It turns out that the oft-quoted stuff about trying to build a physical plant that didn’t appeal to future treasure hunters was one of the ideas they decided to try to incorporate as best they could-- but with no hope that it would be enough. The real way they hoped to keep people off was to leave notes all over the place explaining exactly what the stuff was and why it was dangerous. For instance, the plan for the Level III text was
These standing stones mark an area used to bury radioactive wastes.
The area is … by … kilometers (or … miles or about … times the
height of an average full-grown male person) and the buried waste is
… kilometers down. This place was chosen to put this dangerous
material far away from people. The rock and water in this area may not
look, feel, or smell unusual but may be poisoned by radioactive
wastes. When radioactive matter decays, it gives off invisible energy
that can destroy or damage people, animals, and plants.Do not drill here. Do not dig here. Do not do anything that will
change the rocks or water in the area.Do not destroy this marker. This marking system has been designed to
last 10,000 years. If the marker is difficult to read, add new markers
in longer-lasting materials in languages that you speak. For more
information go to the building further inside. The site was known as
the WIPP (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant) site when it was closed in …
Written in multiple languages, including Navajo. And beyond that was (A) the Level IV text, which was a primer intended to explain enough about chemistry, atomic theory, and radioactivity for people to understand the sorts of things they were dealing with, and, (B) the Level V text, which was to be documentation about everything as complete as they could manage.
The PDF is available at Expert judgment on markers to deter inadvertent human intrusion into the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
