[hobbes78]

I believe this to be the biggest problem of nuclear power, not the risks of an accident. So while we have cheap energy today, the cost of containment will be paid throughout thousands of years. This doesn't make any sense from the economic perspective.

[jlarocco]

I'm not an expert, but I think nuclear "waste" that's radioactive enough to be dangerous can be recycled to generate more electricity.

[pacificmint]

> I think nuclear "waste" that's radioactive enough to be dangerous can be recycled to generate more electricity.

That was the whole point of this plant, to reprocess spend fuel so it could be used again.

None of the countries that tried nuclear reprocessing have made it work, and now that it is shut down, this plant needs a complicated, multi billion $ cleanup.

So no, the nuclear waste does not get recycled, and we should figure out how to deal with it.

[smueller1234]

Some anecdotal data to support your assertion about nobody having made reprocessing work: there are also significant amounts of highly radioactive waste stranded at the former reprocessing plant in Karlsruhe, Germany. I used to work in the greater facility.