Has anyone done the numbers on how many blue collar workers have died in the last 50 years involved in non nuclear energy fields of exploration, producing and using, such as oil and coal? How about the deaths and costs from pollution?
There are all kinds of statistics kept, fact is that nuclear power has one of the best safety in any heavy industry. The accidents that do occur are very similar to accident in any other plant environment and not generally related to nuclear power. Having work in electrical/I&C in all types of industrial environments, nuclear is by far the safest just more frustrating because of the paperwork involved. OSHA & the NRC keep very close tabs on safety at commercial nuclear plants. The EPA makes up all kinds of stuff about pollution based on thing other than facts so don’t know and would trust numbers from them but the state environmental regulatory agencies are more trustworthy I think.
Coal Ash Is More Radioactive than Nuclear Waste
By burning away all the pesky carbon and other impurities, coal power plants produce heaps of radiation
December 13, 2007 |By Mara Hvistendahl
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/coal-ash-is-more-radioactive-than-nuclear-waste/