Americans once looked to nuclear energy as the nation's great hope for power generation in the twenty-first century. Today, nuclear power plants are regarded with suspicion and distrust, and new proposals to construct them are met with opposition. Perhaps the best transition in the perception of nuclear power is the debate that surrounded the construction of the Seabrook Nuclear Reactor in Seabrook, New Hampshire.

The plant was first proposed in 1969 by the Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSC), an agency then responsible for providing 90% of all electrical power used in that state. The PSC planned to construct a pair of atomic reactors in marshlands near Seabrook in order to ensure an adequate supply of electricity in the future.

Residents were not enthusiastic about the plan. The marshlands and beaches around Seabrook have long been a source of pride to the community, and in...