Some advocates claim that 
  nuclear power generation, in 
  practice, has proven to be the 
  safest form of large-scale 
  commercial power generation.

Nuclear power plants have had
  many fewer casualties than 
  fossil fuel-burning power plants.

They also are less damaging to the environment than fossil fuel-burning 
  power plants.

They do not emit harmful carbon-based greenhouse gases.

Safer than hydroelectric power plants.

Solid safety record despite several widely publicized accidents, and constant 
  minor mishaps at facilities.

Other sources of electric generation also have mishaps, but these are not 
  publicized as vastly as nuclear power plant accidents.

Routine emissions of radioactive gases into the environment have been 
  greatly exaggerated in the public's mind.

Major accidents, such as meltdowns, in American designed reactors pose
   little risk to the public at large.

Less than 5 deaths per year on average occur from nuclear power plant
   accidents.

Large-scale substitution of nuclear power plants for coal burning plants 
  would avoid many of the problems inherent in coal-burning technology.


Disadvantages:

Major accidents, such as meltdowns, although rare, account for an average 
  of 400 deaths per occurrence.  This is considering deaths due to after 
  effects such as cancer caused by exposure.

Large amounts of energy, land, and materials must be utilized to build a 
  nuclear power plant and to mine uranium.

Large amounts of water needs to be used for cooling processes and thermal 
  heat is released into the environment causing temperature change which 
  can be damaging to the surrounding habitat.  

After 30-40 years an aging power plant has to be shut down and this requires
   a large amount of energy.

Although the process of creating nuclear energy does not produce
   greenhouse gases, both the building and decommissioning of plants 
   (derived from fossil fuels) does in fact cause greenhouse gases to be 
   emitted into the environment.

Many processes associated with nuclear power are driven by oil.

Nuclear power is almost exclusively used to generate electricity whereas 
  only 6% of oil is used in the U.S. to generate electricity.

The very basis of nuclear power production involves radioactivity which is 
  harmful to humans when exposure occurs.  

A Typical nuclear power plant contains radiation equivalent to that of a 
  thousand Hiroshima bombs, which could be very harmful if the wrong
  people have access to this kind of power.