May 17 2021 A recent inventory in Sweden found that 2,800 barrels of radioactive waste had been mistakenly stored in a warehouse in the city of Forsmark, Russian Sputnik news agency reported Wednesday.
The barrels are reported to contain radioactive waste from the 1970s and 1980s, mainly from areas such as health care and the defense industry. Although they do not pose a threat to humans and the natural environment at this time, they are still a significant risk if placed and mishandled.
The misplaced nuclear waste was strongly condemned by Sweden’s environment and climate minister, Jean-Claude Browder, who stressed the need for re-testing and proper storage. Mr. Browder said the consequences could be severe if waste that endangers lives is not properly disposed of. Such casual discarding is “irresponsible”.
It is not clear who will do this expensive and time-consuming and complex task. Fosmark is a coastal city about 100 kilometers north of Stockholm, home to a nuclear power plant and a low- and medium-level nuclear waste warehouse containing more than 30,000 cubic meters of radioactive nuclear waste.
