Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)įederal agencies are responsible for radioactive waste at their facilities. This brochure describes the role of the Savannah River site in producing radioactive materials for nuclear weapons. Savannah River Site (PDF) (10 pp, 3.78 MB, About PDF) You can learn about the production of uranium and other activities at Y-12 from this website. On this site, you can learn about the history of plutonium production at Hanford, Washington. Here you can read more about the nation's first permanent geologic repository for radioactive waste. This webpage provides information on DOE's role in ensuring the capability and security of U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration weapons production wastes in a way that protects people and the outside environment.ĭOE's Environment, Safety and Health office protects its radiation workers and the communities surrounding its facilities. The facility is a mine deep underground in salt formations. DOE's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) facility in Carlsbad, New Mexico is the nation's first geological repository for permanent disposal of transuranic wastes and transuranic mixed wastes (those also containing hazardous chemicals). You can also contact your state radiation office to get more information about monitoring and safety rules.ĭOE's Stockpile Stewardship Program assesses the safety, security and reliability of existing nuclear warheads without the use of nuclear explosions.ĭOE is also is in charge of cleaning up and disposing of nuclear weapons production wastes. You can contact your local facility or visit their website to learn more. However, people who live near old weapons production or testing sites may have a higher risk of exposure. Plutonium levels in the environment are very low. These are called transuranic wastes and are permanently disposed of at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Clothing, glassware, tools, equipment, soils and sludges became contaminated with radioactive materials. Workers at nuclear weapons production facilities wore protective clothing and worked with a variety of equipment. The Department of Energy is working to safely cleanup and dispose of these nuclear weapons production wastes. It is called mixed waste because it contains both hazardous chemicals and radioactive materials. This process left behind more than 100 million gallons of hazardous liquid waste. Workers used strong acids to dissolve the plutonium from the fuel rods. A radiation control technician monitors the disposal of contact-handled waste at the WIPP facility.
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