The American government has developed a solution for all the excess radioactive metal from the medical industry and military: Make it into belt buckles. Or forks. Even cheese graters are fair game. The stainless steel beverage cups used to avoid the dangers of BPA? Those are threatened with radioactivity as well. In an absurd twist of policy, The United States Department of Energy decided in December 2012 that it might be a good idea to revoke the ban on recycling radioactive material. The logic behind the proposed reversal is this: If you have a waste product that is costly to contain and dangerous, quietly offload it onto the unsuspecting masses in the form of consumer goods and building materials while turning a nice profit throughout.
More radiation please
Just in case Americans do not have enough exposure to radiation as it is, the Department of Energy would like to give the population another dose in the form of radioactive surgical implants, bicycles, jewelry, zippers or common household goods like pots, pans and utensils. If the department is successful, 14,000 tons of contaminated metal will make its way into the mainstream fabrication industry, generating a tidy $10-40 million in revenue while avoiding exorbitant disposal fees. If the ban is lifted, it would also open a floodgate for contaminated metals to enter the U.S. from abroad with little or no oversight.
