HISTORY 224 Chapter 0: How India’s Nuclear Industry Created A River of Death, According to Court Case Claims
Document Summary
Ho(cid:449) i(cid:374)dia"s nuclear i(cid:374)dustry created a ri(cid:448)er of death, accordi(cid:374)g to court case clai(cid:373)s. Jadugoda (cid:373)ea(cid:374)s (cid:862)st(cid:396)eak of gold,(cid:863) (cid:373)a(cid:374)(cid:455) ha(cid:448)e sought fo(cid:396)tu(cid:374)es (cid:271)(cid:455) pa(cid:374)(cid:374)i(cid:374)g fo(cid:396) (cid:374)uggets i(cid:374) its headwaters, which wash over a region flecked with minerals and ore. The water was adulterated with radioactive alpha particles that cannot be absorbed through the skin or clothes, but if ingested cause 1,000 times more damage than other types of radiation. What the p(cid:396)ofesso(cid:396)"s tea(cid:373) u(cid:374)(cid:272)o(cid:448)e(cid:396)ed (cid:449)as ha(cid:396)d e(cid:448)ide(cid:374)(cid:272)e of the toxic footprint of the (cid:272)ou(cid:374)t(cid:396)(cid:455)"s se(cid:272)(cid:396)et (cid:374)u(cid:272)lea(cid:396) (cid:373)i(cid:374)i(cid:374)g a(cid:374)d fuel fa(cid:271)(cid:396)i(cid:272)atio(cid:374) p(cid:396)og(cid:396)a(cid:373). A comprehensive new energy plan the government approved in october declared that (cid:374)u(cid:272)lea(cid:396) po(cid:449)e(cid:396) is (cid:862)a safe, e(cid:374)(cid:448)i(cid:396)o(cid:374)(cid:373)e(cid:374)tall(cid:455) (cid:271)e(cid:374)ig(cid:374) a(cid:374)d e(cid:272)o(cid:374)o(cid:373)i(cid:272)all(cid:455) (cid:448)ia(cid:271)le sou(cid:396)(cid:272)e to (cid:373)eet the increasing ele(cid:272)t(cid:396)i(cid:272)it(cid:455) (cid:374)eeds of the (cid:272)ou(cid:374)t(cid:396)(cid:455). (cid:863) The testimony and reports document how nuclear installations, fabrication plants and mines have repeatedly breached international safety standards for the past 20 years.
