The safety record of nuclear power for last 50 years is much lower injury or death than other ways of generating power.
And in terms of waste causing anyone harm, there is no comparison with coal generation. Coal has put more radioactive waste in the air, then nuclear plants have ever stored. Then you got the mercury, soot, and whatever.

I would say there is far more improvement in coal power plants in terms of safety and waste over last 30 years- and coal power has been much more profitable and makes about 1/2 the electrical power.
Nuclear power *could have* had more improvement in safety, and be generating more power than coal and with the result of less nuclear waste getting in the air or environment in general.
And with coal needing a market, one would have gotten liquid fuel production- fuel as clean as gasoline and domestically produced.

There was/is no upside to the wacky green movement- other than if not distracted by nuclear power they might done more damage in other areas. Hard to imagine, but possible.