This is really not true at all. One risk is actually the overreaction folks might have. Ie, a big focus of the "dirty bomb" type plots are really around trying

This is really not true at all. One risk is actually the overreaction folks might have. Ie, a big focus of the "dirty bomb" type plots are really around trying to drive big reactions. Chornobyl was a worst case scenario. My guess is someoen could go to the area they have closed off and find plenty of plant / animal life thriving in the "nuclear wasteland". Most waste is processed so its for example sealed into some kind of material prior to burial. So recovery of the radioactive portion, concentrating and refining it etc would be a pretty major undertaking. You may also be confusing the long radiation stuff with high radiation stuff.