Revisiting the Three Mile Island Incident 40 Years Later
March 28, 2019 was the 40th anniversary of the Three Mile Island partial core meltdown. At the time, the event induced mass fear and panic, but was it really that serious? Well, despite the incident’s near mythological status in the annals of US history, in reality it was much ado about nothing.
Short- and Long-Term Impact of the Three Mile Island Meltdown
As this Forbes article highlights, the Three Mile Island “catastrophe” was more of a minor inconvenience. The root cause was a malfunction in the secondary cooling circuit that triggered an unplanned automatic shutdown. Subsequently, a valve failed to close, resulting in a coolant leak that caused the reactor’s temperature to spike, ultimately triggering the partial meltdown.
Because the technology at the time was unable to pinpoint the root cause, the media essentially adopted a sensationalist perspective. Simply put, the press ran wild with the story despite inadequate information, creating widespread panic fueled by the fear of the unknown. This happened even though there were no fatalities or even injuries.
Since then, technology has improved dramatically, and a plethora of scientific studies have been executed to help flesh out the long-term impact. All these studies came to the same conclusion – the radioactive material released during the meltdown has not caused an increase in cancer deaths.
The irony of the Three Mile Island incident is that it created more good than bad. The event led to a strengthening of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), better industry regulations, and the establishment of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations which is basically tasked with ensuring that workers at nuclear plants are properly trained. These things have been extremely helpful in terms of emergency preparedness as well as nuclear safety. In fact, nuclear is by far the safest form of energy and it’s not even close.
In terms of emergency preparedness in the 21st century, one of the lessons I take from Three Mile Island is the affirmation that perception is reality. Despite the incident being akin to an industrial accident, the country perceived it to be a major catastrophe. It is yet another example of how communication, transparency and expectation management are crucial elements of effective restoration and recovery.
