Biker brings up some good points, but I think the risks are overblown. Radioactivity is all around us. At low levels, and provided it isn't getting ingested and incorporated into our bodies, it isn't a big deal. I loved the mini-series Chernobyl, but the risk estimates mentioned in the movie were ridiculous - not saying I'd want to be part of the early cleanup - those people got screwed.
But yeah, I agree that containment is going to be buried and forgotten, and some will leak. The question is - how bad will that leak be to the environment? I think the answer is - not too much.
And yes, it is usually the most cost-effective to store spent fuel onsite at a reactor, and it isn't a big deal. It is in large pools that people can walk past.
But yeah, I agree that containment is going to be buried and forgotten, and some will leak. The question is - how bad will that leak be to the environment? I think the answer is - not too much.
And yes, it is usually the most cost-effective to store spent fuel onsite at a reactor, and it isn't a big deal. It is in large pools that people can walk past.