To the Editor:Re “We’re Thinking About Nuclear Waste All Wrong,” by Madison Hilly (Opinion guest essay, May 1):Ms. Hilly states that spent nuclear fuel is safe and should be “a chief selling point” for nuclear energy.
In fact, it is an extremely hazardous material that requires considerable effort to manage safely and protect people and the environment from its hazards.
Long-term aboveground storage for hundreds of years, as recommended by Ms. Hilly, allows too many opportunities for system failure and dangerous radioactivity release.
On the other hand, I agree that nuclear energy should remain part of our energy mix.
Disposal in a mined underground repository, for example at Yucca Mountain, can safely isolate nuclear waste for very long periods, tens or hundreds of thousands of years, without the need for further intervention.