Seven Days That Shook Three Mile Island
The Three Mile Island reactor accident unfolded from March 28 to April 4 1979 with cooling failure and a near meltdown. Operators faced false readings and blocked relief valves as 80 000 gallons of radioactive water spilled and a national learning curve began under Met Ed and NRC scrutiny.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Three Mile Island
Susquehanna River
Yocumtown
York Haven
Goldsboro
Pleasant Grove
Pennsylvania
Germany
Hiroshima
Leningrad
Frankfurt
Buenos Aires
Globe
Unit 2
Denton
Metropolitan Edison
Jack Herbein
Dave Kluscik
William Scranton III
Scranton
Edison
Carter visits Three Mile Island amid evacuation talk
President Carter toured Middletown Borough Hall and met residents as officials warned an evacuation would be precautionary. Nuclear experts worked to reduce a hydrogen bubble while engineers reported a dramatic decrease in its size and efforts to confine radiation continued.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
York County
Carter
Washington
Three Mile Island
Middletown
George Troffer
Met Ed
White House
Denton
Unclear maintenance triggers early nuclear reactor alert
Early morning maintenance on Unit 2 feed pump preceded a reactor shutdown when condensate and feed pumps failed at 3 53 a m. A scram halted the turbine and 69 control rods inserted to quench the reaction, while coolant valves misbehaved amid rising then dropping pressure.
Cedar Rapids emerges as a rotating convention site
The Convention Bureau aims to rotate conventions among cities with Cedar Rapids hosting every three years to keep interest high. Des Moines and Waterloo officials note rising pressure to bring meetings to Cedar Rapids, with about 70 percent of booked groups never meeting there before. It's a broad community effort, not limited to the bureau.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Convention Bureau
Cedar Rapids
Gebauer
Olson
Des Moines
Iowa
Dave Palmitier
Veterans Memorial Auditorium
Capital City
Fallout controversy grows as reactor stalls and protests rise
Day Two explanations from the company stress safety with claims no injuries or deaths. Low level radiation is detected 16 miles away and the stubborn reactor core refuses to cool. Dr. Ernest Stern Glass travels 200 miles to speak at a Harrisburg rally warning of bomb-like fallout. NRC inspector Charles Gallina says the danger is over off site.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Herbein
Ernest Sternglass
University of Pittsburgh
Harrisburg
NRC
Charles Gallina
Radiation risk prompts Thornburgh evacuation dilemma
Officials report an uncontrolled and unexpected radiation burp lasting from 6 40 a m to 9 00 a m with up to 950 000 people potentially needing evacuation. Governor Thornburgh faces a critical decision on whether to order evacuations to protect residents.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Dick Thornburgh
Nuclear Bubble Raises Alarm at Three Mile Island
NRC officials described a hydrogen rich gas bubble in the reactor roof as a major problem. The 1800 cubic foot hazard could choke the core and trigger a meltdown, while oxygen from wastes risked an explosive mixture. Local curfews and evacuations spread through Goldsboro and Middletown as officials, experts, and President Carter moved to assess the crisis.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Harold Denton
Jane Fonda
Denton
Carter
Three Mile Island
United States
NRC
Ken Myers
Goldsboro
Middletown
Robert Reid
Hershey Arena
Abby Baumbach
Thornburgh
Washington
Senate
Robert Byrd
Harrisburg
Babcock and Wilcox
Burns and Roe
Milwaukee
Pennsylvania
Did You Know Facts From History and Nature
The General Grant tree in Sequoia National Park could supply wood for 50 six room houses. The giant saguaro cactus in the Southwest grows to 50 feet and can live 200 years. Rice farming began in India about 5,000 years ago. Watermelons along the Tigris River weighed up to 275 pounds.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sequoia National Park
Arizona
New Mexico
India
Tigris River
Thornburgh warns of heavy burden to resume nuclear programs
After seven tense days the bubble vanished yet a cold shutdown looms. Officials urge pregnant workers to stay away without pay while Ed says they may stay off if desired. Speculation grows the reactor could be abandoned or filled with concrete as critics call the accident unprecedented and national in scope.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Thornburgh
Met Ed
Gary Hart
Dcolo
Jay Waldman
Also Mentioned on This Page
Hershey
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Mondale
Richard Deardorff
Day
C.R
Waterloo
Conway Civic Center
Joens Bros. Interiors, Inc
16Th Avenue SW
North Towne
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