Historically, mining and purifying uranium hasn't been a very clean process. Even transporting nuclear fuel to and from plants poses a contamination risk. And once the fuel is spent, you can't just throw it in the city dump. It's still radioactive and potentially deadly. On average, a nuclear power plant annually generates 20 metric tons of used nuclear fuel, classified as high-level radioactive waste. When you take into account every nuclear plant on Earth, the combined total climbs to roughly 2,000 metric tons a year [source: NEI]. All of this waste emits radiation and heat, meaning that it will eventually corrode any container that holds it.
Choose the best concluding statement for this paragraph.
A) Nuclear power is a good thing, but no one can say how much of a good thing
B) The relative value of employing nuclear power depends largely on the circumstances.
C) Nuclear power involves many environmental dangers, which must be taken into consideration.
D) Nuclear power should be forbidden outright; whatever benefits it brings are far outweighed by the costs.
