Fusion reactions do not generate any radioactive waste because any fissionable/fusionable material is converted through the reaction process to energy and combusted during the process, even to a mote of dust.
The problem is all in the electromagnetic containment of the process, and the physical constraints of the combustion vessel. A simple electrical power nano-second hiccup could be enough to disable such things. Lessening of the electromagnetic containment of the fusion process, depnding on how well it is built, might damage the containment vessel construction. Since there is no contained ‘pile’ as in fission reactors, unchecked fusion processes keep going as long as there is ‘matter’ to convert to energy
Now, since CERN has been built, with all the monies, time, engineering at hand, and THEY experienced an electromechanical failure in the first two weeks after firing up the machinery ....
I believe the CHICOMS are fudging their data, and have shortchanged their own construction sites weith bypassed safeties, which might result in a real China Syndrome.
Lessening the electromagnetic containment will more likely kill the reaction. Once the plasma hits the wall, it will immediately cool below the threshold required to overcome the Coulomb barrier. Of course the wall of the containment torus will experience some significant erosion.
So long as it can be compressed and heated. Breach containment, and both the pressure and the heat dissipate, thus quenching the reaction.
A Fusion reactor cannot blow. On the other hand, the superconducting coils that make it work CAN blow, and unleash a huge amount of energy when they do, but it won't be Fusion. It will be stored magnetic energy.
Still a pretty good "bang", though.
Wouldn’t it result in a US syndrome?