Nuclear Meltdown Lessons Learned from Three Mile Island

The Takeaway

In 1979 there was a partial core meltdown at Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station. Following a non-nuclear secondary system failure, a pilot-operated relief valve was stuck open allowing large amounts of nuclear reactor coolant to escape. In the end, the reactor was controlled, but the image of nuclear power as the future energy resource for America was tarnished forever. In fact, there hasn’t been a nuclear power plant commissioned since. For lessons that America learned from Three Mile Island, we speak to  Richard Thornburgh, the governor of Pennsylvania at the time of the Three Mile Island meltdown. Gary Searer, a structural engineer for Wiss, Janey, Elstner and Associates, also joins us to share his childhood memories of the event.

Do you support journalism that strengthens our democracy?

At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.

Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!