Dismantling of nuclear weapons and vessels: A terrifying legacy for future generations

As part of disarmament agreements, or due to obsolescence, a large number of nuclear weapons and nuclear vessels – especially nuclear-powered submarines – must be dismantled. All countries are facing the same challenge posed by the security and environmental constraints of storing large quantities of fissionable and radioactive materials for a very long period. The new economic sector that might be generated by these activities, in Brest for example, cannot make us forget the terrifying burden imposed on future generations by decades of "belief" in nuclear deterrence.