In the 1940s the United States was working hard to develop an atomic bomb at the end of World War II. One of the unfortunate by-products of nuclear research and development is radioactive waste. Much of that waste was disposed of in the West Lake Landfill 43 years ago.
As awareness of the dangers of radioactivity has increased in the intervening decades since the waste was dumped in the West Lake Landfill, but along with that awareness fear has also grown, often overblown and unwarranted.
Experts on radiation who have examined the West Lake Landfill say that the risks associated with the tiny amounts of gamma rays that are emitted are acceptable, similar to the risks of driving.
“All of this would be well within what we give people for medical procedures,” said Sasa Mutic, director of radiation oncology physics at Washington University School of Medicine. “At this level, there are many other things that are much riskier.”
The following video examines some myths and facts concerning the West Lake Landfill.
For more information please go to this article: Misplaced Fears?