Engineer corrects dangerous misinterpretation of court ruling: 'Can you imagine if politicians actually listened to the experts?'

Many people have concerns about nuclear energy and nuclear waste management, so it's nice when someone in the know comes along to share their knowledge on the subject.

In a video, TikToker Ms. Nuclear Energy (@cunningham.kaylee) shared a wealth of knowledge on nuclear waste management as she debunked a comment that stated, "CBO: There is now a court ruling that there is no identifiable strategy for nuclear waste management."

Ms. Nuclear Energy, a nuclear engineering graduate student at MIT, believed the comment was in reference to a case involving a Texas nuclear waste storage permit, which a U.S. appeals court invalidated.

@cunningham.kaylee Replying to @by0x0 #greenscreen #courtofappeal #msnuclearenergy #nuclearwaste #politicstiktok #redtape ♬ original sound - Ms. Nuclear Energy

She stated in her video, "This ruling has nothing to do with waste management strategy and everything to do with bureaucracy and politics."

During her two-minute video, she pointed out that two entities in the U.S. deal with nuclear energy — the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

She explained the Department of Energy's mission is to advance nuclear technology to meet the country's needs, while the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's purpose is to guarantee radioactive materials are being used safely while protecting the environment and citizens.

In the case of the Texas nuclear waste storage permit, the court ruled that the regulatory commission wasn't authorized to give out permits for private nuclear waste storage sites, as permits fall under the Department of Energy's purview — a ruling that has nothing to do with nuclear waste management strategy.

The government absolutely has a nuclear waste management strategy known as consent-based siting. This strategy seeks consent from communities to store nuclear waste and prioritizes the communities' needs when doing so.

Considering nuclear energy is clean because it produces little to no carbon dioxide or other air pollutants and could be used more in the future, a proper waste management strategy is vital.

Do you feel safe drinking the tap water where you live? Always Most of the time Not usually Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Ms. Nuclear Energy concluded her assessment with a statement declaring the nuclear industry knows what it's doing and simply needs law- and policymakers to let them do their jobs.

One TikToker commented, "Well said and explained," while another stated, "Can you imagine if politicians actually listened to the experts?"

There's no indication the original comment was purposely trying to spread misinformation about the ruling, but instances like this show the importance of not believing everything you read without doing your own research.

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.