...............Nuclear Waste Cleanup
                                              35.52 LT   68.02 LN

 
    Choosing   a  waste  disposal  site  is  one  of   the   most 
controversial aspects of the nuclear waste issue, and this is one 
of your most important missions.
 
    After fuel has been in a power reactor about three years, the 
concentration  of Uranium-235 atoms is reduced and the fuel  must 
be  replaced.  However, disposing of the spent fuel is no  simple 
matter;  the material remains radioactive (though at low  levels) 
for many years, posing a hazard to the environment.  A repository 
must be chosen that will interact with the environment as  little 
as possible.
 
    Earlier  this  century, before the hazards of  nuclear  waste 
became widely known, drums containing radioactive materials  were 
routinely dumped into the oceans.  As the dangers of  radioactive 
waste   became  apparent,  the  issue  grew  in  importance   and 
controversy.   Dumps  sites  are  chosen  only  after   extensive 
research.   Nevertheless, leaks occur, and a worldwide effort  is 
underway to clean up the seas.
 
    The dump site you'll be working on if you choose this mission 
is located off the coast of Delaware.  You'll rendezvous with the 
U.S.  Navy,  which has already begun  cleanup  operations  there.  
Your task will be to sample leaking drums by targeting the  leaks 
and  extending  the robotic arm, which will be carrying  a  small 
instrument designed to sample the radioactive matter.
 
    To  help you locate the corroded drums, Navy S.E.A.L.  divers 
have  layered  the site with a chemical that  makes  the  leaking 
material more easily visible.
