Nuclear Power and radioactive waste

The environmental community remains split on the virtues or otherwise of the use of nuclear power to replace reliance on coal fired generators. On the positive side, nuclear energy does not produce the level of carbon emissions and greenhouse gases although it does remain reliant on the mining and processing of uranium. On the negative side, it produces highly radioactive waste that remains potent for thousands of years. Around 14 % of the world's electricity is produced from nuclear power plants and around 12,000 tonnes of waste. One theoretical proposal being canvassed in experiments in Europe and Japan is to saturate plutonium, uranium with neutrons which cause the isotopes to become unstable, then decay into material less problematic for disposal. How realistic is this proposal given the number of existing nuclear power stations and those proposed for replacement or new construction? Can the quantity of waste be effectively managed with such a process which in itself carries risks. Any solution which is found to be viable remains decades away and in itself, it is unlikely that nuclear power will produce the trump card to enable a clear removal of fossil fuels for power generation.