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Well exitwound, maybe I can help a bit with your question.
While there is very little I can add to the education you are getting on the nuclear industry, I do have very small bit of exposure. I was in a Pershing missile unit and went thru nuclear weapons school and a sub course on nuclear weapons EOD. Much later in life I was COO for a Bechtel JV which served the nuclear industry and provided nuclear grade components to a number of plants.
But back to your questions regarding TMI, At the time I was working on a migration project with our data center in Camp Hill, PA which is about 5 miles from TMI. I was on the phone daily with our team based in Camp Hill. On the date of the accident there was a lot of misinformation and confusion as to what was actually going on. We made plans to relocate all our people out of the immediate area in the event that proved necessary, which it did not. There was a lot of concern generated by the media and an effort to tamp down the fear by TMI information office. This created confusion and many alarmist capitalized on it. During the period immediately after the accident we made the determination that there was no widespread danger and stood down our wholesale evacuation plan. Some folks had their family members take a vacation to the inlaws, etc. As reported to me by my colleague there was no mass panic and for the most part life went on. After the event we heard stories of every headache, pimple and case of hemorrhoids attributed to TMI. There was a back and forth between the "there is no need for concern" and the "no longer safe to live here" crowds. The management of TMI made public relation mistakes to be sure. The environmental anti-nuclear side played it to the hilt for their advantage. There was fear mongering at its best and it took a real toll on the nuclear industry, which still hurts the industry today. Many of the people I worked with on that project are still alive, do not glow in the dark, and have had healthy children since. Some were still living in the Camp Hill area a few years ago.
Just an additional nuclear note, I lived in France from 1992-1996 and they are probable 80% nuclear, they also irradiate their milk rather than Pasteurize it, no refrigeration needed and it does not go bad.
And, yes I would live near a nuclear plant.
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