Emerging Environmental Justice Issues in Nuclear Power and Radioactive Contamination.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Public Health
• Nuclear Engineering

Background:

• Nuclear power plants (NPPs) and the U.S. nuclear weapons complex present environmental justice challenges.
• These challenges include radiation exposure, nuclear waste, contamination from mining and processing, and public participation barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze environmental justice issues associated with U.S. nuclear power and weapons programs.
• To examine distributional and procedural injustices in NPP siting and operation.
• To investigate the impacts of the nuclear weapons complex on downwind communities, including American Indians.

Main Methods:

• Review of distributional justice issues at NPP sites.
• Analysis of procedural injustices in nuclear facility siting, operation, and emergency preparedness.
• Examination of contamination and health risks from the nuclear weapons complex and uranium mining.

Main Results:

• NPP locations and operations raise concerns about exposed populations and public participation.
• The nuclear weapons complex has caused extensive contamination, disproportionately affecting downwind communities and American Indians.
• The lack of secure long-term storage for high-level nuclear waste creates unprecedented transgenerational justice issues.

Conclusions:

• Nuclear technologies, encompassing both power and weapons, pose persistent environmental justice concerns.
• Addressing these issues requires equitable solutions for siting, safety, waste management, and community engagement.
• Comparison with renewable energy alternatives is crucial for a just energy future.