I'm not sure what to think, John. Besides Hiroshima/Nagasaki, we have two examples of nuclear power plant accidents. I don't have the expertise to read statistical reports accurately, but the reports I can read on both are conflicting. Here are a few I came up with.

Washington Post: Three Mile Island

BRAMA:Chornobyl and Three Mile Island anniversaries are reminders of the risks of nuclear power and the need to shift to sustainable energy sources...

Three Mile Island Witness Testimonials

The BBC and Three Mile Island: getting it wrong after over a quarter of a century

Humans being what they are, I think both TMI and Chornobyl probably taught us lessons in safety.

Whether there were government cover ups of increased cancer rates and birth defects or not is, I suppose, a matter of conjecture. It's hard for me to figure out why there would be cover ups of bad effects if the oil industry (and consequently, government influenced by that lobby) was involved. On the other hand, settlements by the nuclear power industry are much easier, quieter and more economical than lawsuits, so I can see where that might come into play.

I honestly don' t know. How many operational nuclear power plants are there? Have there only been the two accidents, or have other less spectacular events escaped widespread notice? What are the longterm effects of living near such plants, accidents or not?

Mac