Nuclear Reactor Incident Initial Emergency Response 1961

[econoroller]

It's not 100% true that this is the ONLY USA reactor casualties...

The SSFL had four catastrophic meltdowns, one with an 85% loss of the fuel rods....the workers there were unprotected....almost ALL of them who worked closely on the SRE (Sodium reactor Experiment) later eventually died from radiation/chemical exposure-related issues.

*PS arms and legs and tissue from the SL-1 victims were studied, then buried in lead-lined containers. Far too radioactive for regular coffins...

[cincinnaticousin]

My father worked at the AEC when this happened. We lived in Idaho Falls. All AEC workers were transported to the workplace by bus; no one was allowed to drive their private vehicles to work. Years later as an adult, it became clear to me that traveling by 'company bus' was the perfect way for the Feds to control the employees and keep them there should there be an 'accident.' How convenient.

[TheEgg185]

@cincinnaticousin well the workers there are risking killing us all with their science, so they BETTER be forced to stay and fix the problem if they should make a mistake and not abandon ship and say you're on your own people.

[RCvolunteer1978]

oh my Father was there as an Air Force Para-Medic that was trained in Radiation and Chem. burns. He is has signs of Radiation sickness after 50 yrs 

[pibbification]

{+16 Rads} You are now suffering from advanced radiation poisoning. lolololol 

[Specterx97]

@pibbification not yet

[izlude2]

which accident is the one where they entered the containment area and didn't know there was radiation? they actually had to abandon the bodies in a desert and keep them wrapped up in bags.

[WolYou]

the first incident in the us was in idaho falls 1955.

[werdnativ]

Sounds eerily like the events at Chernobyl... skeleton crew night shift accident while doing maintenance/tests.

[mastainventa]

just like dumb Americans. whats this the first one they couldn't keep covered?

[GurlzLuvAChaud]

25-RAD an hour is a good amount of dose. 200-RAD an hour...? You have about 2-2 1/2 hours to live.

[SolidSnake765]

Wow, the nation's first fatal accident from nuclear reactor operations and the suicide of Ernest Hemingway both took place in Idaho.

GO IDAHO GO!!!

[fordguy91790]

Gotta love the 1950's psa-style narration and background music.