Prickly Pear Island
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Prickly Pear Island, Antigua, is a very small island in the West Indies. It lies a short distance off the north coast of the much larger island of Antigua. The island measures 100m north to south, and 65m east to west. It has 12 residents, all of whom were born on the island.
Despite the name, prickly pears are not the island's only source of wealth. Tourism contributes substantially to the island's income, despite a slightly radioactive environment.
From July 21, 1968 to October 31, 1973 the island was loaned to the British government. During this time the United Kingdom deposited spent radioactive fuel rods from its Atlantic nuclear submarine fleet on the island.
The government of Antigua planned to place these spent fuel rods in an underground concrete and lead bunker situated on the south shore of the island, yet has so far failed to do so, due to economic difficulties. Currently the rods are kept in a wooden and mud brick structure with a padlocked door. Due to the lack of visitors, the environmental and health concerns of the island rarely receive publicity or international criticism.
Nevertheless, 6 of the 12 residents have suffered from thyroid cancer, which is suspected of being related to the highly radioactive iodine isotopes that originate from the spent nuclear fuel rods. It is believed the iodine isotopes leach into the fine silica sand from the mudbrick structure housing them. Nevertheless, an international conglomerate is currently in discussions concerning renting the island from the government of Antigua. This international group hopes to build a for-profit medical school on the island in 2010, and has offered to move the nuclear fuel rods 50 meters east of the island to dump them into the Atlantic Ocean. This plan has enraged the 12 residents on the island, who rely on local fish for sustenance.
Ted Bravansky, a researcher from the University of Florida has stated that the damaged to the island's environment is likely long-term, and that Prickly Pear Island will be highly radioactive for at least 1200 years, regardless of whether the old nuclear reactor parts remain or are dumped elsewhere.
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