Atomic Drives and the Environment

So... in my fledgling SF game I have their Assualt Scout, the UPFS Dart, equiped temporarily with two chem drives bolted to each atomic drive (above and below).  I am reducing the MR and ADF by one from this mod.<div><br /></div><div>Currently I'm making the assertion that it is a common add-on for an AS, and that the drives on them are often produced with couplings for these attachements.</div><div><br /></div><div>The reason for this madness... is I didn't want to handwave the environmental impact of landing on a populated planet with atomic engines.</div><div><br /></div><div>SOOOO... my post here is to see if any of you have any ideas on how an atomic engine would be able to be made environmentally safe in the SF level of tech.</div><div><br /></div><div>In my first mission the planet had two fighters that they used in thier own atmosphere but only landed them on the opposite side of the planet from where the only town population center is and in a desert at that.  Most of the planet is undeveloped.</div><div><br /></div><div>Do you think tech exists that could clean up amient radiation on planet?  Do you think there is a mechaniasm that can explain how to get thrust from an atomic engine without splewing radiation out the back?  Do you think tech exists to directly convert the energy release in the atomic reaction into electricity or some SEU equivelant to perhaps power turbine fans that could be build into or on the sides of a fighter's stern for use on planet.  Jet turbines would not be sufficant to reach escape veloicity in general on a planet with 1g I'm thinking, but they would enable safe opperation of the fighter near populations.  How bad would it be to fire the atomic engine at the ceiling altitude that the turbines can reach... like would the radiation still posion the environment if let out high up.  I'm not sure that in the atmosphere shields up from space radiation... does the magnetic field of the planet push up or does it only exist outside the atmoshpere.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>