Worrying about the 'risk' of nuclear waste while we emit so much CO2 into the atmosphere is like worrying about a hangnail while you have a huge tumor on your neck. Modern reactors have very thick containment shells and have zero risk of "fallout".
The German reactors were running on low maintenance because of the shutdown, anticipated for last December. Hence the risk of continued operation is worse than typical.
A large overhaul would be necessary to ensure usual safety.
Of course the question is if the reactors could have been „saved“ earlier on, but those decisions were made in 2010.
In the meantime, wind, solar and gas plants were built. Gas plants were intended to offset low output times in solar and wind. Gas plants can be quickly turned on and off unlike nuclear plants. Thats the reasoning.
What would you recommend?