The Department of Energy was directed by the U.S. Congress in Section 3140 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022 to conduct a study of the impacts of climate change on the Runit Dome nuclear waste disposal site on the Enewetak Atoll, which is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI).
Office of Environment, Health, Safety & Security
August 30, 2024
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The Department of Energy was directed by the U.S. Congress in Section 3140 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022 to conduct a study of the impacts of climate change on the Runit Dome nuclear waste disposal site on the Enewetak Atoll, which is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The Congress directed this study to also address other environmental hazards resulting from nuclear weapons testing.
The current study only addressed the effects of contaminants from nuclear weapons testing on human health and the environment. While other nonradioactive contaminants may be present at the Enewetak Atoll, past surveys have primarily focused on characterizing radioactive contaminants. No data were available for nonradioactive toxins at the Enewetak Atoll. Because new data collection was not within the scope, this study primarily focused on characterizing radioactive contaminants under the effects of climate change using available data.