This Day in History: 28 March 2020
28 March 1979
41 years ago, today, the worst nuclear power accident occurred in the United States. The Three Mile Island plant, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was a brand-new facility, praised for its state-of-the-art design, its efficiency and affordability during an era of an energy crisis. However, as a pressure valve in the Unit-2 reactor at the plant failed to close, the accident begun. Cooling water drained from this valve, that became contaminated with radiation, into nearby buildings, causing the core to dangerously overheat. Control room operators made critical errors as they struggled to contain and stop the accident, and by the early morning, the core had heated to over 4,000 degrees, only slightly short of a meltdown.
Word of the incident leaked to the outside world when radioactive steam poured out of the plant. Despite this, the plant's parent company downplayed the event, as they claimed no radiation had been detected outside the plant grounds. This was later proven false, as within days, radiation levels increased, and pregnant women and small children were even evacuated. Soon after, plant workers were able to address the problem, and ended the meltdown threat. No deaths or injuries were reported, but there has been an ongoing debate since the incident over whether the radiation led to increased cancer and infant mortality rates in the region.
Want to find out more about the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster? Click here for more details, and for more information about the history of the plant, click here.
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