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N0KFQ > TODAY 28.03.12 18:36l 56 Lines 2586 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 19949_KB0WSA
Read: GUEST
Subj: Today in History - Mar 28
Path: IZ3LSV<IK2XDE<DB0RES<ON0AR<VK6HGR<ZL2BAU<N0KFQ<KB0WSA
Sent: 120328/1628Z 19949@KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA BPQ1.4.49
Mar 28, 1979:
Reactor overheats at Three Mile Island
The most serious nuclear accident in United States history takes
place at the Three Mile Island plant near Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania, on this day in 1979, when one of the reactors
overheats. Fortunately, a catastrophic meltdown was averted and
there were no deaths or direct injuries from the accident.
The Three Mile Island plant had begun operations just months
earlier on December 28, 1978. Very shortly after operations
began, problems arose. It was 3:58 a.m. on March 28 when a pump
that directed steam to the plant's electric turbines stopped
working, causing a water circulation pump to break down. Without
the water, the temperature of the reactor rose dramatically and a
relief valve opened to stop the pressure from building to
dangerous levels. Unfortunately, the valve then would not close.
The plant operators, with no experience in emergencies, made key
errors. Another valve was opened to allow water from the nuclear
system into a waste tank. But this water ruptured the tank and
radioactive water flooded into the reactor. Even worse, an
operator shut off the automatic core-cooling system. The result
of all these events and mistakes was that radioactive steam
poured out of the plant. Additionally, radioactive water had to
be released into the Susquehanna River. However, area authorities
were not notified of these events until nearly three hours later.
Even when news of the accident was released, it was downplayed.
But within days, radiation levels were elevated over a
four-county area. Furthermore, the plant's operators were still
trying to get the situation under control. Pennsylvania Governor
Richard Thornburgh directed that pregnant women and small
children be evacuated from the area. Finally, on March 31, plant
workers were able to address the problems and ended the threat of
a meltdown. The area was deemed safe on April 9.
A subsequent investigation and report blamed a combination of
human error and faulty design for the accident. In March 1984,
the Metropolitan Edison Company pleaded guilty to knowingly using
inaccurate test methods at the plant before the incident. The
Three Mile Island accident also exposed the lack of an
appropriate evacuation plan for the area.
In the years following this accident, there has been an ongoing
controversy over whether the increased radiation released at
Three Mile Island led to an increase of cancer and infant
mortality in the surrounding areas.
73, K.O. n0kfq
N0KFQ @ KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA
E-mail: n0kfq@winlink.org
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