From 6 News in Tennessee, USA, yesterday:

For decades, communities in Anderson, Morgan, and Roane counties have lived in the shadow of nuclear sites, now, help is finally here for those impacted. A federal program has come to East Tennessee, offering compensation to people diagnosed with cancer linked to radiation exposure.

Watch the video in full at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euLZm6uyPsQ

Why this area? From the Tennessee Environmental Council:

Most Tennesseans think of Oak Ridge when radioactive issues are mentioned, but Tennessee is actually a major player when it comes to disposing of radioactive waste, with processors across the state:

Up to 75% of all low level radioactive waste produced in the nation ends up in Tennessee for processing.

In 2010, fifty-million pounds of low level radioactive waste was processed in Tennessee.

Under Tennessee law, low level radioactive waste may be put into municipal landfills. These landfills are not designed for radioactive material.

Source: https://www.tectn.org/radioactive-waste-education-project.html

Cancer levels in Tennessee are higher than the national level at 457 per 100k, as opposed to 442.

https://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/publications/cancer/ccc/tennessee_ccc_plan-508.pdf

Mortality is only available at state and national level, at 170 and 149 per 100k.

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/2025-notcom/Cancer-in-Tennessee-2016-2020-Annual-Report.pdf

Scotland is only 43 miles, downwind and downstream, from the most toxic nuclear waste reprocessing site in Europe, Sellafield.

The level in Scotland is 644 per 100k, 41% higher than in Tennessee.

https://www.iccp-portal.org/sites/default/files/plans/cancer-strategy-scotland-2023-2033.pdf

Mortality from cancers in Scotland is at 289 per 100k, again much higher, 70%, than in Tennessee.

https://www.gov.scot/news/risk-of-dying-from-cancer-at-lowest-on-record/

I appreciate that cancer mortality is influenced by several factors, including health care but no one will tell me that it’s better in Tennessee!