The area was deemed safe on April 9.Ī subsequent investigation and report blamed a combination of human error and faulty design for the accident. Finally, on March 31, plant workers were able to address the problems and ended the threat of a meltdown. Thornburgh ordered the evacuation of pregnant women and small children. Furthermore, the plant’s operators were still trying to get the situation under control. But within days, radiation levels were elevated over a four-county area. However, area authorities were not notified of these events until nearly three hours later.Įven when news of the accident was released, it was downplayed. Additionally, radioactive water had to be released into the Susquehanna River. The result of all these events and mistakes was that radioactive steam poured out of the plant. Even worse, an operator shut off the automatic core-cooling system. But this water ruptured the tank and radioactive water flooded into the reactor.
Another valve was opened to allow water from the nuclear system into a waste tank. The plant operators, with no experience in emergencies, made key errors. Unfortunately, the valve then would not close. Without the water, the temperature of the reactor rose dramatically and a relief valve opened to stop the pressure from building to dangerous levels. on March 28 when a pump that directed steam to the plant’s electric turbines stopped working, causing a water circulation pump to break down.
Very shortly after operations began, problems arose. The Three Mile Island plant had begun operations just months earlier on December 28, 1978. But the radiation levels went up and Pennsylvania Governor Richard Thornburgh directed that pregnant women and small children be evacuated from the area. Fortunately, a catastrophic meltdown was averted and there were no deaths or direct injuries from the accident. From : The most serious nuclear accident in United States history takes place at the Three Mile Island plant near Harrisburg, Pa., March 28, 1979, when one of the reactors overheats.
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