Indigenous nuclear waste management.
Indigenous nuclear waste management.
“The top of Pukeatua at Te Rewarewa on an early summer
morning” ©Te Tui Shortland.
Explanation:
Nuclear Semiotics
[dɪˈsɪdjʊəs]
ADJECTIVE
1. Nuclear Semiotics refers to the
study of how to warn people at least 10,000+ years from now about
nuclear waste, when all known languages may have disappeared within this
timeframe.
o any warning to the future about nuclear waste will have to be more
creative than just posting a sign outside of storage sites.
in a nutshell, it
would mean using "atomic folk objects" to create an oral tradition,
similar to how Indigenous cultures pass down traditional knowledge, of stories
associated with nuclear sites.
“We cannot predict the future or stop the
future from happening, but we do need to figure out how to communicate to
future generations, at least 240,000 years from now, that these geological
repositories must remain isolated and undisturbed”
Indigenous Waste Management in Oceania
1. They’re
have been many instances of our communities being the frontline leaders when it
comes to ringing the bell on the issues of climate change.
2. According
to Susanne Tölzel, the 1st chairperson of Coastal Plastics Recycling (COPLARE),
Oceania means a combination of influences from the Pacific, England, France,
Chile, USA and New Zealand. That means: different opinions as to how good waste
management looks like and whether Oceania can even afford such waste
management, citations of different practices in the mother countries, language
barriers …. Waste disposal in landfills (and not recycling or at least thermal
recycling) is the most common practice in all mother countries and the measure
of all things for Oceania. All of this has to be kept in mind if you want to
judge the waste situation in Oceania.
“Pacific Islanders
have been fighting environmental crises for centuries, if only the world would
notice. The 10 million residents of Oceania are among the most frontline of
frontline communities — and they have much to teach the rest of us”.
Introduction:
I began
researching nuclear semiotics after a post I saw on social media by
@hinenuitepohara where she shared that currently, there are people trying to
design signs to let future generations know about the waste sitting in these
geological repositories but they don’t know if we’ll still be using English
thousands of years in the future and that one idea was to construct large sharp
“thorn” gardens that would keep people out but that idea was abandoned and they
settled on signs with English and faces displaying disgust. She also mentioned
that she thought the thorn garden idea was best, and I personally agree with
her. Humans began utilising
nuclear energy not knowing than, that things like Plutonium, transuranic and
radioactive wastes don’t completely leave the worlds atmosphere for at least
240,000 years. Using America as an
example here; an estimate of 30,000 nuclear weapons were constructed during the
soviet cold war after the Bush administration had announced that nuclear energy
can power entire countries. This caused an excessive amount of left over waste.
We (humans) fucked up basically, is what I’m trying to say, and now
we’re left with the task of figuring out how to safely store and decontaminate
this waste. There have been many ideas
proposed around how to decontaminate and decommission the highly toxic
radioactive waste and low-level nuclear wastes. Scientist from all over the
world agreed that the safest way to do so, is by isolating the waste. This is
where the “underground burial tombs” come in. Since the 1950s, U.S politicians
and scientists have worked to bury tons of the nation’s nuclear waste deep
underground. Multiple geological repositories have begun construction during
this time, including places like the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant or WIPP
located 40 miles east of Carlsbad, New Mexico or ONKALO the massive underground
bunker located in Eurajoki, Finland that first begun construction in the 1970s.
This may be merely a coincidence, but the word Onkalo translates to cabin,
hiding place or hideout in Finnish. Approximately 88,000 tons of waste is
currently sitting 900,000ft below the Earth’s surface in the geological
repository known as WIPP. This treatment plant is known to hold at least twice
the amount of capacity it currently holds. My goal is that by the end of this
document, you are fully aware about what nuclear semiotics are and what efforts
are currently being made around the world by Indigenous Peoples to combat
harmful dioxins and radioactive wastes in the atmosphere.
Semiotic perspectives:
Nā: Michelle Rahurahu.
Two examples that spring to mind have been written about by Kepa
Morgan. He goes into how the symbol of the Taniwha, communicated through
generations in an oralist tradition, and how listening to indigenous people and
minding this symbol, could keep us from building on sites that are both tapu (sacred)
or dangerous. These examples, that I have linked below, are interesting to me
because it sets the Western approach to semiotics apart from an Indigenous or
Māori one. The Western approach counts on physical signs that must physically
communicate danger alone, whereas the Indigenous Māori approach relies not only
on symbols, but the Iwi, hapū and communities’ inbuilt systems to decipher them
(or at least pay heed to what they might be saying). Even though we speak a
different language to the one we spoke hundreds of years ago, our pūrākau stay
with us and can give us an inkling of an idea of what a symbol like Taniwha
might mean.
References and case studies/data:
- In the
section above “semiotic perspectives”, written by Michelle Rahurahu, she
mentions two examples of an approach written by Kepa Morgan in 2011, where
he raised concerns by Ngāti Whātua and their proposal to an improved
design for the downtown rail link in Tāmaki-makau-rau by implementing Taniwha. I will link the publication
which is titled - Kepa Morgan: Heeding the Taniwha can help avert
expensive blunders - here.
2. This was important to note because
this botanist stresses the importance of fungi and plants that will be helpful
in the process of getting rid of this waste. According to an expert
Botanist from New York, the most interesting fact about plants is that they
rely on, not only the genealogy of humans but they also heavily rely on environments.
For example, in Chernobyl, Ukraine there is a Mushroom or Fungi that have only
been found at the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant. This is considered a high level environmental
area and the fungi’s main diet is weirdly, radioactive waste.
3. Since
the 1950s, U.S politicians and scientists have worked to bury approximately
88,000 tons of the nation’s nuclear waste deep underground.
4. In
Eurajoki, Finland a company here, were the first in the world to begin constructing
an underground “burial tomb” for the countries high-level nuclear waste to be
isolated underground – this is the nuclear waste plant called ONKALO.
5. Onkalo
is a Finnish word that translates to cabin, hiding place or hideout. According to the Sanskrit
dictionary Onkalo also translates to cave, cavity or hollow.
6. America
began constructing the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Plant, this was and still is without permission from
not only the local and Western Shoshone People, where the plant is located, but
also without the permission of local government, as well as the Waste
Isolation Pilot Plant or WIPP.
7. WIPP
or The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is a low-level nuclear waste repository
located about 40 miles east of Carlsbad, New Mexico.
8. An
expert explained that WIPP one of the nuclear treatment plants they use in
America that’s based in New Mexico has 3000-4000 feet of salt depositories 900
feet below ground level.
9. Comments
from Allison Macfarlane, who was the chairperson for the U.S Nuclear Regulatory
commission during the years 2012-2014 state that “We consider something gone
after ten half-lives so 240,000 years. The half-life of plutonium is 24,100
years”
10. Yucca
Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository first began construction in 2002. Since this
time there have been many reasons as to why this site should not be used as an
“underground burial tomb” for nuclear wastes. One example is that the groundwater
in Yucca Mountain could corrode the canisters that store nuclear waste, causing
a radioactive leak.
11. Yucca
Mountain is located within the Western Shoshone Nation and has long been a
place of powerful spiritual energy for the Shoshone and the Paiute (Native
American tribes). To the Western Shoshone people, it is Snake Mountain, a place
with rock rings that transmit prayers to the great spirit and messages back to
the people. A late Shoshone spiritual leader, Corbin Harney, told a traditional
story about how Snake Mountain would one day be awakened and split open, spewing
out poison. This prophecy may or may not predict the potential disaster of volcanic
activity and nuclear waste leakage. And if that isn’t enough, Shoshone
ancestors are buried within this mountain and the water in the area is sacred,
as it is with many Indigenous peoples.
12. I learnt of another case study in
my research which would be handy to reference here. Local iwi in
Whakatane have been the driving force behind a study which has found that fungi
and other plants can reduce dioxins in contaminated land. More than 36 sites
around Whakatane have been contaminated by discharge from the Whakatane
Sawmill, and a Waikato University study has found that enzymes from the fungi and
poplars degraded the toxins. The university says Ngāti Awa has completely run
and conducted the project to bring the land back to a healthy state. Jo
Harawira from Ngāti Awa says Māori are the kaitiaki of the lands and the
waterways and the iwi wanted to go back to nature to get rid of the toxins in
their rohe (district).
Humans and our general behaviours
will no doubt play a huge part in keeping this project together and not
accidentally blowing the entire planet to pieces in the process.
Questions and answers:
1. What
does salt have to do with the preservation of the nuclear and radioactive
waste, isolation process? By the end of this document, hopefully I would have
found the answer and this question will be answered.
o
Salt deposits exist underground. They are
self-healing, have very low permeability and conduct heat well. All of these
are important to releasing the natural heat of the nuclear waste. Salt
formations can make an excellent barrier to long-term releases of radionuclides
into the human environment.
2. Why
were billions of dollars invested into the Yucca Mountain treatment plant
project, years before getting consensus from the local state government and its
people? Currently still under construction. Currently still without consensus.
This is a land grab and I think I know a land grab when I see it by now.
o
The nuclear regulatory commission, the federal
agency that approves radioactive-waste storage sites, published a long-delayed
report in 2014 deeming Yucca Mountain safe. I have explained many examples as
to why this isn’t the case. This is one of those issues where the federal
government than tells its people that “we’re going to take this” That doesn’t
really sit or work well with me and many others, I’m sure. Indigenous people
and the state of Nevada said “We don’t want this because we don’t believe
you’ve done this in a safe or consensus based fashion. You didn’t ask us. You
basically just told us”. For more than 30 years the state and Indigenous people
of Nevada have said no to being a geological repository.
3. What
are transuranic wastes? I noticed I’ve mentioned these are few times now and haven’t
given an explanation on what they are.
o
Transuranic radioactive waste is waste that
contains manmade elements heavier than uranium on the periodic table. This
refers to waste which has been contaminated with alpha emitting transuranic
radionuclides possessing half-lives greater than 20 years. There are two main
types of transuranic wastes. Contact handled transuranic waste – which is the
kind that’s kept in 55-gallon drums that you or I could walk right up to and
not get a significant dose of radioactivity because the container provides good
shielding for handling. And remote handled transuranic waste which you and I
can’t walk up to without getting a significant dose of radiation and in some
cases a dose that could kill you pretty quickly.
4. Can
you explain what geological repositories are or what they refer to? I forget that things like these
are not common knowledge to the general public but let’s change that.
o
These are excavated, underground facilities that
are designed, constructed and operated for safe and secure permanent disposal
of high-level radioactive waste.
5. In
the case study mentioned that was based here in Whakatane, what type of fungi
were used? Curious. Plant
names in general always confuse me, considering most of them sound like you
could be casting spells from off of Harry Potter.
o
Since beginning the case study mentioned, many
fungal species were tested to see which had the most effective outcomes for land
restoration usages and speeding up the end-life process of dioxins and other
radioactive wastes. The study was conducted using two Aōtearoa (New Zealand) strains
of white rot fungi and two other fungi which were isolated from soil at the
sites. A total of five fungal species were evaluated. The four strains from Aōtearoa
(provided by The University of Waikato Fungal Culture Collection) were
Phanerochaete gigantea, Resinicium bicolor, and the two fungi that were isolated
from the site soil, referred to as the “East Side” and “West Side” strains
based on where the soil they were isolated from was in relation to the
concerned site location. A United States strain, Pleurotus ostreatus, was also evaluated
for comparative purposes.
Recommendations / Call to action:
1. An
Idea I had after looking into the information that we have available publicly
about the efforts that are currently being made to dispose of these wastes was
this; In Chernobyl, the capital of Ukraine, they have a fungi that has only
been found in and around the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant, which is now identified
as “Cladosporium sphaerospermum” There are currently still studies going on to
understand the implications and genealogy of the fungus itself but in most
recent studies by scientist, during experimentation they found that the fungus
was able to block some of the incoming radiation, not only was this fungi
blocking the radiation, but it was also consuming it. Scientists agree that this
will be handy for use in future space missions. In my opinion these funguses
will be of better use to us here on Earth and the nuclear waste we currently
have sitting isolated in the Earth’s core. Creating a fungus garden with
Cladosporium sphaerospermum similar to the thorn garden idea, both above ground
and underground, can and will, only benefit us by speeding up the process of
the nuclear wastes end life. Combining these with the bacteria and other fungi
scientist have found that can also feed on radiation will also help speed up
this process and in my opinion, this tactic would be most liable.
2. Another
action or recommendation would be that you reach out to your government
officials or depending on where you are your congressional representatives and
continue to remind them that we stand with Indigenous peoples everywhere and oppose
nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain or any other sacred areas. We also
acknowledge that the Western Shoshone peoples supported the Obama
administration’s efforts to shut down the Yucca Mountain program and find
alternative waste disposal options.
3. Further,
my last recommendation is that we take the time to learn more about what
efforts are being made by indigenous peoples here in Aōtearoa and around the
world, Snake or Yucca Mountain, the Western Shoshone People, the local iwi of Ngāti
Awa in Whakatāne, Aōtearoa (New Zealand) and their efforts to eradicate PCP
dioxins, Fungi and its healing properties, and nuclear waste on indigenous lands,
like so-called Australia for example, through these and other resources:
o
Western
Shoshone Defence Project; a project which defends Western
Shoshone land rights.
o
The
Shundahai Network; a grassroots coalition of nuclear disarmament
activists and Western Shoshone peoples.
o
Trespassing; a documentary film about the efforts made and fights
against nuclear waste on indigenous land in Nevada and California in the U.S.
o
Fungal-Based Remediation:
Treatment of PCP Contaminated Soil in New Zealand; the full
publication of the studies that took place by Ngāti Awa and researches from
Waikato University in Aōtearoa.
o Kepa Morgan: Heeding the Taniwha
can help avert expensive blunders; the publication about Taniwha by Kepa Morgan and Ngāti
Whātua that was mentioned in earlier sections.
o
PCP Toxic Poisoning: New Zealand;
a documentary about the efforts being made by the Hapū of Ngāti Awa to eradicate
the dioxins in the community caused by the Sawmill.
o
Nuclear Nic-Nacs: Tales from Te
Papa; the history of Nuclear waste in Aōtearoa
o NUCLEAR WASTE LAND: Indigenous
Australians Fight Radioactive Dump Plan; a short film about the Adnyamathanha
people of South Australia and their fights against nuclear waste on their
sacred lands.
These are my personal views and recommendations that
reflect wholly on myself. Indigenous land restoration for the win?
Conclusion:
Since beginning this piece, I have
a brand-new perspective and passion for things like natural properties and how
indigenous peoples here in Aōtearoa and across the world are the driving force
of applying natures natural healing properties to many restoration projects
when it comes to our sacred ancestral lands and waterways. I want to thank
everyone who helped me put this piece together, Michelle Rahurahu or
@hinenuitepohara on Instagram, or inspiring me to write this piece in the first
place and for giving me so many little gems of information I would not have come
across if it wasn’t for her awhi, Eilish McEwan or @tiredtipua on Instagram, for
many things, but mostly for proofreading my writing and giving me the
confidence to share my mahi with you all, and everyone reading this, I hope that
you also have a newfound love and passion for these mushrooms and all these
things too. Mauri tū, Mauri ora, oh and it’s still #LANDBACK.
~ K W Armstrong
Bibliography:
Beale, L. (2017, June 14). A hiding place for
nuclear waste. Retrieved from Pacific Standard Magazine:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/psmag.com/.amp/environment/a-hiding-place-for-nuclear-waste-27791
Galison, P., & Moss, R. (Directors). (2015). Containment
[Motion Picture].
Hancock, D. (Director). (2013). Wasteland: The
Nuclear Graveyard Under New Mexico [Motion Picture].
Madsen, M. (Director). (2010). Into Eternity -
Documentary [Motion Picture].
Ramirez, R. (2021, June 01). Pacific Island
Climate Change Innovations. Retrieved from Grist.org:
https://grist.org/fix/pacific-islands-climate-change-innovations/
Sacred Land Film Project (SLFP). (2010, April 02). Yucca
Mountain - United States - SLFP - News & Blog. Retrieved from Sacred
Land Film Project: https://sacredland.org/yucca-mountain-united-states/?fbclid=IwAR1jxh0Awq-8BpXVgg4OegonCW9IlvcB04xycq51pUB-ap2ZukuYTNkJspc
Santore, J. (2022, May 12). Botanist Answers
Plant Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED. Retrieved from
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ryij01EbQkI&t=888s
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