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Chernobyl

(Coming)

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Fracking

A process used to help extract oil or gas from the ground.

It involves injecting fluids at high pressure into the ground to break up rocks, helping the oil or gas flow to the surface into a well.

The name is short for hydraulic fracturing.

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Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund

A fund that provides money to address petroleum releases from underground storage tanks that are regulated by the federal government. It is paid for by a 1-cent tax on each gallon of fuel.

Its functions include...

o Overseeing and enforcing cleanups.
o Paying for emergency cleanups or cleanups where the owner or operator is unable to.
o Preventing leaks

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OPEC

Oil Producing and Exporting Countries - a oil cartel consisting of 14 nations...

o Algeria
o Angold
o Ecuador
o Equatorial Guinea
o Gabon
o Iran
o Iraq
o Kuwait
o Libia
o Nigeria
o Qatar
o Saudi Arabia
o United Arab Emirates
o Venezuela
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Petroleum classifications

Crude oil is classified as either sweet or sour, depending on how much sulfur it contains.

Sweet crude oil - which contains less than 1/2 percent sulfur - is easier to refine and safer to transport. It costs more than sour petroleum.

The sulfur in sour crude oil can cause health problems. At low concentrations, it gives the oil the smell associated with "rotten eggs". At larger concentrations, it can be fatal.

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Plutonium

A radioactive metallic element that can be used for power - such as in nuclear power plants or spacecraft. It can be used to supply power to heart pacemakers.

It also is used in nuclear weapons - such as the atomic bomb known as "Fat Man" that was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan in the Second World War.

Plutonium manufactured for both civilian and military purposes.

Plutonium for civilian purposes is monitored by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), with reports of missing plutonium sent to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Military plutonium is managed by the Department of Energy (DOE). Missing military plutonium rarely is reported to the public.

Referenced by...
Government can't account for nuclear weapons material (2018-Jul-27)
Live nukes mistakenly flown over U.S. (2007-Sep-05)
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Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR)

The nation's emergency fuel storage.

The crude oil is stored in four storage facilities in Louisiana and Texas - in deep underground caverns. The total capacity is more than 700 million barrels. Both sweet and sour crude oil is stored.

It was created by the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act, and is maintained by the Department of Energy (DOE).

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Uranium extraction

These are the primary ways uranium is obtained for use in nuclear fuel and weapons...

o Conventional milling: Uranium ore from mines is brought to a mill, where it is crushed into smaller particles. Uranium is then leached from the particles using a liquid such as sulfuric acid.

o In situ recovery: A solution is injected into the ground to dissolve the uranium. Then the solution (containing the dissolved uranium) is collected and pumped to a processing plant where the uranium is extracted. This is similar to fracking, but shallower, which can affect groundwater.

The product of uranium extraction is known as yellowcake.

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