The mining of uranium leeches radiation and radioactive materials into the environment leaving mining sites littered with hazardous materials which contaminate ecosystems. Pollutants from the mining of uranium can contaminate aquatic ecosystems for hundreds of years, threatening downstream communities, fish and wildlife.

Once the uranium has been mined, producing nuclear weapons continues to pose environmental risks. Risks from accidents during the production process, or risk of attack of nuclear facilities in conflict, there is also the concern about long-term storage of nuclear waste. Nuclear waste remains highly radioactive for tens of thousands of years, and no solution for permanent isolation from the environment exists. The Hanford site in the US, for example, holds about 56 million gallons of radioactive waste from US. nuclear weapons production, in decrepit tanks underground. By the site’s own admission, innumerable spills and solid waste burials have already taken place, but not been accurately recorded, and the tanks continues to leak. There are many more examples of mismanagement, accidents, and problems with clean up from nuclear weapons production sites around the world - such as the Mayak site in Russia and Sellafield in the UK - read our case studies here.