Pu
You probably have heard of plutonium (Pu) and it being radioactive and that is all I ever knew about it until I met Charles Hyder, PhD, in field service back in the late eighties, early ninties. He was staying in our congregation territory in Regina, New Mexico on some property a relative of his owned. My first contact was amiable and Dr. Hyder was jovial, respectful, kind, gentle and endearing. We had a lovely conversation and learned a little about his background as a physicist. He respected the Bible. Over the course of several return visits I began learning of his passion to stop plutonium contamination and his opposition to disposing of the nation's plutonium waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP) in New Mexico. He explained to me that a tiny microscopic particle of Pu is extremely deadly to humans and how the nation was disposing of its nuclear radiation waste from nuclear power plants and nuclear military use which is setting up a disaster waiting to happen. He wrote a book on the subject, Human Survival on a Plutonium-Contaminated Planet (available at Amazon). Dr. Hyder's biography, academic accomplishments, activism and controversy is published at Wikipedia and his obituary (ADS Harvard) and story written by Paul Logan, Albuquerque Journal Staff writer. Dr. Hyder explained that the first order of business is stop making Pu and the second is to contain Pu properly and safely with human monitoring ad infinitum.
Charles Hyder, PHd
I recall placing with Dr. Hyder one of our Watchtower publications which he accepted and later Dr. Hyder praised the two page illustration of the human cell showing all the intricacies of the workings going on and said when he was in school they didn't know how complicated the cell is and appreciated the point made about the design in living things.
Dr. Hyder never made any progress to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses but he certainly respected and appreciated our conversations. I look forward to having more conversations with Dr. Hyder in the resurrection here on this earth during the 1000 year reign of God's Kingdom. Back when we had our discussions, Dr. Hyder was concerned with how Pu is transported at that time to the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository, as well as to WIPP in New Mexico in what he termed Trupact II Containers.
TruPact II Containters
The WIPP site contains a number of these containers which are designated Transuranic Waste Transportation Containers. Dr. Hyder was concerned that accidents would occur transporting these containers. I asked what would you do to resolve this issue? He stated to me, wherever the Pu is located it should never be moved and continually monitored by humans who put the waste into protective containers. If the container leaks, then put the leaked container into another larger protective container and continually monitored to repeat the process. Pu should never be buried or dropped into the ocean or body of water.
Since Dr. Hyder's day there are new improved containers for transporting radioactive waste. It is interesting that Dr. Hyder's prediction that there would be an accident moving these containers did indeed happen, however, this accident occurred after moving a container to WIPP in 2014. [1] You can only imagine the situation if the accident occurred during transport. This proves his point that the waste should never be moved and continually monitored by humans who can continue to contain the waste in protective double walled containers, making bigger ones if a container leaks radiation. Storing all the waste in one place is inviting another disaster. Just think about having all the Pu waste in one location with tons of it together. An accident has already occurred during the 'pilot' project. All the containers of radioactive waste should be monitored by humans at all times to examine for leaks.
Waste Isolation Pilot PLant
Originally called the Waste Isolation Pilot Project when Dr. Hyder protested against storing the nation's radioactive waste in New Mexico, later the name was changed from a 'project' to a 'plant.'
"The plant started operation in 1999, and the project is estimated to cost $19 billion in total." [2]
The source for the above figure was stated in 1999. What the cost has become up to this point is anyone's guess.
"Due to historic activities typically related to the radium industry, uranium mining, and military programs, numerous sites contain or are contaminated with radioactivity. In the United States alone, the Department of Energy states there are 'millions of gallons of radioactive waste' as well as 'thousands of tons of spent nuclear fuel and material' and also 'huge quantities of contaminated soil and water.' " [3]
So we are only discussing in this article about the radioactive waste in the USA. There are many countries on planet earth producing tons of nuclear radiation waste that are being stored in various locations all over the planet. I recall that Dr. Hyder told me way back when, that the Russians were disposing of its nuclear waste in 55 gallon drums into the Black Sea. "The Russian navy has traditionally dealt with virtually all of its radioactive wastes by disposal to sea." [4] What is happening in the USA is just the tip of the radioactive iceberg. But there is even a bigger deal to be concerned with about burying radioactive waste in the ground rather than humans continuing to monitor it carefully if the Pu leaks beyond its container and should then be put into another larger protective container ad infinitum.
Plutonium Ring
A ring of weapons-grade 99.96% pure electrorefined plutonium, enough for one bomb core. The ring weighs 5.3 kg, is ca. 11 cm in diameter and its shape helps with criticality safety.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
"Pu-239 has a half-life of 24,100 years and Pu-241's half-life is 14.4 years. Substances with shorter half-lives decay more quickly than those with longer half-lives, so they emit more energetic radioactivity. Like any radioactive isotopes, plutonium isotopes transform when they decay." [5]
A proposed notice for the markers on the actual site of the repository. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Buried for 10,000 Years?
"The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, or WIPP, is the world's third deep geological repository (after Germany's Repository for radioactive waste Morsleben and the Schacht Asse II salt mine) licensed to store transuranic radioactive waste for 10,000 years." [2]
"Transuranic waste often consists of materials which have come in contact with radioactive substances such as plutonium and uranium. This often includes gloves, tools, rags, and assorted machinery often used in the production of nuclear fuel and weapons. Although much less potent than nuclear reactor byproducts, this waste still remains radioactive for approximately 24,000 years." [5]
"The total activity of the waste expected to be disposed at the WIPP is estimated to be approximately 7 million curies, including 12,900 kilograms of plutonium distributed throughout the waste in very dilute form. [6]
"Under current law, the DOE is allowed to store 6.2 million cubic feet of transuranic waste at the WIPP. SOURCE: Citizens' Guide to the Compliance Certification Application (DOE, 1996b)." [6]
"To obtain certification for the WIPP, the DOE used the PA tool to estimate the releases of radionuclides within the first 10,000 years, based on the probabilities of relevant features, events, and processes occurring." [6]
You don't have to be a physicist or a rocket scientist to come to the conclusion that based upon the time lines described above the transuranic waste buried at WIPP should be monitored by humans for a very long time for any issues. The timeline for using WIPP is estimated to be 35 years and it will be completely filled with no more room for radioactive waste. The plan is to bury the waste with layers of concrete and soil and then put up signs for future generations. So what kind of signs need to be placed that can last 10,000 years? So far mankind hasn't made any signs that last that long. And you know the old saying, 'out of sight, out of mind,' which the latter part of that saying is appropriate. This issue of what signs to place at the WIPP site has been pointed out. Note the following statement: "Since 1983, the DOE has been working with linguists, archaeologists, anthropologists, materials scientists, science fiction writers, and futurists to come up with a warning system." [7] Note below some of the proposed warnings.
Proposed design for small disks that will be randomly scattered and buried within the controlled zone, to warn people digging that it is dangerous and they should stop. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Theorized design of notices to be mounted/engraved into 'Large Surface Markers', 32 pillars located on the outer perimeter of the 41 square kilometer controlled area at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
A conceptual design of WIPP’s permanent marker system. DOE is evaluating other concepts. A final design will be selected prior to WIPP closure. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Design for the WIPP information room. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
2007 ISO radioactivity danger logo
The new supplementary ionizing radiation warning symbol launched on 15 February 2007 by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Contains radiating waves, a skull and crossbones and a running person, on a red triangle.
The symbol is intended to be used inside equipment housings, as a warning to stop dismantling a device and get away from it. The symbol is not intended to be visible during normal use of the equipment. It is also not intended for use on building doors or walls, vehicles, or transportation containers.
"The team plans to submit their final plan to the U.S. Government by around 2028." [2] In 10,000 years whatever signs they come up with, do you think these signs will still exist? It is quite obvious unless humans exist in 10,000 years these signs will probably no longer exist.
What is interesting is that when President Barak Obama was in office he established the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future in 2010. [8] "At present there are 70 nuclear power plant sites where 65,000 tons of spent fuel is stored in the USA. Each year, more than 2,000 tons are added to this total. Nine states have 'explicit moratoria on new nuclear power until a storage solution emerges'. A deep geological repository seems to be the favored approach to storing nuclear waste." [8] The commission concluded an "international consensus on the advisability of storing nuclear waste in deep underground repositories." [8]
Pu 94
"In nature, only elements up to atomic number 94 exist; to go further, it was necessary to synthesise new elements in the laboratory." [9] "Plutonium is the element with the highest atomic number to occur in nature. Trace quantities arise in natural uranium-238 deposits when uranium-238 captures neutrons emitted by decay of other uranium-238 atoms." [9]
"Trace amounts of plutonium-238, plutonium-239, plutonium-240, and plutonium-244 can be found in nature." [9] "Minute traces of plutonium are usually found in the human body due to the 550 atmospheric and underwater nuclear tests that have been carried out, and to a small number of major nuclear accidents." [9] So while Pu is found in nature, the vast amount of Pu found on planet earth is made by humans and the amount created each year is staggering. "Plutonium is created in a reactor when uranium atoms absorb neutrons. Nearly all plutonium is man-made." [10]
Toxicity
"There are two aspects to the harmful effects of plutonium: the radioactivity and the heavy metal poison effects." [10] Pu has been described as the most toxic or dangerous element. [11] This is a controversial subject but nevertheless if the subject comes up about the most dangerous or toxic element in the universe, Pu usually is discussed as at the very least one of the most toxic or dangerous elements in the universe. Since humans are making at the very least one of the most toxic and dangerous elements in the universe and burying Pu in the earth in huge quantities, is it not self evident that this is wrong? Pu is a stinky issue with humans.
As Dr. Charles Hyder wrote in his book about a plutonium contaminated planet and has been quoted as saying, "If I were young, I'd be working on some form of exodus from this planet, but it is too late for me to be effective at my age. Besides, there is no plan in place at all now for such a thing, and with the current prevailing attitudes, any future plans would be for the rich only, not for all people. If it isn't for all, I'm not interested."
Solution
Trusting or putting your faith in a human solution to this Pu contamination created by humans is wanting. God's Kingdom or government is the only solution that can clean up all the Pu waste. Learn more.
End Notes
[1] 2014 Accidental Fires, Waste Isolation Pilot Project, Wikipedia
"The cost of the 2014 accident was expected to exceed $2 billion and disrupted other programs in various nuclear-industry sites"
[2] Waste Isolation Pilot Project, Wikipedia
[3] Legacy waste, Radioactive waste, Wikipedia
[4] Radioactive waste problems in Russia, Journal of Radiological Protection
O Bridges and J W Bridges
[5] Backgrounder on Plutonium, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
[6] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2001. Improving Operations and Long-Term Safety of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant: Final Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/10143.
[7] Warning messages for future humans, Waste Isolation Pilot Project, Wikipedia
[8] Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, Wikipedia
[9] Plutonium, Wikipedia
[10] Toxicity, Uranium, Wikipedia
[11] The dark heart of the bomb, John S. Rigden, Nature
Plutonium: A History of the World's Most Dangerous Element
Jeremy Bernstein
Joseph Henry Press: 2007. 258 pp. £16.99 $27.95 0309102960 | ISBN: 0-309-10296-0
What is the most Dangerous Element?, BYJU’S JEE