| On March 28, 2006 it will be the 27th anniversary | | | | England. I knew that a cloud of nuclear |
| of the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island near | | | | contaminants was coming from Chernobyl-4. |
| Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I had just moved my | | | | It was not a comfortable feeling. I wondered how |
| family to South Jersey from York, Pennsylvania. | | | | much radiation I had been exposed to from the |
| When I heard about the accident I got very | | | | days of nuclear testing in Nevada to that date. |
| nervous. On the Sunday after the accident I got | | | | President Bush now wants to increase the |
| in my car and drove to York. I picked up my | | | | number of nuclear reactors operating in the United |
| daughter who I had left there to complete her | | | | States. After you've studied the tabulations at |
| last couple of months of High School. I picked her | | | | you may not think it is such a great idea. |
| up and never took her back. | | | | Just over thirty years ago I toured the nuclear |
| There was quite a bit of news about the accident | | | | reactors here in Idaho. There was a major |
| at Three Mile Island in South Jersey, at least | | | | nuclear accident at Arco just a few years before |
| enough to cause me concern. In York, there was | | | | my visit. From we read "On January 3, 1961, the |
| no news. The people didn't know what was going | | | | first fatal nuclear accident in the United States |
| on; certainly nothing serious. | | | | occurred at the NRTS. An experimental reactor |
| I realized the news was in blackout in York. I | | | | called SL-1 (Stationary Low-Power Plant Number |
| packed up my daughter and headed for South | | | | 1) was destroyed when a control rod was |
| Jersey, hoping that not too much of the fallout | | | | removed incorrectly leading to core meltdown and |
| would drift our way. An evacuation of the area in | | | | explosion. All three men working in the reactor |
| Pennsylvania was eventually initiated. | | | | were killed. Due to the extensive radioactive |
| Three Mile Island was a major disaster | | | | isotope contamination, all three had to be buried in |
| downplayed by the White House. Admiral | | | | lead coffins. The events are the subject of a |
| Rickover presented a full report and was later | | | | book published in 2003, "Idaho Falls: The untold |
| sorry that he was not able to persuade President | | | | story of America's first nuclear accident." |
| Carter to make a full disclosure of the event. I | | | | The accident was vivid in the minds of the |
| remember what the public was told. We were | | | | engineers and physicist we talked to at Arco. |
| told that only a small amount of radiation had | | | | Doctors and nurses had little time to work on |
| leaked out of the facility and that the public was | | | | contaminated workers. They showered together |
| not in danger. | | | | to reduce nuclear exposure. There was no |
| What happened was that a reactor went into | | | | blackout on the Arco accident. I knew the details |
| melt down and 10 years later it was still too | | | | before I got to Arco. |
| dangerous to approach. Some folks that lived in | | | | Every precaution is taken to prevent disaster in |
| the area got large awards for possible damage. | | | | nuclear operations. The problems come when |
| These awards were given in secret. One woman | | | | automatic safety systems don't work, when |
| was given an award for having a Down syndrome | | | | operators make mistakes or fail to make needed |
| baby-possibly not caused by radiation-but she was | | | | correction either because of error or lack of |
| paid anyway. | | | | knowledge, or the corrective action is impossible. |
| After the incident, the company who owned | | | | When nuclear reactors are working safely, there |
| Three Mile Island requested that they be allowed | | | | is still the problem of nuclear waste. I worked on |
| to release a million gallons of contaminated water | | | | this over thirty years ago. Technology has |
| as steam. As one might expect, there was | | | | improved since my day but there is tremendous |
| resentment that they would even suggest it. | | | | cost in the stabilizing or isolating nuclear waste. |
| There are many documents on the Internet | | | | Does your state want nuclear waste facilities? I |
| about Three Mile Island. Just type Three Mile | | | | didn't think so. Some states object to nuclear |
| Island into your favorite search box. | | | | waste being transported across their state lines. |
| There is a chronology of worldwide nuclear | | | | Here is my take on nuclear operations: The past |
| accidents at | | | | has shown that we have not been able to |
| In April of 1986 I was flying from Germany to | | | | operate safely. |