I know the story is intended to be "caveman science fiction" [1], but I can't help but think that that hole is probably still an excellent way to dispose of most of the things they're disposing of, particularly nuclear waste. After all, it spends, what, a couple decades totally isolated from the rest of the world? Great place for it to decay and become less active.

1: http://dresdencodak.com/2009/09/22/caveman-science-fiction/