World Environment Day 2014

The selected locations are sometimes within a nature reserve, as is the case in the Midway Islands (United States) in the North Pacific Ocean. During the establishment of an infrasound and a radionuclide monitoring station on the islands, the CTBTO took the greatest precautions, in close cooperation with the Marine National Monument authorities, to minimize disturbance to the local wildlife. Apart from hosting the world’s largest population of Laysan Albatrosses, Midway is home to the rare Hawaiian monk seals and green sea turtles. The islands and the rich Midway Atoll enjoy strict environmental protection as part of the Papah?naumoku?kea Marine National Monument.

Radionuclide stations are designed to detect radioactive debris from a nuclear explosion. These stations are established in locations that are well exposed to major wind streams, such as the Midway Islands. In order to avoid major construction activity, an obsolete building was used to house the detection equipment of the Midway radionuclide station. Additionally, the air collecting system was fitted with special silencers and a safety net to minimize noise emissions and avoid injury to the birds. Radionuclide stations themselves produce no emissions or waste.

Infrasound stations also need to be established in areas exposed to winds in order to detect low-frequency noises emitted by nuclear explosions that can travel far through the atmosphere. At the same time, such stations need to be remote from disturbing background noise sources. An infrasound station consists of several infrasound array elements so that it can determine the direction of a signal’s source with precision. For the planning of the Midway infrasound station, the CTBTO changed the standard layout, which was found to encroach on too much of the birds’ breeding space. Some of the array elements will be relocated on a concrete area near an active U.S. military runway, requiring additional permission to be sought. The size of the antennas and solar panels was also reduced to minimize the risk of injury to the birds.

Another example of the commitment of the CTBTO to building sustainably  is the infrasound station IS36 within a protected conservation reserve on New Zealand’s Chatham Island.  Special care was taken to prevent any damage to the forest. Wheel barrows replaced heavy machinery during the installation and some pipes of the infrasound arrays were bent around trees.

But even when monitoring stations are not built in national parks or protected areas, special care is consistently taken to minimize the potential impact on the environment. Many stations are located in isolated areas and need an independent fuel supply to run them. At the radionuclide station RN39 on the Kiritimati Island in the Pacific, special diesel tanks were designed to prevent the possibility of leaks that could contaminate the shallow water table on the island.