The letter to the editor “Dealing now with nuclear aftermath” in the Aug. 25 edition) made me ponder another problem of nuclear waste.
We do not have established technology that will ensure safe storage of high-level radioactive waste. I hear that they are going to put it underground, but it must be isolated a long time, maybe even a million years.
What kind of signs or language could be used on the entry door to such a storage site? Are we able to think of any signs or language that can communicate with future generations? And we must worry about earthquake damage to the facility, or humans entering it by error. Can any excellent architect today even design a storage facility that will survive a million years?
Every nation operating nuclear power plants will have to face these problems sooner or later.
Is nuclear energy really safe, low-cost and clean? And is operating nuclear plants without appropriate solutions for the waste understandable human behavior?
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer’s own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.