Russia’s nuclear-safety issues spread

From Washington, D.C., at the 220th national meeting of the American Chemical Society

Russia’s problem with nuclear-waste management has transcended national borders, says a leading Russian environmentalist. Aleksandr Nikitin says the sinking of Russia’s Kursk nuclear submarine on Aug. 12 only exacerbates the situation.

Nikitin, a former member of Russia’s Navy and a coauthor of the report “The Russian Northern Fleet: Sources of Radioactive Contamination,” spoke just 3 weeks before he’s scheduled to be retried in Russia on charges of treason.