USA’s history of nuclear fracking

U.S. Experimented With Nuclear Fracking,  Forbes, Jeff McMahon, 29 Jan 14 “…….By 1974, approximately 82 million dollars had been invested in the nuclear gas stimulation technology program …. It was estimated that even after 25 years of gas production of all the natural gas deemed recoverable, that only 15 to 40 percent of the investment could be recovered. At the same time, alternative, non-nuclear technologies were being developed, such as hydrofracturing. Consequently, under the pressure of economic and environmental concerns, the Plowshare Program was discontinued at the end of FY 1975.

The three sites—the Gasbuggy site in New Mexico and the Rulison and Rio Blanco sites in Colorado—remain under the watch of DOE’s Office of Legacy Management.

When DOE cleaned up the Gasbuggy site in 2004, it used the well just  as Jon Abel suggested it might: “liquid radioactive waste was injected into the cavity formed by the nuclear explosion; solid radioactive waste was removed to the Nevada Test Site,” according to a DOE fact sheet (pdf).

When Rio Blanco was cleaned up, radioactive materials were injected into the earth using one of the test wells.DOE and EPA officials conduct regular tests to determine whether  radioactive liquids are migrating from these sites into adjacent groundwater. So far, they say, no leaks. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2014/01/29/u-s-experimented-with-nuclear-fracking/

January 30, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized