Three Mile Island nuclear plant shuts down unexpectedly

US News ^ | September 20, 2012

[JerseyanExile]

A reactor at Three Mile Island, the site of the nation’s worst nuclear accident, shut down unexpectedly on Thursday afternoon when a coolant pump tripped and steam was released, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission told NBC News.

The system tripped when "the pump stopped operating and created a power/flow imbalance," said NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan.

The plant responded as designed and is stable with no impact on public health or safety, added NRC spokeswoman Diane Screnci.

If any radiation was in the released steam, Screnci said, it would be below detectable levels.

Exelon, the plant operator, said in a statement that "during the shutdown, steam was released into the atmosphere, creating a loud noise heard by nearby residents."

Plant operators were not yet sure what caused the problem.

"Once the reactor is sufficiently cooled down, plant personnel will be able to access the containment building and troubleshoot the problem," Sheehan added.

[JerseyanExile]

I felt that history was repeating itself, but this is starting to get ridiculous.

[Col Frank Slade]

WELCOME BACK CARTER

[Col Frank Slade]

WELCOME BACK CARTER

[Real Cynic No More]

Three Mile Island is the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident???

I thought that honor belonged to Chernobyl.

[1riot1ranger]

all we need are some crazy relatives....

never mind...

[PJBankard]

The article states nation's worst nuclear accident.

[American Constitutionalist]

Guess they couldn’t afford their gas and electric bill... sarcasm.

[BwanaNdege]

Years ago I worked at Duke Power’s Oconee Nuclear Station in South Carolina. They said there were about 2400 things which could cause a safety shutdown.

When that happened they said it resulted in a “steam dump” that sounded like a 747 was landing right on top of you.

Never happened while I was there, but it was not an unheard off event. It is called “PRECAUTION”.

[American Constitutionalist]

Billy Beer ?

[JediJones]

That’s TMI about TMI.

[1rudeboy]

Unexpected? /FR meme

[jrd]

I can just see Obama in white rubber boots walking around like Jimmie Carter

[central_va]

More people died in Ted Kennedy's car than at Three Mile Island.

[American Constitutionalist]

" The system tripped when "the pump stopped operating and created a power/flow imbalance," said NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan. "

Of course the media's agenda will make it look like to the public that there was only one lone pump designed into the system and that pump was shut down... without knowing the fact that there is redundancy designed into the system for federal regulators to even allow the plant to operate.

[HapaxLegamenon]

Three Mile Island is the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident???

I thought that honor belonged to Chernobyl.

The news article says it is the nation's worse accident, not the world's.

[Col Frank Slade]

Billy would have been a better President.

[HapaxLegamenon]

I expect gas lines and a Russian invasion somewhere any day.

[meatloaf]

If you’re near a PWR when the main steam relief valves lift, I guarantee you will be startled. You feel it through the ground too.

[taildragger]

It’s sorta funny, with all his regulations, and pro-Union bent and their largess, GM isn’t around anymore to make a “Delta 88” that Teddy drove, and Neither is the Nuclear Industry here in America like it used to be...

[GreyFriar]

It sounds like the safety devices/measures worked properly. Possible problem detected, system shut down automatically, thus ensuring nothing happened.

And remember more people died in the back seat of Teddy Kennedy’s cars than died at Three Mile Island incident.