Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania, Nuclear Accident – March, 1979
On 28th March 1979, the worst and historical nuclear accident was occurred, at the three-mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Pennsylvania, USA. It happened at the Three Mile Island installation near Middleton, Pennsylvania, when the plant experienced a failure in the nonnuclear section.
The incident was caused by a partial reactor core meltdown in one of the plant’s reactors. The accident began with a cooling malfunction in the reactor’s secondary loop, leading to a partial loss of coolant and subsequent overheating. The two main water pumps stopped running and a chain reaction followed.
Emergency systems were activated to address the situation, but a valve in the primary coolant system became stuck in the open position, causing a release of radioactive gases into the atmosphere.
Before long radioactive gas escaped into the surrounding area and the governor of Pennsylvania ordered preschool children and pregnant women to stay away from an area within five miles of the nuclear installation.
The Three Mile Island accident had a significant impact on public perception and attitudes toward nuclear power in the United States.
