Three Mile Island Accident

History 5 Minutes

The accident in 1979 at the Three Mile Island nuclear power station that was the most serious in the history of the American nuclear power industry. The Three Mile Island power station was named after the island on which it was situated in the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, Pa. At 4:00 am on March 28, an automatically operated valve in the Unit 2 reactor mistakenly closed, shutting off the water supply to the main feedwater system (the system that transfers heat from the water actually circulating in the reactor core). This caused the reactor core to shut down automatically, but a series of equipment and instrument malfunctions, human errors in operating procedures, and mistaken decisions in the ensuing hours led to a serious loss of water coolant from the reactor core. As a result, the core was partially exposed, and the zirconium cladding of its fuel reacted with the surrounding superheated steam to form a large accumulation of hydrogen gas, some of which escaped from the core into the containment vessel of the reactor building. Very little of this and other radioactive gases actually escaped into the atmosphere, and they did not constitute a threat to the health of the surrounding population. In the following days adequate coolant water circulation in the core was restored.

The accident at Three Mile Island, though minuscule in its health consequences, had widespread and profound effects on the American nuclear power industry. It resulted in the immediate (though temporary) closing of seven operating reactors like those at Three Mile Island. A moratorium on the licensing of all new reactors was also temporarily imposed, and the whole process of approval for new plants by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission was significantly slowed for years after the accident. No new reactors were ordered by utility companies in the United States from 1979 through the mid-1980s. The accident increased public fears about the safety of nuclear reactors and strengthened public opposition to the construction of new plants. The unharmed Unit 1 reactor at Three Mile Island did not resume operation until 1985. The cleanup of Unit 2 continued until 1990; damage to the unit was so severe, however (52 percent of the core melted down), that it remained unusable.

Additional details from the This Day in History website:

At 4 a.m. on March 28, 1979, the worst accident in the history of the U.S. nuclear power industry begins when a pressure valve in the Unit-2 reactor at Three Mile Island fails to close. Cooling water, contaminated with radiation, drained from the open valve into adjoining buildings, and the core began to dangerously overheat.

The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant was built in 1974 on a sandbar on Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna River, just 10 miles downstream from the state capitol in Harrisburg. In 1978, a second state-of-the-art reactor began operating on Three Mile Island, which was lauded for generating affordable and reliable energy in a time of energy crises.

After the cooling water began to drain out of the broken pressure valve on the morning of March 28, 1979, emergency cooling pumps automatically went into operation. Left alone, these safety devices would have prevented the development of a larger crisis. However, human operators in the control room misread confusing and contradictory readings and shut off the emergency water system. The reactor was also shut down, but residual heat from the fission process was still being released. By early morning, the core had heated to over 4,000 degrees, just 1,000 degrees short of meltdown. In the meltdown scenario, the core melts, and deadly radiation drifts across the countryside, fatally sickening a potentially great number of people.

As the plant operators struggled to understand what had happened, the contaminated water was releasing radioactive gases throughout the plant. The radiation levels, though not immediately life-threatening, were dangerous, and the core cooked further as the contaminated water was contained and precautions were taken to protect the operators. Shortly after 8 a.m., word of the accident leaked to the outside world. The plant’s parent company, Metropolitan Edison, downplayed the crisis and claimed that no radiation had been detected off plant grounds, but the same day inspectors detected slightly increased levels of radiation nearby as a result of the contaminated water leak. Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh considered calling an evacuation.

Finally, at about 8 p.m., plant operators realized they needed to get water moving through the core again and restarted the pumps. The temperature began to drop, and pressure in the reactor was reduced. The reactor had come within less than an hour of a complete meltdown. More than half the core was destroyed or molten, but it had not broken its protective shell, and no radiation was escaping. The crisis was apparently over.

Two days later, however, on March 30, a bubble of highly flammable hydrogen gas was discovered within the reactor building. The bubble of gas was created two days before when exposed core materials reacted with super-heated steam. On March 28, some of this gas had exploded, releasing a small amount of radiation into the atmosphere. At that time, plant operators had not registered the explosion, which sounded like a ventilation door closing. After the radiation leak was discovered on March 30, residents were advised to stay indoors. Experts were uncertain if the hydrogen bubble would create further meltdown or possibly a giant explosion, and as a precaution Governor Thornburgh advised “pregnant women and pre-school age children to leave the area within a five-mile radius of the Three Mile Island facility until further notice.” This led to the panic the governor had hoped to avoid; within days, more than 100,000 people had fled surrounding towns.

On April 1, President Jimmy Carter arrived at Three Mile Island to inspect the plant. Carter, a trained nuclear engineer, had helped dismantle a damaged Canadian nuclear reactor while serving in the U.S. Navy. His visit achieved its aim of calming local residents and the nation. That afternoon, experts agreed that the hydrogen bubble was not in danger of exploding. Slowly, the hydrogen was bled from the system as the reactor cooled.

At the height of the crisis, plant workers were exposed to unhealthy levels of radiation, but no one outside Three Mile Island had their health adversely affected by the accident. Nonetheless, the incident greatly eroded the public’s faith in nuclear power. The unharmed Unit-1 reactor at Three Mile Island, which was shut down during the crisis, did not resume operation until 1985. Cleanup continued on Unit-2 until 1990, but it was too damaged to be rendered usable again.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nuclear-accident-at-three-mile-island

The Weird Part:

On March 15, 1979, twelve days before the accident, the movie The China Syndrome premiered and was initially met with backlash from the nuclear power industry, claiming it to be “sheer fiction” and a “character assassination of an entire industry”.

In the film, television reporter Kimberly Wells (Jane Fonda) and her cameraman Richard Adams (Michael Douglas) secretly film a major accident at a nuclear power plant while taping a series on nuclear power. At one point in the film, an official tells Jane Fonda’s character that an explosion at the plant “could render an area the size of the state of Pennsylvania permanently uninhabitable”.   After the release of the film, Fonda began lobbying against nuclear power. In an attempt to counter her efforts, Edward Teller, a nuclear physicist and long-time government science adviser best known for contributing to the Teller–Ulam design breakthrough that made hydrogen bombs possible, personally lobbied in favor of nuclear power. Teller suffered a heart attack shortly after the incident and joked that he was the only person whose health was affected.

Unknown's avatar

Published by pat frederick

Published

182 thoughts on “Three Mile Island Accident”

  2. Troublemaker10
    Troublemaker10
    March 28, 2023 2:15 pm

    No executive privilege for Trump? Nevermind. It appears Pence already told his story in his book.

    ******

    Kaitlan Collins
    @kaitlancollins

    A federal judge has decided Pence must testify to a grand jury about conversations he had with Trump leading up to Jan. 6. But the judge said Pence can still decline to answer questions related to his actions on January 6 itself.

    **

    Mike Pence must testify about conversations he had with Donald Trump leading up to January 6, judge rules

    https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/28/politics/mike-pence-grand-jury-testimony/index.html
    Last edited 3 minutes ago by Troublemaker10

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Filly, didn’t you say an earthquake was to hit CA?
    from yahoo news
    58
    Daniella Segura
    Tue, March 28, 2023 at 11:10 AM EDT·2 min read

    A series of at least three earthquakes reaching up to 3.5 magnitude rattled Northern California near San Francisco, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.

    The first nearly 6-mile deep quake hit less than a mile from Pacifica, which is about 14 miles southwest of San Francisco, at 6:01 a.m. Tuesday, March 28, according to the USGS.

    A pair of 2.6-magnitude quakes followed minutes later in the same area with one hitting at 6:03 a.m. and the other at 6:04 a.m., the agency reported.

    More than 2,100 people from as far away as Concord and Santa Cruz reported feeling the tremor to the agency.

    https://news.yahoo.com/felt-earthquake-sleep-cluster-quakes-151058075.html

    Like

    1. Liked by 1 person

  6. Liked by 1 person

  8. Sliding on down….I’m back and all settled in, groceries etc. put away. Cat food was very well stocked, the entire aisle! Same for most aisles, altho I didn’t look at any meat. Not the frozen section, however – I picked up some peach yogurt and was hoping for frozen peaches but nope. I grabbed another bag of the strawberry/banana combo and a few cans of peaches instead. It’s a good thing I replaced the protein powder – the old stuff is much darker than the new so I tossed what was left. It was pretty old, tbh.

    It was a good day to go – not many people there at all. Stopped at AutoZone and Michael replaced my windshield wipers for me and checked the fluids in my truck – all is good there. Wipers were just under $50 but, from what I’ve heard about newer vehicles, that’s not too bad. The sun is still shining and it’s 52 now, but chilly in the stiff breeze.

    Liked by 2 people

        1. doin’ good!

          I think we could use a pro’s tips on dumpster diving tho.
          you make it sound fun…I envision finding a lot of pizza crusts and egg shells tbh

          Liked by 1 person

          1. LOL its more you keep your eyes open about what people toss out. Like you’ll see a bin with a fishing pole sticking out so you grab that. Or you see a frame sticking out and check it out.

            Like last time I just knew to check one. I can’t say what it was but I knew i had to take a look. And I found those golf clubs AND a drum set. Yes a real drum set.

            Thank goodness I had the van with me.

            Liked by 1 person

    1. she’s had some decent roles–Cat Ballou, 9 to 5, but she’s not that talented. she was pretty for sure when she was younger (lotta makeup tho so can i really be sure? LOL)

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I agree. But when you know and see her now and what she has said I just can’t seem to warm up to her even in those old roles if that makes sense.

        Liked by 1 person

  16. TheseTruths(@thesetruths)Online
    Wolf
    March 28, 2023 15:55

    No Trump Grand Jury Indictment Vote Expected This Week, Sources Say
    https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/no-trump-grand-jury-indictment-vote-likely-this-week-sources-say/4189816/

    The sources said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is not expected to convene the 23-member panel again until Thursday, when they say the group is expected to address matters other than Trump and Stormy Daniels. They did the same last Thursday after a scheduled meeting for the day before was abruptly called off. No reason was given.

    Whatever. They’re dragging it out. I can’t think of a way for Bragg to announce that no charges will be brought without getting egg on his face.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. the program is $500MILLION in the hole–so STOP ALLOWING illegals to enter. You won’t have to spend $$ on food, housing detention, medical, and other items. Congress should say NO MORE $$ for illegals. DON’T ALLOW THEM IN!
    entire article
    House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is questioning whether U.S. immigration officials are moving aggressively enough to detain and deport those who enter the U.S. illegally.

    Why it matters: Jordan, who has launched a series of probes into the Biden administration, is demanding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials explain a decline in deportations and their use of detention space at a time when the House GOP is hunting for ways to slash government spending.

    Driving the news: Jordan sent letters to 10 high-ranking ICE officials on Monday requesting they appear for transcribed interviews with his committee, according to copies of the letters obtained by Axios.

    The letters were sent to five acting assistant directors at ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) office, as well as field office directors in Miami, Chicago, New York City, Newark and San Antonio.
    Jordan’s letter highlights relatively low numbers of deportations in 2021 and 2022, the growing population of non-detained immigrants at various stages of the legal process, and unused detention space.
    “This decision to leave so many spaces empty raises serious questions about ICE ERO’s performance of its mission to ‘protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of our communities and the integrity of our immigration laws,'” Jordan writes.
    The majority of ICE detention center beds are used. Court orders, logistical hurdles and preparation for surges all contribute to beds not being used, officials have told Axios.

    The big picture: ICE arrests and deportations have declined. This is at least partly because the agency’s resources are being directed toward handling the massive numbers of migrants and asylum seekers crossing the Southwest border during the past two years.

    The border issue has continued to drain ICE resources, and the agency faces a roughly $500 million shortfall already for this fiscal year, sources familiar with the situation have told Axios.

    Money issues already have forced the agency to lessen its use of Alternative to Detention programs, which place migrants in various tracking programs instead of physical detention spaces.
    The agency likely will need to move around Homeland Security funds or receive supplemental money from Congress to maintain its current workload and programs.
    Any such request would come as House Republicans are threatening widespread budget cuts — with a special eye on agencies they’re investigating.

    The bottom line: ICE is tasked with the most politically divisive and contentious aspects of the immigration system — detention and deportation.

    It has thus long been a target of both Democrats opposed to detention and deportation and Republicans who think ICE should be doing more to crack down on people here illegally.

    https://www.axios.com/2023/03/27/jim-jordan-ice-deportations

    Liked by 1 person

  26. “Going off the (Federal) Reservation — Do We Have Other Options?”

    American Hypnotist
    4 hr ago
    EXCERPT: “DISCLAIMER: nothing herein shall be construed as legal advice in any way. This article loosely follows from two previous articles on the Federal Reserve, Is the Federal Reserve a British Institution? and Do We Have a Contract With the Federal Reserve?. It is recommended to read those two articles first, however the following can stand on its own.

    5G Warfare, and You — We are currently enmeshed in a 5G War, which is deeper than merely an information war—it is a war fought over the proper interpretation of information, not just the information itself.

    There are differing opinions on the proper way to categorize the various generations of war, but generally speaking, most agree that 5G war is subliminal in nature—to the point where many of the “combatants” in a 5G war don’t even realize that a war is going on. The purpose of learning about the law is to gain critical situational awareness that may prove lifesaving. What can we realistically accomplish unless we possess accurate information and context for the events that surround us?

    Situational awareness means that we can answer basic questions about our environment with reasonable assuredness that our answers are correct—or, at least, logically defensible. We need to be able to answer basic questions such as: how does a Federal Reserve Note come into existence? What are the obligations and rules regarding the use of said notes? And what does “jurisdiction” ultimately mean? Put in more “street” terms: how do you know where you stand?

    There are many groups of Patriots who are studying the truth about American history and America law—none of us have the time or resources to figure out the entire legal system on our own. We can only win this battle by putting our heads together. The winning strategy in a 5G war comes from individuals taking it upon themselves to distribute truthful information—which involves not only researching the truth but also figuring out a way to communicate it effectively.

    Think of the truth as being an enormous jigsaw puzzle with its various pieces scattered across the horizon, and our job is to dig up and find the pieces—and fit them together. By writing these articles, it is my goal to save readers potentially hundreds of hours of research time; whether I succeed in this goal may be up to debate, but that’s the goal nonetheless. In return, many astute researchers and writers—and commenters—have saved me potentially hundreds of hours’ worth of work through their contributions. This is the way it must be.

    After publishing the first few articles on the Federal Reserve (and related topics), I’ve been approached by other researchers who are much further along the path than I am—consequently, I’m working on updating some of the earlier content and creating an improved outline for these articles. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel with these articles—we’re trying to get as many people as we possibly can to become conversant in matters of law, because this will give us a fighting chance at establishing a truly effective “parallel” society of free men and women.

    Is that too bold of a goal? Perhaps. But what other options do we have? With that having been said, let’s dig into some more congressional records and other pertinent sources on law, so that we can continue to make certain fundamental determinations regarding the topic of the Federal Reserve. Going right back to the beginning, we want to ask ourselves, how did a private corporation become the issuer of our nation’s “money”? And what does this mean for you and me?”

    https://badlands.substack.com/p/going-off-the-federal-reservation

    Like

  34. 03/28/23 • BIG CHEMICAL › NEWS
    “Toxic Chemical Spill Ignites Water Safety Fears for 14 Million People–Residents of Philadelphia and the surrounding area demanded clarity about the safety of their drinking water from city officials on Monday, three days after chemicals leaked from a plant into a tributary of the Delaware River, which provides water for about 14 million people in four states.”
    By Julia Conley

    EXCERPT: “Residents of Philadelphia and the surrounding area demanded clarity about the safety of their drinking water from city officials on Monday, three days after chemicals leaked from a plant into a tributary of the Delaware River, which provides water for about 14 million people in four states.

    About 8,100 gallons of acrylic polymer solution leaked from a burst pipe at the chemical plant Trinseo PLC in Bucks County, Pennsylvania on March 24, entering Otter Creek, which flows into the Delaware River. The solution contained butyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate, which are used in paints and adhesives. Exposure to butyl acrylate and ethyl acrylate is associated with breathing difficulties, and the latter is listed as a “potential occupational carcinogen” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    Despite the leak of the chemicals, city officials did not alert residents until the morning of March 26, when they said people in Philadelphia should use bottled water to prevent exposure and warned that although contamination had not yet been detected in the drinking supply, water from Otter Creek could have traces of chemicals.

    Hours later, Michael Carroll, the city’s deputy managing director for transportation, infrastructure and sustainability said residents no longer needed to buy bottled water — which had rapidly sold out at stores across Philadelphia following the earlier warning — and that the chance of contamination was diminishing over time. “In a matter of days, the water in the Delaware should be okay,” Carroll said, noting that tap water which had gone through the city’s Baxter Water Treatment Plant had been determined to be free of contaminants as of March 26.

    Carroll said the city’s drinking water had been confirmed to be safe to consume until at least Monday at 11:59 p.m.; the Baxter treatment facility took in new water overnight, which still has to be tested, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.”

    https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/philadelphia-delaware-river-toxic-chemical-spill-cd/

    Liked by 1 person

  35. Hmmmmm…..

    “Eyes Wide Shut was not the movie Kubrick intended audiences to see. The studio cut 24 minutes from the film, and just few days later, the legendary filmmaker was dead. What was in those 24 minutes? And what happens at the real masked parties?”

    Liked by 1 person

  37. I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. here’s one I found that I liked.

    Like

  43. Sadie Slays(@sadieslays)Online
    Coyote
    March 28, 2023 17:38

    I’m late to the party on the tranny shooting, so apologies if this was already posted. The timing of the following events feel coordinated. In any case, the shooting was successful at removing Trump’s potential arrest from the newscycle. My guess is that Trump was gaining too much support while DeSantis was completely blowing it, so they had to launch their latest psy-op to reset the newscycle.

    1) Last week – Tucker starts warning people about trans domestic terrorism. Either he was tipped off, or it was part of the op.

    2) Monday morning – Tranny school shooting.

    3) Monday morning – Chris Chan unexpectedly released from prison. I’m guessing this was done as a distraction. Keep the Kiwi Farms diggers distracted and busy with that instead of digging into the shooter + flood social media with another despicable tranny.

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.