10,000 Years Initiative

The 10,000 Years Initiative was a program to provide secure locations to dispose of leftover nuclear waste from weapons production and research.

Background
Radioactive waste can take many thousands of years to break down and become safe, so construction was initiated to warn potential future inhabitants that this location is inhospitable to life. The 10,000 Years Initiative aims to solve this problem.

To that aim, they would construct the locations with lasting monuments that convey a sense of danger and harm to those who would come across them. Phase One involved the construction of gigantic concrete spikes, which could withstand weather, erosion, and shifting topography. They are designed to evoke a sense of dread and to discourage building on top of them.

During Phase Two, sturdy metal engravings were posted around the perimeter. These engravings were sealed and treated to withstand harsh conditions. They include pictograms instead of modern language, in order to clearly convey a sense of danger to life, transcending any potential language barriers millennia from now. Once the site is filled to capacity, it was to be sealed and left alone for as long as it presents a danger to life. While this would not guarantee safety forever, nor that future generations will heed the warnings, it would provide all possible warnings of the danger for them.

Known locations

 * Federal disposal field HZ-21