Particle.news

Download on the App Store

L’Atalante Expedition Maps Over 1,800 Radioactive Barrels Off Galicia

Spanish safety council finds no significant coastal radiation; EU lawmakers press for full investigation of submerged nuclear waste

Image
Image
El buque oceanográfico L´Atlante

Overview

  • The CNRS-led L’Atalante mission has geolocated more than 1,800 radioactive waste barrels at depths over 4,500 meters off the Galician coast.
  • Remote-operated vehicle UlyX has executed sonar mapping and recovered sediment cores and biological traps to assess potential contamination.
  • Historical records show eight European nations dumped nuclear waste in the Atlantic trench between the 1940s and 1980s, totaling an estimated 140,000–220,000 barrels.
  • MEPs from PPdeG, PSdeG and BNG have formally questioned the European Commission about its prior knowledge of the dumping and its involvement in the current mission.
  • Spain’s Nuclear Safety Council reports no detectable rise in coastal radiation and maintains ongoing coordination with French researchers on long-term solutions.