text: The PUREX plant at the Hanford Site was responsible for producing copious volumes of liquid wastes, resulting in the radioactive contamination of groundwater.
  Greenpeace measurements in La Hague and Sellafield indicated that radioactive pollutants are steadily released into the sea, and the air. Therefore, people living near these processing plants are exposed to higher radiation levels than the naturally occurring background radiation. According to Greenpeace, this additional radiation is small but not negligible.