. This would mean that the radioactive isotopes had not been concentrated and so this waste would not be as dangerous as the waste that was sent to Blue Ridge.
The WMD sent letters out to operators of landfills, waste haulers, transfer station operators and local waste management offices. The letters warned the recipients about the recent shipments of illegal waste to Blue Ridge and Greenup County. The recipients were admonished to be certain that they were following the law with respect to banned radioactive wastes.
The WMD is working with the operators of the Blue Ridge landfill to obtain more details about exactly how the radioactive waste made its way to the landfill. They are trying to determine if any of the workers at the landfill might have been exposed to radiation from the waste. At this time, they do not believe that there is any continuing danger of exposure from the buried waste.
Blue Ridge Landfill:
