The incident at Three Mile Island on March 28, 1979 was more of an operator problem There was a routine shutdown of the system that returns water to the steam generator. The instruments at first, and then, after realizing their error, they preceded in cooling the plant until it was ‘shutdown’
The Kemeny Commission was set up by President Jimmy Carter to establish what occurred at Three Mile Island. Of the utmost concern to most people was how much radiation was released. There was significant damage at TMI but the safety devices held up well and very little radiation escaped. There are approximately two million people living in a 50 mile radius of TMI. The individual exposure of radiation to these citizens has been averaged out to 0.001 rems.
The Kemeny Commission criticized the media and opponents of nuclear energy for instilling fear into the media tended to compare the TMI incident with the atomic bombings of World War II, Nuclear radiation is destructive to cells upon contact with human tissue; in high dosages it can cause cancer. But the amount of radiation released during the TMI incident was so insignificant in comparison to that of the A-bomb. In essence, there should have been no comparison between the two, but rather a better explanation to the public about the extent and possible risk of the release of radiation from TMI. Also, the media should have spent time on informing and educating the public about nuclear power plants, its safety features, possible risks, and economic feasibility for our future.
Kemeny Commission reported that human error was a major, contributing factor to the Three Mile Island incident. Many nuclear facilities, since then, have extended and/or expanded their training sessions for all nuclear technicians and other plant workers.
One helpful side effect of the incident is the development of more safety regulations. These rules are necessary for the neighbors of nuclear plants; however, it has increased the cost of this type of energy to the consumer.
Finally, this whole incident made us aware of the necessity for an effective evacuation program that would coincide with an equally effective communication system. Confusion, in March of 1979, resulted from confusion within. The media, government, public, and plant officials must work together in each state, to set up state emergency plans, and more importantly, to educate and inform citizens about the advantages and risks of nuclear energy.
