The Soviets held a genuine disdain for the environment, and largely saw no wrong in killing or mutating a few hundred thousand people.  Hell, that was progress versus what was done under Stalin!

2. Nothing changes the fact that nuclear power always carries with a base risk of catastrophic failure.  Whether or not we are the Soviets, our technology only shields us from so much.

3. Large-scale development, especially rapid development, inherently carries with it an increased risk, due the pace of development, and the spread of qualified people across more projects.