Three Mile Island Radiation Leak Exposes Workers to Radiation
Three Mile Island the Site of the 1979 Partial Meltdown is in the News Today Due to a Radiation Leak
The Three Mile Island partial meltdown in 1979 was the reason that the US nuclear energy program was halted. It was the scene of the most significant nuclear accident in US history. Since the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island, no other nuclear plants have been built, due to that incident.
This Saturday the alarms sounded detecting a radiation leak on at about 4pm, causing the evacuation of 150 workers. The source of the leak has not yet been found. Employees were cutting pipes in the reactor building at the time the alarm was sounded.
Radiation exposure has been detected in 20 workers in this Central Pennsylvania plant, due to the leak. One man received 16 millirem of exposure. Millierm is the name of the units for estimating impacts of radiation on living tissues. The yearly limit for workers at the plant is 2,000 millirem.
The other employees had lower levels of radiation exposure. "This does not appear to be an occupational threat or a threat to the public health and safety," Diane Screnchi, spokeswoman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, told reporters."[Engineers] are working to understand what happened, why it happened and what they need to do to prevent a recurrence."
Workers have been overhauling steam generators for the last couple of weeks and while doing this the reactor building has been shut down.
The workers have all been sent home so the area can be cleaned. To determine the amount of radiation exposure each worker obtained, they are all being checked. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is conducting an investigation today at the plant.
References: New York Daily News
Published by Roz Zurko
Roz is a published freelance writer originally from Milford CT, a bedroom community for New York City. She writes full time from home in MA. She attended New Haven University and Graduated with a degree in... View profile
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- Three Mile Island Radiation Leak.
- Three Mile Island Radiation Leak - 20 workers have radiation exposure.
- Three Mile Island Radiation Leak - NRC is investigating.
9 Comments
Post a CommentYou people think because you dont see the radiation its not hurting you? How stupid.Nuke plants release radiation so that is not clean. Radiation is far more dangerous than any hydrocarbon. I cant believe how brain washed Americans have become about Nuclear energy. Cancer is a horrible way to die. Wake up people go to Japan then you will understand.This is a wake up call dont let it happen here.
Yikes, that's scary, thanks for this.. :o)
Great update, I remember seeing China Sydrome right before the 1979 meltdown.
Nice reporting and I do remember the first Three Mile Island scare from when I was just eleven years old!
Way to be on top of the current news. Thanks Roz.
I remember this horror story well. Good reporting per the usual, Roz.
Not to minimize a small leak, but it is a small leak and one the engineers will find and address. Meanwhile, the plant has produced clean, abundant energy for an entire region. Hopefully, this small issue will not be blown up and out of proportion compared to all the good it has brought.
Still the cleanest source of energy unfortunately. These plants still have come a long way since 1979. Live near there and don't really fear them
wow I remember the one in 79 although was pretty young. Good reporting, everytime they say no public health risk I somehow don't believe them.