How Three Mile Island Changed American History

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Recommended: The three mile island nuclear case study

The largest nuclear disaster in American history occurred at Three Mile Island. Measures have been taken to prevent another accident from happening and if one were to happen, they are better prepared to face an emergency. The disaster at Three Mile Island forever changed American nuclear policies. The incident at Three Mile Island started on March 28, 1979 at 4 a.m. about 10 miles away from Harrisburg. A combination of equipment malfunctions, human error, and design related problems all lead to the partial meltdown at the Unit 2 reactor. This would become the worst nuclear plant emergency in the United States. Before 4 a.m., everything had been running normally. Either an electrical or mechanical failure stopped the main feed-water pumps from sending water to the steam generators which remove heat from the reactor core. In response, the plant’s turbine generator and the reactor itself both shut down. The pressure immediately began to increase. “A relief valve had opened in order to control the increased pressure, but instead of closing when pressure fell to proper levels, the valve became stuck open. The staff were not aware that …show more content…

Most people filled their cars with as many of their belongings as their cars could carry while others left with just themselves” (Currie 73). “Many people didn’t bother to lock their houses or to turn off their radiators in the rush. Some people chose to carry on with their lives as best they could while most tried to leave the area. Some people chose a middle ground and decided to wait and see what would happen The Federal Reserve had to ship 7 million dollars to local banks to cover the demand for cash. Super markets ran low on items and gas stations had extremely long lines that went into the streets” (Currie 75). People were all rushing at once to evacuate the

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