Reply #4: I can think of a few different ways to slice that question. [View All]

[phantom power]

For instance, "How would we deal with it as a disaster?" Or "What would the energy-policy fallout be?" Or "How would our medical system and/or social safety net treat the survivors over time?"

I've heard that the US is not very well prepared for a disaster involving a large release of radioactive material, but I don't know. Under our current medical system, I suspect that victims of disease from such an accident might not be treated well as time passed. I feel pretty certain that it would kill any nuclear energy development in the US for at least another generation. It might have the same impact outside the US too, analogous to the world's reaction to Chernobyl.

The Chernobyl disaster was caused by a combination of bad reactor design and a deliberate decision to mis-use the reactor. A repeat of that nature is extremely unlikely.