A new nationwide study led by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health reports that U.S. counties situated closer to operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) have higher cancer death rates than counties located farther away. This is the first study of the 21st century to examine the relationship between proximity to NPPs and cancer mortality across every nuclear power plant and all U.S. counties. The authors caution that the results do not prove that nuclear plants cause cancer deaths. However, they say the findings point to the need for deeper investigation into the possible health effects of nuclear power. The research was published in Nature Communications on Feb. 23, 2026. A Nationwide Analysis of Nuclear Plants and Cancer Deaths Research on potential links between nuclear power plants and cancer has been conducted in several countries, but findings have been inconsistent.…