What were the environmental effects of Three Mile Island?

Three Mile Island is the site of a nuclear power plant in south central Pennsylvania. In March 1979, a series of mechanical and human errors at the plant caused the worst commercial nuclear accident in U.S. history, resulting in a partial meltdown that released dangerous radioactive gasses into the atmosphere.

Is the Three Mile Island safe?

Experts believe so. In fact, most things have returned to normal. Authorities are constantly monitoring the plant and have many safety procedures in place to prevent a meltdown disaster from occurring again. If you are moving to the area, you can rest assured that the area is completely safe.

Were there any deaths from Three Mile Island?

Key Facts. The accident at Three Mile Island 2 (TMI 2) in 1979 was caused by a combination of equipment failure and the inability of plant operators to understand the reactor’s condition at certain times during the event. The TMI 2 accident caused no injuries or deaths.

What went wrong at Three Mile Island and why was it dangerous?

In 1979 at Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in USA a cooling malfunction caused part of the core to melt in the #2 reactor. The TMI-2 reactor was destroyed. Some radioactive gas was released a couple of days after the accident, but not enough to cause any dose above background levels to local residents.

What are the effects of Three Mile Island?

The effects included “metallic taste, erythema, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, deaths of pets and farm and wild animals, and damage to plants.”. Some local statistics showed dramatic one-year changes among the most vulnerable: “In Dauphin County, where the Three Mile Island plant is located,…

How many babies died in the Three Mile Island accident?

In their final 1981 report, however, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, examining death rates within the 10-mile area around TMI for the 6 months after the accident, said that the TMI-2 accident did not cause local deaths of infants or fetuses.

Where was the Three Mile Island nuclear plant accident?

The Three Mile Island accident occurred on March 28, 1979, in reactor number 2 of Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station (TMI-2) in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, near Harrisburg. It was the most significant accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant history.

What was the rating of Three Mile Island?

The Three Mile Island nuclear reactor meltdown is a pivotal event in the history of America’s use of nuclear power. The accident was rated 5 on the 7-point International Nuclear Event Scale.