Three Mile Island, 28 March 1979, nuclear power plant incident

Three Mile Island , 28 March 1979

nuclear power plant incident Three Mile Island INTRODUCTION The "Three Mile Island incident " stands not only as a reminder of the potential hazards of nuclear power , but of the potential hazards of an economically driven society and a government infiltrated by corporate interests . The events behind the most dangerous nuclear accident in American history are as straightforward as they are alarming "On Mar 28 , 1979 , failure of the cooling system of the No . 2 nuclear reactor led to overheating and partial melting of its

uranium core and production of hydrogen gas , which raised fears of an explosion and dispersal of radioactivity " and consequently left the citizens of Harrisburg PA and the surrounding areas in a man-made disaster area -- of which they remained largely oblivious for some time . An ensuing federal investigation of the accident would fault "human , mechanical , and design errors " and recommend "changes in reactor licensing and personnel training , as well as in the structure and function of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission "Three Mile Island

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Inarguably , failure to prevent the Three Mile Island nuclear accident rests on human shoulders the accident "resulted from mistakes oversights , and misjudgments " and -- "unlike natural disasters such as floods , hurricanes , earthquakes , or major fires , left no immediate physical alterations in the surrounding environment however , the possibility to lay blame for the accident on specific actions or non-actions by specific reasons lured many who were impacted by the accident to search for immediate victims -- and villains (Houts Cleary , and Hu vii

One of the primary concerns surrounding the accident was the potential dangers of the radioactive leak which was especially frightening because it cannot be felt or seen and is not easily understood . It is not possible to tell by one 's senses when one is being radiated Therefore , it was impossible for people living near Three Mile Island to assess the danger directly or to know what protective actions to take though the immediate psychological impact was devastating to nearby residents (Houts , Cleary , and Hu xi

The accident at Three Mile Island grew in its immediate impact on the citizens near the plant due to media-influence . Recent studies of the incident and comprehensive studies of those impacted by the disaster reveal profound psychological damages as well as physical damages to personal health and well-being . Subsequent lawsuits against the power plant were upheld by federal courts which "ruled the accidental release of radioactive gases resulted from a partial meltdown of the reactor core after a combination of mechanical and human failures allowed the core to lose cooling water[ .] the company is responsible for health problems , such as cancer and birth defects however , the full impact of the disaster on the population and the environment may not be known for many years to come (Murray 3

While the media exaggerated threats and claims of possible hazards , the state and federal and corporate spokespeople , at first , downplayed the event and only later admitted that "findings about...