A ranar 16 ga Yuli, 1973, shekaru 28 zuwa rana bayan fashewar makamin nukiliya na farko a Alamogordo, New Mexico, layin motocin juji dauke da sinadarin uranium da aka yi amfani da shi don yin plutonium don gwajin bam da aka nuna a wurin da ake zubar da ruwa a tafkin ta Yamma. Bridgeton, Missouri. A zaton cewa manyan motocin an cika su ne da tsaftataccen ruwa, mai kula da sharar ta yi musu kawanya ba tare da biyan kudin jibge ba. Wani direban babbar mota ya ce daga baya shi da wasu sun yi amfani da baƙar fata a cikin lambunan gidansu. Ya zuwa watan Oktoba an jibge kayayyaki dubu da yawa ba bisa ka'ida ba a wurin sharar gida a yankin arewacin St. Louis, wanda ya saba wa ka'idojin tarayya; sun ƙunshi kiyasin Tan 43,000 na sharar sarrafa uranium na rediyoaktif da gurɓataccen ƙasa.
Yanzu a karkashin hasken kafofin yada labarai na kasa, wani wurin zubar da shara da ke daura da magudanar ruwa ta Kogin Yamma ya fuskanci tashin gobara a karkashin kasa shekaru biyar da suka gabata. An kiyasta wutar tana kusa Taku 1,000 daga kayan aikin rediyo. Masu ba da shawara ga Babban Mai Shari'a na Missouri Kris Koster ya nuna a cikin Nuwamba 2015 cewa, a cikin mafi munin yanayi, wuta na iya kaiwa kayan aikin rediyo a cikin 'yan watanni. Wani jami’in Hukumar Jamhuriya, wanda ke da wurin ajiyar shara, ya ce gobarar na tafiya nesa da sharar.
Idan wuta ta kai ga sharar gida na rediyoaktif, da Tsarin gaggawa na gundumar St. Louis yayi kashedin, akwai "yiwuwar lalatawar rediyo da za a saki a cikin hayakin hayaki kuma ya yadu a cikin yankin."
Ana gargadin masu ba da agajin gaggawa a jihar Illinois da ke makwabtaka da su shirya don tunkarar wadanda za su iya kamuwa da cutar. Yara a cikin hudu gundumomin makaranta kusa da rumbun shara sun kawo wasiƙu zuwa gida suna ba iyaye shawara cewa ko dai za a kwashe yaran ko kuma a mance da su, idan wutar ta kai ga sharar rediyo.
Bayan musun wutar za ta kai ga kayan aikin rediyo tsawon shekaru biyu da suka gabata, a cikin watan Disamba Hukumar Kare Muhalli ta Amurka (EPA) ta ba da umarnin shigar da wani shingen kariya na karkashin kasa, amma an bayar da cikakkun bayanai. "Yanzu muna aiki ta hanyar cikakkun bayanai masu rikitarwa na aiwatar da shawararmu da matakan shari'a masu alaƙa. Da zarar an kammala shirin, mun himmatu wajen samar da wadannan bayanai ga jama’a,” in ji sanarwar da aka fitar a tsakiyar watan Disamba. "EPA za ta yi amfani da duk hukumomin tilasta yin aiki don tabbatar da aiwatar da wannan aikin."
Katangar karkashin kasa bai isa ba. Da farko, waɗannan sharar gida, waɗanda za su ƙara haɓaka rediyo aƙalla shekaru 1,000, bai kamata a taɓa zubar da su ba tare da la’akari da dokar tarayya ba sannan a bar su su zauna a can sama da shekaru arba’in. Gobarar da aka fara ganowa a shekara ta 2010, ta nuna gazawar shirin makaman nukiliya na Amurka, da Hukumar Kula da Nukiliya da Hukumar Kare Muhalli don gyara wannan ƙetare. Idan waɗannan sharar gida suna zaune a shafin Hanford na Ma'aikatar Makamashi a cikin jihar Washington - wanda kuma ke kusa da adadi mai yawa na mutane da kuma babban wadatar ruwan sha - kawar da su, keɓewa, da zubar da su zai kasance manyan fifiko. Amma ba kamar Hanford ba, inda akwai yarjejeniyar yarda da muhalli da za a iya aiwatar da ita tare da Ma'aikatar Makamashi, an ba da damar matsalar West Lake ta zamewa, ta hanyar tsatsauran ra'ayi, ta gurɓata muhalli shekaru da yawa yayin da gwamnati ta yi kaɗan ko ba komai.
Canji a dokar tarayya da Majalisar Dattijan Amurka ta zartar kwanan nan ta ba wa Rundunar Sojojin Injiniya damar sarrafa zubar da sharar rediyo a cikin rumbun shara, fara mai kyau wajen magance wannan matsalar. A karshe, alhakin kawar da wadannan sharar gida ya rataya ne a kan gwamnatin tarayya, wadda ta dauki nauyin tsarar su, da kuma sakaci da rashin gudanar da ayyukansu.
Yaduwar gurbacewa. Zubar da sharar nukiliya a cikin sharar gida na gundumar West Lake na wakiltar babban cin zarafi na dokokin tarayya don wuraren zubar da sharar rediyo mai lasisi; Sakamakon haka, dubun dubatan ton na sharar nukiliya a yanzu suna kwance a wani yanki mai yawan jama'a, a kan wani filin ambaliya mai tazarar mil 1.2 daga kogin Missouri, tare da babu injinan shinge don hana ɓarna aikin rediyo a cikin tebur na ruwa ko kogin.
Tun daga 1942, an samar da sharar gida a Mallinckrodt Chemical Works a cikin garin St. Louis. Mafi yawa sun zo ne daga sarrafa ma'adinai daga ma'adinin uranium na Shinkolobwe a cikin Kongo Belgian. An bayyana shi a matsayin "farkon yanayi mai ban mamaki" ta wani babban jami'in shirin farko na makaman nukiliya na Amurka, da Kongo mina Ya samar da mafi girman adadin uranium na kowane ma'adanin da aka samu a duniya tun daga wancan lokacin. Kusan kashi 70 cikin 1945 na uranium da aikin Manhattan ya samu ya fito ne daga ma'adinan Shinkobwe. Idan ba tare da ma'adinan Kongo ba, da alama ba a shirya amfani da makaman nukiliya na farko a shekara ta 80 ba. Bayan yakin duniya na biyu, ma'adinan ya ba da kusan kashi XNUMX cikin XNUMX na makaman nukiliya. uranium da ake amfani da shi a shirin nukiliyar Amurka tun cikin shekarun 1950, wanda hakan ya baiwa Amurka damar tara dubban shugabannin yakin nukiliya.
Sharar gida da aka aika zuwa Kogin Yamma an cire mafi yawan uranium daga gare su, amma sun haɗa da abubuwan da aka tattara na ruɓe na rediyoaktif, wasu daga cikinsu sun fi dubun-dubatar uranium fiye da iyayensu. Saboda suna da tasirin rediyo sosai, Cibiyar Tsaro da Lafiya ta Ƙasa ta gano cewa magudanar ruwa na West Lake yana riƙe. "mafi muni" na sharar gida na Mallinckrodt.
Sharar gida na Mallinckrodt ba wai kawai haifar da haɗari mai yuwuwar yaduwar aikin rediyo ta hanyar wuta ba; na daɗaɗɗen fallasa ƙananan matakan mazauna kusa da aikin rediyo yana da damuwa. Bayan shekaru biyu na tattarawa da kuma nazarin ɗaruruwan samfuran ƙasa da ƙura a kan yanki mai faɗin murabba'in mil 75, abokan aikina - masanin kimiyyar muhalli Marco Kaltofen a Cibiyar Fasaha ta Worchester da kuma mai bincike Lucas Hixson - kuma kwanan nan na ba da rahoto a cikin littafin. Jaridar Environmental Radioactivity cewa gurɓatawa daga sharar gida yana da mai yiwuwa ƙaura daga wurin.
Mun gano cewa yaduwar gurɓataccen abu ya yi daidai da fitowar ruwa da radon gas daga wurin da ke cikin ƙasa. Bayyanar da ke nuna yaɗuwar gurɓatawa daga wurin ita ce hujja ɗaya mai wuce gona da iri: Kusan duk samfuran rediyoaktif da muka tattara suna da halaye na musamman na kayan da aka sarrafa a shukar Mallinckrodt.
Dutsen sharar rediyo. A shekara ta 1946, masana'antar Mallinckrodt ta ƙare daga ɗakin ajiya kuma ta fara jigilar sharar gida a filin jirgin sama na St. Louis, inda ta zauna a cikin abubuwan da aka fallasa kusan shekaru ashirin. A ƙarshen shekarun 1950, wani tulin dutse yana ɗauke da shi Tan 133,000 na sharar rediyo ya tara.
A cikin 1960s, masu bincike na Mound Laboratory na Atomic Energy Commission kusa da Dayton, Ohio sun ƙaddara cewa ragowar sharar da ke zaune a filin jirgin sama na St. Louis ya ƙunshi mafi girma na thorium 230 a Amurka da kuma yiwuwar duniya. Thorium 230 maida hankali an gano cewa ya fi sau 25,000 girma fiye da yawan isotopic na halitta.
Sama da rabin rayuwa na shekaru 77,500, thorium 230 ya lalace zuwa radium-226 kuma yana fuskantar babban “ci gaba” na aikin rediyon alpha. A wasu kalmomi, sharar gida tana ƙara "zafi." Hukumar Kula da Nukiliya ta Amurka ta ƙididdigewa a cikin 1982 cewa wayar hannu sosai Radon gas da aka samar daga ci gaban radium zai ninka sau biyar a cikin shekaru 100 kuma kusan ninki biyu a cikin shekaru 200. A shekara ta 1959, masana a shafin Hanford na Sashen Makamashi sun lura cewa thorium 230 shine. "a cikin aji mai haɗari kamar plutonium."
Saboda yarjejeniyoyin da aka yi da Belgium da suka koma yakin duniya na biyu, wasu daga cikin sharar da aka samar a masana'antar Mallinckrodt mallakar kamfanin African Metals Company ne na kasar Belgium wanda ya mallaki ma'adinan Kongo inda ake tace uranium a Mallinckrodt; Kamfanin na Belgium ya yi fatan a karshe ya fitar da radium da sauran karafa daga cikin sharar. Don haka tan 1,157 na ragowar radium, waɗanda aka sani da kayan K-65, an tura su a ƙarshen 1940s da farkon 1950s zuwa injin sarrafa uranium na Fernald, Ohio da Ayyukan Dokokin Ontario a New York. A can, sun zauna ba a kula da su a cikin silos na sama na shekaru da yawa, suna zubar da iskar radon mai yawa a cikin muhalli. A Fernald, wanda a lokacin da ake kira Cibiyar Samar da Kayayyakin Abinci, an adana sharar a cikin ja-da-fari, silo mai launin ja-da-fari, wanda ya sa mutane da yawa suka yi imani cewa rukunin yana yin abincin dabbobi. Daga karshe gwamnatin Amurka ta dauki nauyin mallakar wannan sharar tare da zubar da shi akan kudi kimanin dala miliyan 460.
A cikin Maris 1962, Hukumar Makamashin Nukiliya ta Amurka (AEC) ta ba da kusan tan 125,000 na “kayan tushen uranium-thorium” da aka adana a filin jirgin sama na St. Louis don siyarwa. Bayan an siya shi da Metals na zamani akan ɗan fiye da dala ton, reshensa, Continental Mining and Milling Co., ya kwashe sharar daga filin jirgin sama tsakanin 1966 da 1967, ta cikin unguwanni zuwa ga Latty Avenue dukiya a Hazelwood. Missouri, inda aka ajiye su kai tsaye a ƙasa. "Tsarin zai fado daga manyan motocin," Skip Cothran, wani ma'aikacin forklift, ya shaida wa St. Louis Dispatch a cikin 1989. "Akwai sharar gida a duk faɗin Hazelwood da Latty (hanyoyi). Wani lokaci idan aka yi ruwan sama, sai kayan ya yi kauri ya manne sai ya zama kamar takin saniya.”
Yara suna wasa da babbar motar dakon kaya, “kamar dai suna zaren zinare,” in ji Carolyn Bower, wata mata Bayan-Aika mai ba da rahoto wanda ya yi aiki a kan labarun game da sharar Mallinckrodt. Wasu daga cikin ragowar an bushe an tura su zuwa Canon City, Colorado don ci gaba da sarrafa su daga Kamfanin Cotter Corporation, wanda ya sayi sharar daga Kamfanin Rangwamen Kasuwanci bayan ya yi fatara. A cikin 1973, sauran ragowar an cire su daga Latty Avenue kuma an jefar da su a cikin filin shakatawa na West Lake. Ma'aikatan da ke kula da waɗannan kayan an fallasa su sosai don haka yanzu an ba su shakku lokacin da aka yi la'akari da su don biyan diyya na tarayya na cututtukan daji da suka kamu da su.
Masu gudanarwa suna harba gwangwani a hanya. A watan Mayu 1974, Sufetocin AEC sun kammala cewa sharar da aka kwaso daga kadarorin Hazelwood sun yi yawa da za a iya zubar da su a cikin filin sharar Kogin Yamma da kuma sanya su a can sun keta ka'idojin zubar da tarayya. Amma AEC da magajinsa, Hukumar Kula da Nukiliya, sun yanke shawarar cewa ba za su yi amfani da ikonsu na doka ba don buƙatar a kwaso sharar gida a ajiye su a ajiyar da ta dace. Madadin haka, AEC ta bar kamfanin Cotter daga ƙugiya ta hanyar dakatar da lasisin mallakar kayan.
A cikin shekaru 20 masu zuwa, NRC ta ɗauki Kogin Yamma a matsayin ɗaya daga cikin wuraren sharar gida mafi wahala. Bayan bincike da yawa, a cikin 1988 ma'aikatan NRC sun ba da rahoto game da zubar da shara, inda suka bayyana cewa sharar gida tana wakiltar. wani gagarumin haɗari na dogon lokaci kuma "zai iya buƙatar matsar da kayan zuwa wani tsari da aka tsara da kuma gina shi 'kwayoyin zubar da ruwa'" Amma hukumar ba ta yi aiki ba, kuma a cikin 1995 ta mayar da alhakin tashar West Lake zuwa Amurka. Shirin Superfund na Hukumar Kare Muhalli.
A 1989, da St. Louis Post Dispatch ta gudanar da wani dogon jerin labarai da ke ba da cikakken bayani game da rikice-rikice na rediyo da shuka Mallinckrodt ya bari da kuma gurɓacewar da aka samu daga sharar da aka ajiye a Arewacin St. Louis County. A mayar da martani, matsin lamba daga wakilan majalisar Missouri ya tilasta wa Ma'aikatar Makamashi gudanar da wani shiri na tsaftar muhalli wanda ke ci gaba da gudana har zuwa yau, a karkashin inuwar Rundunar Injiniya ta Sojojin Amurka. An sami (kuma ana ci gaba da kasancewa) da yawa "masu zafi" na rediyo, musamman tare da Cold Water Creek, wanda ke tafiya kusa da sharar gida yayin da suke zaune a filin jirgin sama kuma daga baya a Hazelwood. Amma mafi girman haɗarin rediyoaktif wanda sharar gida ke haifarwa daga shukar Mallinckrodt-haɗarin da tan 43,000 na sharar gida ke wakilta a cikin matsugunin Kogin Yamma—ya kasance a bayyane ta hanyar rashin sa daga ƙoƙarin tsaftacewa.
Yayin da Rundunar Injiniya ke tsaftace gurbacewar muhalli, da EPA ta ba da shawara a cikin 2008 ƙarƙashin ikonta na Superfund wanda ya ba da izinin “a wurin” zubar da sharar gida na rediyoaktif a wurin sharar gida ta Kogin Yamma, wanda ke samun goyan bayan kulawar hukumomi, kamar hani da shinge, da sanya hula - wanda aka yi daga yumbu, duwatsu da tarkace daga kayan gini-a kan wuraren da aka gurbata da radiation.
Wannan martanin da aka gabatar bai yi daɗi da membobin Hukumar Kula da Magani na Ƙasa ta EPA ba, wanda aka ƙirƙira a cikin 1996 don ba da ƙima mai zaman kansa na yanke shawara na tsaftace Superfund. A wani yunƙuri da ba a taɓa yin irinsa ba, EPA ta lulluɓe bitar a asirce kuma ba za ta kammala shi don bayyanawa jama'a ba. Amma The Wall Street Journal ruwaito "Mambobin hukumar suna da damuwa daban-daban game da shawarar barin sharar rediyo a wurin… West Lake ya kasance 'zafin siyasa' kuma ya kai ga 'wasan wuta a cikin hukumar,' in ji wani wanda ya saba da lamarin, yana kwatanta shi a matsayin "al'amari mai banƙyama". ' wanda ya shafi 'matsi na saba' akan hukumar daga jami'an EPA.
Kuma a shekarar 2000. Cibiyar Kimiyya ta Kasa, wanda aka ba da alhakin tantance aikin kulawa a wuraren makaman nukiliya, ya kammala da cewa "yiwuwar matakan kula da hukumomi za su gaza a wani matsayi yana da girma ... tabbatar da kuskure."
Matsalolin lafiya sun taso. Damuwa game da tasirin sharar gida ga mutanen arewacin St. Louis na karuwa.
Dawn Chapman, shugaban al'umma na kungiyar Just Moms, wanda ke yunƙurin kawar da sharar gida daga wurin da ake zubar da shara, ya yi nuni da cewa “tun daga shekarun 1950 zuwa 1970 an sami karuwar yawan jama’a a gundumar St. Louis. Tare da karuwar yawan jama'a, an sami ɗimbin ayyukan gine-gine, gina sabbin sassa da tallafawa kasuwanci. Ƙididdigar gine-gine ya dagula kayan aikin rediyo, yadda ya kamata ya sake rarraba gurɓatar kamar icing a kan kek. "
A ’yan shekarun da suka gabata, Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach da Jannell Rodden Wright, waɗanda suka girma a kusa da Cold Water Creek, sun firgita bayan sun gano nawa daga cikin ’yan ajinsu na makarantar sakandare ta 1988 ke fama da munanan matsalolin kiwon lafiya, musamman cututtukan daji. A cikin 2011, sun gudanar da cututtukan cututtukan "kofa-ƙofa" ta hanyar ƙirƙirar shafin Facebook da aka tsara don bin diddigin cututtuka a cikin unguwannin da aka sani da gurɓata daga sharar Mallinckrodt.
Babu wani baƙo ga manyan kayan aikin ƙididdiga, a cikin shekaru biyu, Wright, wani akawu, da Schanzenbach, farfesa a fannin tattalin arziki a Jami'ar Arewa maso Yamma, sun rubuta lokuta 700 na cututtukan daji da cututtukan tsarin rigakafi a cikin yanki mai murabba'in mil huɗu. Wasu daga cikin waɗannan cututtukan daji suna da damar ɗaya cikin miliyan ɗaya na faruwa. A cikin binciken cututtukan cututtuka na 2014 na mazaunan da ke zaune kusa da Cold Water Creek, Ma'aikatar Lafiya ta Missouri ta gano ƙimar cutar sankarar bargo da sauran cututtukan daji da yawa waɗanda aka sani suna da alaƙa da fallasa hasken rana. Sauran yuwuwar cutar kansar radiyon an gano sun yi ƙasa da yadda ake tsammani. Marubutan sun ambata "rashin bayanin yiwuwar fallasa jama'a" a matsayin muhimmin abu da ke buƙatar ƙarin bincike. Wright da Schanzenbach sun sabunta binciken su kuma an ruwaito a watan Agustan 2015 cewa adadin cututtuka, ciki har da cututtukan daji da ba kasafai ba, ya karu zuwa 2,725 lokuta. Kwanan nan, Cibiyar Kula da Cututtuka ta Amurka ta fara ziyartar yankin, don wani nazari
Fallout daga Flint. A ranar 2 ga Fabrairu, Majalisar Dattijan Amurka ta zartar da dokar da 'yan majalisar dattawan Missouri Claire McCaskill, 'yar Democrat, da Roy Blunt, 'yar Republican suka gabatar, suna mika ikon kawar da sharar rediyo a wurin sharar gida na West Lake daga EPA zuwa Rundunar Injiniya ta Amurka. . Wannan shi ne sabon ci gaba a cikin takaddamar da aka dade ana fama da ita game da yadda ake tafiyar da sharar da sharar Kogin Yamma. Da yawa daga cikin al'ummomin da sharar gida ta shafa suna kallon dokar majalisar dattawa a matsayin kuri'ar rashin amincewa ga EPA. Dokar dai tana jiran matakin da majalisar wakilai za ta dauka amma tana da kyakyawan damar aiwatar da ita. Blunt, memba na shugabancin jam'iyyar Republican da kwamitin kasafin kudi, yana da babban tasiri, kuma idan aka yi la'akari da cewa kudirin yana da tsayayyen goyon bayan bangarorin biyu, da alama ba zai yi adawa da gwamnatin Obama ba.
Ba a yi nisa ba don kammala cewa akwai kamanceceniya tsakanin matsalar sharar Kogin Yamma—wanda aka ƙirƙira kuma ya tsananta saboda sakaci da kuma hana shirin makaman nukiliyar Amurka da hukumomin da ke da alhakin kare mutane daga gadonsa mai cutarwa—da kuma bala’i a Flint. , Michigan, inda 'yan kasar suka sha guba ta hanyar ruwan sha mai ledar dalma, kuma jami'ansu na jinkirin mayar da martani. A zahiri, a ranar 27 ga Janairu, kwamitin edita na St. Louis Post Dispatch A bayyane yake nuna waɗancan makamancin haka, yana ƙarasa da cewa "sau da yawa, mutanen da ba su da iko da kwarjini ba sa la'akari da jami'an gwamnati. Wani yanayi mai kama da juna ya kasance a nan tare da zubar da ruwa na Bridgeton's West Lake… Bayan ganin abin da ya faru a Flint, ba abin mamaki ba ne cewa suna shakkar nufin gwamnati na samar da mafita ta dindindin."
Alhakin gadon rediyo a arewacin gundumar St. Louis ya rataya ne a kan gwamnatin Amurka, saboda matsalar da ke can ta samo asali ne ta hanyar kera makaman nukiliya na farko. Aƙalla, tsari na farko na kasuwanci ya kamata ya kasance ga Corps of Engineers don cire yawancin sharar gida na Kogin Yamma kamar yadda zai yiwu kuma ya ƙunshi sauran, don kare al'ummomin da ke kusa da ruwan sha da suke jawowa daga Kogin Missouri.
Babban malami a Cibiyar Nazarin Manufofin, Robert Alvarez ya yi aiki a matsayin babban mai ba da shawara kan harkokin siyasa ga sakataren Ma'aikatar Makamashi kuma mataimakin mataimakin sakatare na tsaron kasa da muhalli daga 1993 zuwa 1999. A wannan lokacin, ya jagoranci tawagogi a Koriya ta Arewa don kafa iko. na kayan makaman nukiliya. Ya kuma tsara tsarin dabarun kayan nukiliya na Ma'aikatar Makamashi sannan ya kafa shirin kula da kadara na farko. Kafin ya shiga Ma'aikatar Makamashi, Alvarez ya yi aiki na tsawon shekaru biyar a matsayin babban mai bincike na Kwamitin Majalisar Dattijan Amurka kan Harkokin Gwamnati, karkashin jagorancin Sanata John Glenn, kuma a matsayin daya daga cikin manyan ma'aikatan Majalisar Dattawa kan shirin kera makaman nukiliya na Amurka. A cikin 1975, Alvarez ya taimaka samowa da jagorantar Cibiyar Manufofin Muhalli, ƙungiya mai sha'awar jama'a ta ƙasa. Ya kuma taimaka wajen shirya shari'ar nasara a madadin Karen Silkwood, ma'aikaciyar nukiliya kuma memba a ƙungiyar da aka kashe a cikin yanayi mai ban mamaki a cikin 1974. Alvarez ya buga labarai a cikin Science, da Bulletin of Atomic Masana kimiyya, Neman Harkokin Kasafi, Da kuma The Washington Post. An nuna shi a shirye-shiryen talabijin kamar NOVA da Minti 60.
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