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Articles tagged with "nuclear-waste"

  • France’s uranium waste sparks crisis at Armenia-Azerbaijan flashpoint

    The article reports on a controversy involving France’s state-owned nuclear company Orano, which is accused of transferring uranium-containing radioactive waste to Armenia near the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. The waste shipments began in June 2025 and were deposited in Dilijan National Park, a protected area in the Armenian highlands that lies within a seismic zone and is close to the headwaters of rivers flowing into Azerbaijan. Environmental groups, particularly the Environmental Protection First (EPF) Coalition, have condemned the move as an “ecological war against Azerbaijan,” warning that any leakage could severely impact public health, biodiversity, and water security in the downstream Azerbaijani districts. The radioactive waste reportedly originated from Orano’s previous storage partner in Siberia, but geopolitical tensions and sanctions cut access to Russian facilities, prompting France to seek new disposal options. The deal with Armenia allegedly followed Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s visit to Paris in early 2025, accompanied by controversial financial donations to a foundation led by

    energynuclear-wasteradioactive-materialsenvironmental-impacturaniumwaste-managementnuclear-energy
  • Toxic Waste Stored In An Abandoned Mine In France Highlights A Global Problem - CleanTechnica

    The article discusses the long-term environmental risks posed by toxic waste stored in the abandoned Stocamine potash mine near Wittlesheim in the Alsace region of France. Historically, the mine was a major employer until its closure in the early 1990s. In 1997, the mine’s extensive underground vaults were repurposed as a temporary storage site for industrial toxic waste, including heavy metals like mercury and arsenic, as well as cyanide. This decision was initially presented as a safe, environmentally friendly solution and a way to provide jobs for unemployed miners. However, the promised technological advances to treat or recycle the waste never materialized, leaving the hazardous materials stored indefinitely underground. The situation is particularly concerning because the mine lies beneath the Alsace aquifer, which feeds into the Upper Rhine aquifer supplying drinking water to millions across France, Switzerland, and Germany. The geological instability of abandoned mines, exacerbated by land subsidence and climate change effects such as soil drying and shrinking

    energytoxic-waste-managementenvironmental-impactminingunderground-storagenuclear-wastesustainability
  • US to shrink nuclear waste with compact particle accelerator tech

    energynuclear-wasteparticle-acceleratorsuperconducting-materialswaste-transmutationArgonne-National-LaboratoryFermilab
  • US liquid lead project to cut nuclear waste by 28 times in 30 years

    energynuclear-wastetransmutationradioactive-materialsfission-technologyArgonne-National-LaboratoryDOE
  • Finland Could Be the First Country in the World to Bury Nuclear Waste Permanently

    nuclear-wasteFinlandpermanent-disposalnuclear-powerspent-fuelenergy-policyenvironmental-sustainability