Abraham Van Luik worked on siting studies for the US during the 1980s as a geochemist analysing candidate deep geologic repository options in multiple rock formations across the United States. He championed efforts to develop international standards for informing future generations about radioactive waste repositories around the world. Two categories of waste pose particular challenges for the future in terms of environmental management and also heritage management: chemo-toxic hazardous wastes from industrial manufacturing and processing as well as radioactive wastes, especially those produced for electricity generation in nuclear plants. Hazardous chemical waste is little-present in the public perception, in contrast to the radioactive wastes, which have achieved a true cult status when it comes to the refusal by society in general and many concerned site locations for permanent disposal in particular.