Preventing new ocean disposal of hazardous waste
#00121
Stopping new ocean disposal is upstream of every other facet: the 200,000+ drums on the abyssal plain exist because deliberate sea dumping was accepted practice for decades. The priority now is keeping the ban in force, extending it to adjacent proposals, and ensuring it is actua
#00126Deep-sea disposal by dilution and dispersion
Encase low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste in resin, bitumen, or cement, drum it, and sink it on the deep abyssal plain — relying on the ocean's vast volume and assumed stability to dilute any eventual release below harmful levels.
#00125Binding international prohibition on ocean dumping (London Convention/Protocol)
A treaty regime that first moratoriumed (1983) then permanently banned (from 1993) the dumping of radioactive waste at sea, shifting from case-by-case permits to blanket prohibition. It is the approach that actually stopped new drums entering the ocean.
#00127Bulk retrieval and onshore re-containment of dumped drums
Recover dumped drums from the deep seabed using ROVs, lifting rigs, and sealed containment vessels, then transfer them to managed onshore storage — removing the waste from the marine environment rather than leaving it to decay in place.