It was a deliberate choice to jettison the LEM so that it re-entered in a sparsely populated area of the South Pacific Ocean. The LEM had 8.5 pounds of plutonium in a Radioisotope Thermal Generator (RTG) battery for powering scientific experiments for many years after the astronauts left. This would normally be left on the moon, but the entire LEM including the descent module was needed as a lifeboat. The battery was designed to survive re-entry without burning up and scattering radioactive plutonium. As far as could be determined, the battery is at the bottom of the Tonga trench and is not leaking.

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