The Risk

The waste is stored in an earthquake and tsunami zone, adjacent to 8.4 million residents within a 50-mile radius. The thin-walled Holtec canisters cannot be inspected for cracks, repaired, or monitored from the inside, creating long-term safety and environmental risks.

The coastal marine environment accelerates corrosion through chloride-induced stress cracking, and there is currently no plan to relocate the waste to a permanent repository.