In 1979, at Three Mile Island south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River, a series of events, human errors, and equipment malfunctions triggered an accident that alarmed tens of millions. Though there were no serious health or environmental effects, TMI proved that previous expert reports and safety projections were unreliable. And the accident could have been worse. In 1986 in Ukraine, a poorly designed reactor suffered a steam explosion and released massive radiation. It was not an accident but a disaster. TMI and Chernobyl effectively halted development of nuclear power in most countries. But is this environmentally wise?

Full Introduction to the chapter Go

Selections in this chapter:

• John Jagger, from The Nuclear Lion (1991), [86] Go
• L. Ray Silver, from Fallout from Chernobyl (1987), [91] Go
• David R. Marples, from “Introduction” to No Breathing Room: The Aftermath of Chernobyl by Grigori Medvedev (1993), [97]Go
• Charles Perrow, from Normal Accidents (1984), [102] Go
• Hans Blix, from “Nuclear Power and the Environment” (1989), [107] Go

INTERCONNECTIONS--supplementary readings from other chapters of the anthology  

Web Connections Go

Recommended further reading Go