Entombment has not always been properly performed and the institutional controls were not always advantageously planned. Intruders have been able to gain access to the entombed reactor facility. Also, because the water table near many reactor sites is near the surface and the facilities are near major rivers and population centers, radioactively contaminated water has become a problem. Furthermore, because of the poor safety record at low level waste dumps, it becomes almost impossible to site new dumps. This fact, along with pressure from the nuclear industry and managers of the weapons facilities has resulted in large amounts of low level waste being free released from nuclear power plants and DOE weapons facilities for recycling into commerce and the household waste stream.
Radiation Becomes Ubiquitous.
Household dumps with radioactively contaminated waste are also leeching into major waterways and aquifers. Large amounts of metal, concrete, and soil have been free released. Radioactively contaminated soil from decommissioned sites has uses ranging from fill dirt for new housing subdivisions to being made into bricks. Radioactive metal has ended up in a wide range of household and commercial products. Sales of metal products have been affected because of the concern about radioactive contamination.