Editing Radioactive waste (section)

=== Illegal dumping ===
{{see also|Toxic waste dumping by the 'Ndrangheta|Environmental issues in Afghanistan}}

Authorities in Italy are investigating a [['Ndrangheta]] mafia clan accused of trafficking and illegally dumping nuclear waste. According to a [[whistleblower]], a manager of the Italy state energy research agency [[ENEA (Italy)|Enea]] paid the clan to get rid of 600 drums of toxic and radioactive waste from Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, and the United States, with [[Somalia]] as the destination, where the waste was buried after buying off local politicians. Former employees of Enea are suspected of paying the criminals to take waste off their hands in the 1980s and 1990s. Shipments to Somalia continued into the 1990s, while the 'Ndrangheta clan also blew up shiploads of waste, including radioactive hospital waste, sending them to the sea bed off the [[Calabria]]n coast.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/oct/09/italy.nuclearpower From cocaine to plutonium: mafia clan accused of trafficking nuclear waste], {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161228034815/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/oct/09/italy.nuclearpower|date=2016-12-28}}, The Guardian, London, England, October 9, 2007.</ref> According to the environmental group [[Legambiente]], former members of the 'Ndrangheta have said that they were paid to sink ships with radioactive material for the last 20 years.<ref>[https://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090914/sc_afp/italycrimemafiaenvironment_20090914212821 Mafia sank boat with radioactive waste: official] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929040749/https://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090914/sc_afp/italycrimemafiaenvironment_20090914212821 |date=2009-09-29 }}, AFP, September 14, 2009</ref>

In 2008, Afghan authorities accused [[Pakistan]] of illegally dumping nuclear waste in the southern parts of [[Afghanistan]] when the [[Taliban]] were in power between [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|1996 and 2001]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vennard |first=Martin |date=April 1, 2008 |title=Pakistan 'dumped nuclear waste' |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7323920.stm |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=BBC}}</ref> The Pakistani government denied the allegation.