First of all, a natural event, such as an earthquake, could cause the underground storage area to collapse. The canisters would be crushed and the waste would be introduced into the subterranean environment. Secondly, the radioactive waste could destroy the protective canister from the inside out. Scientists are not sure what kinds of effects radiation has on certain materials when they are exposed to it for long periods of time. The radioactive waste would be released into the ground.
Many people are against having a nuclear power plant near their home.
They fear that a nuclear accident could jeopardize the lives of their families. Several severe nuclear accidents that occurred in the last several decades have caused people to fear nuclear power. One of the worst nuclear accidents in history occurred at the Chernobyl power plant in Russia. A reactor at that plant suffered a complete meltdown. A meltdown occurs when the nuclear reaction in the core of the reactor gets out of control and damages the reactor.