It has been handling radioactive material safely for nearly 30 years. And it will continue to accept low-level waste from medica l facilities in the Northwest and Rocky Mountain states. Low-level wastes include papers, tools, uniforms, and other materials contaminated by exposure to radiation. There is already anecdotal evidence of hospitals and research facilities beginning to cancel projects in order to preserve space in their waste storage areas. Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, which operates approximately 100 biomedical rese arch laboratories, certain heart disease and diabetes research projects have been curtailed.
Regional disposal is the safest and most cost-effective method for handling radioactive material.
Under a 1980 law, states assumed responsibility from the federal government for low-level waste disposal. Too many Americans fail to appreciate the enormous benefits that result from the use of radioisotopes and radioactive materials. And radioactive materials are crucial to many industries. Inc. And this estimate does not include the benefits of nuclear power generation. Unless they are prepared to write off key sectors of their economies, states must deal rationally with the waste issue.