Contaminated Water, Land Damage, and Earthquakes: The Legacy of Waste Injection Wells
July 5, 2013 | Desmog.ca | Elizabeth Hand
Early scientific analysis predicted that the risks associated with
hazardous waste injection wells would be negligible. Unfortunately,
experience has indicated that disposing of hazardous waste deep
underground has been linked to water contamination, destroyed ecosystems, toxic leaks and earthquakes.
Now we are learning that there is a difference between scientific analysis and scientific evidence.
In a recent extensive report by ProPublica, John Apps, leading geoscientist, who advises the Department of Energy for Lawrence Berkeley National Labs, said that the science used to go forward with disposal wells was not sound.
"Every statement is based on a collection of experts that offer you
their opinions. Then you do a scientific analysis of their opinions and
get some probability out of it. This is a wonderful way to go when you
don't have any evidence one way or another... But it really doesn't mean
anything scientifically."
Perhaps the scientific projections behind the disposal well operations
would be sound under ideal conditions: uniform rock structure, stability
of toxic materials, predictable reactions and seismic activity. But,
scientists say, no amount of speculation can take into account all of
the variables of deep underground environments.
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