Reply #2: Oklo Reactors

[PamW]

Millions of years ago, Mother Nature made her own nuclear reactors
at Oklo in Gabon:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_nuclear_fission_reactor

Just as in man-made reactors, one of the byproducts of this
natural reactor is Plutonium. In the millions of years since
this reactor was active, the Plutonium has hardly moved. It
remains locked to the reactor site.

If Plutonium were released into the ground at a man-made
nuclear power plant, the anti-nukes would by decrying how the
Plutonium was diffusing through the soil at a rapid pace.

However, it doesn't work that way in reality. There are soils
and clays with very good ion-exchange properties that help to
inhibit the transport of Plutonium in the environment.

http://books.google.com/books?id=KQ18Mh9WdzwC&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=Plutonium+movement++Oklo&source=bl&ots=GD0v-S6oTv&sig=haA650k4LW96X7iDsfyXSOkYipc&hl=en&ei=OBC2TovcDOSSiALJy-B4&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Plutonium%20movement%20%20Oklo&f=false

The initial radioactive have long since decayed into stable elements
but close study of the amount and location of these has shown there
was little movement of radioactive wastes during and after the nuclear
reactions. Plutonium and other transuranics remained immobile.
...
Thus the only known "test" of underground at Oklo was successful over
a long period of time in spite of the characteristics of the site.


PamW