The Soviet Union Dumped Nuclear Submarines, Reactors, and Containers into the ocean.

[dixiegrrrrl]

Scattered across the ocean floor in the cold waters of the Arctic are nuclear submarines and reactors dumped by the Soviets up until the early 1990s.

Now, as energy companies are seeking to drill in those same waters, the Russian government has shown an interest in cleaning up its nuclear waste. But after decades of sitting on the ocean floor, some of the most dangerous pieces may be too unstable to remove, leaving the potential for radioactive material to leak, which could disrupt commercial fisheries and destroy aquatic ecosystems.

Snip.....
Before the London Convention of 1972, an international agreement that prohibited marine dumping, countries were free to use the oceans as a trash heep for nuclear waste. Though the Soviets signed the treaty in the late 1980s, it wasn't until after the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991 that the Russians opened up to the international community about the extent of the Arctic dumping campaign.

Two years ago, the Russian government provided a tally: two submarines, 14 reactors — five of which contain spent nuclear fuel — 19 other vessels sunk with radioactive waste on board, and about 17,000 containers holding radioactive waste. The last known dumping occurred in 1993.

https://news.vice.com/article/the-soviet-union-dumped-a-bunch-of-nuclear-submarines-reactors-and-containers-into-the-ocean?utm_source=vicenewstwitter

[NaturalHigh]

1. Kick - because this is frankly terrifying.

My wife and I were talking about this a while back.

[madokie]

2. As long as there is no safe way to dispose of the waste

we should not be making anymore. At least at the extent that a nuclear power plant does.
Some applications where nuclear energy the good out weighs the bad, such as in medicine and NDT of things like oil pipelines but for the most part its too dangerous to continue using it in its present form of use. IMO

[knitter4democracy]

3. Old story. Still scary.

We studied this in my class when I was there in college back in the 90s.

[IDemo]

4. I'm gonna need to see RT's take on the story

before I can pass judgment on the USSR.

[Bad Thoughts]

5. With pictures of Ukrainians with swastikas, do doubt. eom

[jwirr]

6. Scientists need to do some testing in that sight and of Japan to see what the effect of all this is

on the oceans. How far does it pollute and is there anything alive in these areas anymore?