Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/nuclear-dump-marine-life/

“The Irish Sea is rich in marine life, from soft corals and reefs that provide shelter for crabs and anemones to seals, whales and around 30 species of shark,” said Joan Edwards, director of policy at the Wildlife Trusts. “Sandbanks and gravel habitats are vital nursery grounds for flatfish, sea bass, and sea eels, while also acting as a feeding ground for thousands of breeding seabirds.”

There is an ongoing battle to safeguard the Irish Sea and its marine biodiversity from a planned seismic blasting by the government’s Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) in order to locate an area where nuclear wastes could be dumped.

“Marine habitats are already under huge pressure from pollution, irresponsible development and bottom trawling – as well as the consequences of climate change,” explained Edwards. “We are concerned about the implications of seismic testing in the Irish Sea, which evidence shows can be devastating for marine life.”

The NSW planned seismic blasting is also under fire for its lack of transparency and failure to consult stakeholders. According to Marianne Birkby, founder of Radiation Free Lakeland, NSW did not carry out independent environmental impact assessments and they have decided to commission a report to find out the truth and counter NSW’s false PR claims.

NSW defended its actions and stated that “there is no requirement to undertake a public consultation for these surveys.”

“We have undertaken marine environment assessments requested by Natural England and navigational authorities to assess any impacts and they have been satisfied that our activities are exempt,” Chris Eldred, NSW senior project manager for geosphere characterisation, further remarked.

But Radiation Free Lakeland keeps on questioning NSW and its PR claim that the seismic survey is non-invasive scientific research. NSW’s true purpose is to establish a Geological Disposal Facility at the region which is one of the several designated Marine Conservation Zones in the Irish Sea.

Aside from the hazards of nuclear waste that the UK government intends to dump into the region, seismic blasting is known to adversely affect cetaceans and other marine creatures. Scientists use seismic blasting to find out a seabed’s geography, a process that involves the firing of an underwater airgun every 10 to 15 seconds throughout the survey period which may last a month.

Unfortunately, the repetitive blasting adversely affects cetaceans and other marine creatures. A seismic airgun’s sounds can travel up to 4,000 kilometers and cover areas of up to 300,000 square kilometres with noise that often disrupts the senses of marine living things. The noise can even kill vital microorganisms like zooplanktons and wipe out entire underwater ecosystems.

Marine radioactivity researcher and consultant Tim Deere-Jones, author of the Radiation Free Lakeland’s report, further stated, “NWS has also ignored the comment from Professor Popper, a leading authority on fish bioacoustics. My recommendation is that consideration of the proposed survey, and all such surveys in UK waters, should be postponed until the information gaps referenced by Professor Popper have been filled and properly informed impact assessment decisions can be made.”

With regard to the importance of nuclear energy, many technologically-advanced countries are sustained by it amid the world’s struggle to curb carbon emissions by shifting to cleaner and more efficient sources.

However, extremely hazardous wastes are the no. 1 problem with nuclear reactors. Currently, there are more than 250,000 tons of this radioactive stuff stored in temporary containments due to lack of truly safe dumping facilities.

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog