What is the Perceived Adverse Safety, Environmental and Health Effects?

After the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and the 1986 accident at Chernobyl in the Soviet Union, public concern about reactor safety increased substantially. The 1999 accident at the Tokai-Mura plant in Japan underscored safety concerns about the nuclear fuel cycle outside of the reactor. There is also concern about transportation of nuclear materials, and waste management. The September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have heightened concerns about the vulnerability of nuclear power plants and other facilities, especially spent fuel storage pools, to terrorist attack. There is concern about radiation exposure of citizens and workers from activities of the industry despite good regulation and health records. There are significant environmental impacts, ranging from long-term waste disposal to the handling and disposal of toxic chemical wastes associated with the nuclear fuel cycle.