Voices from the Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident 1979

This clip is a collection of voices from press conferences, radio shows and interviews after the accident at the Three Mile Island Unit 2 nuclear power plant near Middletown, Pennsylvania, on March 28, 1979. This was the most serious accident occurring in a U.S. operating commercial nuclear power plant. The accident was caused by a combination of personnel error, design deficiencies, and component failures. To read more of the official view of this accident, go to the Nuclear Regulatory Commissions Fact Sheet on the Three Mile Island Accident at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/3mile-isle.html . For a different viewpoint, visit the Three Mile Island Alert website (http://www.tmia.com/ ). Three Mile Island Alert is a non-profit citizens' organization dedicated to the promotion of safe-energy alternatives to nuclear power and is especially critical of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant. Formed in 1977 (two years before the accident) TMIA is the largest and oldest nuclear watchdog group in central Pennsylvania. I was in college in Akron, Ohio in 1979 and helping conduct an urban noise survey the day of this accident. We did not hear about it until that evening. But during the afternoon, we notice an unusual number of folks peeking out at us from their windows as we took sound level meter readings. They must have thought we were monitoring for radiation! This clip is cut from a 30 minutes documentary film by Andrew Phillip, Ian Wood and Matthew Seig available on the Internet Archives as part of Alternative Views #146: THREE MILE ISLAND AFTERMATH (1982)

Category:

Education

Tags:

• TMI
• Three
• Mile
• Island
• Harrisburg
• Middletown
• Pennsylvania
• nuclear
• power
• atomic
• accident
• emergency
• Chernobyl
• radiation
• earth
• day

[PGMEagle]

I live close to this plant

[Jack4453]

uh, wow yah there was just a small leak. dont worry about it, its not a big deal, radiation kills you in 10-15 years anyway... but whatever. lol

[rockfan2345]

first this then chernobly then fukushima daiichi which plant is next o_o

[lillilnick1]

@Jack4453 dude a small leak is a lot of radation its one of the bigggest nuclear meltdowns in the us so learn your facts before you talk



[grilfers]

@PGMEagle 10 to 15 years an unheard of dream in nuclear industry the heavy top of the charts molecules uranium and plutonium can have deadly effects for 100s of 1000s of years :( as you said nothing to worry about

[ScootersVoice]

@Jack4453 I was a Harrisburg radio personality at the time, working not far from the plant. I stayed here through the entire incident. I guess I must have died a long time ago, and nobody told me. Hmm...

[sandrasynar]

people nowdays would think it was a conspiracy since a movie foretold it...China Syndrome...certainly stopped one, Black Fox, delayed for several years by one woman's own efforts and money in court, empoverishing herself doing it, but it would have already been finished by then if not for her, and then Three Mile Island and the movie; they changed it to a coal plant...somebody should put a monument up in Tulsa for Carrie Dickerson...one person can make a difference...

[stauffer301]

This was a good clip thanks for sharing this with us all. I am From Middletown Pa and this clip brings back memories of 1979 and what happen thanks for getting this clip and sharing it with us all.

[celticlofts]

@Darkwizzrobe: In view of what we're witnessing in Japan at the moment, would you like to review and revise your comments :-)

[tomestubbs]

Just because A bunch of hair brained assholes think it is great just because of money invested and time spent doesn't make it a good thing. It is a stupid idea and it is unsustainable!