Not too long ago we were all marveling at the “wonderful” oil boom in North Dakota with its increase in state wealth and population, exciting growth for small business, and all that comes with a huge boom in natural resources.
But as we should know from our own history, all booms come at a price.
They are paying that price now in North Dakota.
According to Think Progress, state officials recently found piles of garbage bags full of radioactive material dumped in abandoned buildings.
The refusal of the oil industry to responsibly deal with its radioactive waste is so out of control that “dump operators now even routinely screen garbage for radiation.”
Again, according to Think Progress, the oil industry generates as much as 27 tons of radioactive material DAILY. North Dakota has no way to process this radioactive waste and the closest places are many miles away in Idaho, Colorado, Utah, and Montana.
Of course, to dump in those places means transporting radioactive materials across hundreds of miles, which creates a whole new set of problems.
So every boom comes with a cost. There is no free or easy or simple way to generate enough energy today without turning in a major way to renewables.
We cannot get away from the need to invest in renewables and conservation. There is no fossil fuel magic bullet. We either take care of the earth and the quality of our lives, or we squander the earth and the quality of our lives.
This is yet another decision that cannot be left to the whims of the market or the greed beyond greed of unfettered capitalism.
Photo source: Chris Waits on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)