Gomberg implies, with a throwaway comment, that a Chernobyl-type accident could happen with any nuclear plant. First of all, a Chernobyl-type reactor could not be licensed in Canada. In addition, it is more environmentally friendly than Mr. Gomberg's solar and wind alternatives, because they are dilute and intermittent, and would require very large quantities of materials and backup storage to make a significant contribution to our electricity supply. Finally, he states that nuclear waste remains dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years. The potential hazard decays to safe levels in hundreds of years, not hundreds of millennia.
Nuclear waste is contained and isolated from the environment at Canada's nuclear plants.
Canada has developed a technical solution for disposal, and has a clear way forward in continuing to manage its nuclear waste safely and responsibly. The world is beginning to realize that we are going to need all the clean sources of energy we can harness, and nuclear energy can play a significant role.