Three Mile Island censorship controversy
The Three Mile Island censorship controversy arose from a significant nuclear accident that occurred on March 28, 1979, at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. Following mechanical and operator errors, the reactor experienced overheating and a partial meltdown, heightening concerns about potential radiation release into the surrounding environment. Initial reassurances from the utility company about safety were overshadowed when Pennsylvania Governor Richard Thornburgh recommended the evacuation of pregnant women and preschool children from a five-mile radius, leading to over 140,000 individuals leaving their homes despite the official evacuation advisory affecting only about 12,000 people.
The incident sparked intense media scrutiny and public fear, particularly among those opposed to nuclear energy, who viewed it as evidence of the inherent dangers of nuclear power. As media coverage diminished after a ten-day period, significant mistrust lingered among residents regarding the transparency of the utility company and regulatory bodies. This mistrust was compounded by rumors of adverse reproductive health effects on local farm animals, which were largely unfounded. Ultimately, the Three Mile Island incident significantly impacted public perception of nuclear energy in the United States, resulting in the cancellation of many nuclear projects and a decline in trust towards nuclear regulatory agencies.
Three Mile Island censorship controversy
Date: March 28, 1979
Place: A nuclear power plant by the Susquehanna River, ten miles from the Pennsylvania state capital, Harrisburg
Significance: The first major accident to a nuclear electricity- generating facility raised questions of whether government agencies were disclosing all relevant facts to the public
At 4 a.m. on Wednesday, March 28, 1979, a nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island generating electricity for the Metropolitan Edison Company began malfunctioning. As a result of mechanical and operator errors, the protective blanket of water surrounding the nuclear core dissipated, resulting in overheating and partial meltdown of the core. These developments created the potential for radiation to be released into the atmosphere.
On both that Wednesday morning and the following morning the utility company issued announcements about the accident, assuring the public that there was no danger to those outside the plant. However, on the Friday following the accident, the governor of Pennsylvania, Richard Thornburgh, recommended that pregnant women and pre-school children living within a five-mile radius of the plant be evacuated from the area. Schools in that same area were urged to close. National news programs on radio and television soon broadcast the story, with particular emphasis on potential radiation exposure. Although the evacuation recommendation applied to only about 12,000 persons, more than 140,000 left the immediate area. Both Governor Thornburgh and President Jimmy Carter visited the area immediately after the accident.
For ten days there was intense media focus on the Three Mile Island story. At the end of that time, when technical experts had brought conditions at the reactor fully under their control, the governor rescinded his evacuation recommendation. Most of those who had left returned to their homes, and media attention to the story diminished sharply. Because of its potential for widespread damage, the Three Mile Island affair was immediately seized upon by the antinuclear movement as proof of their contention that all use of nuclear power was hazardous. The residents of the area were interviewed by the press, political activists, and political scientists in a series of public opinion surveys that were conducted immediately following the accident and at ever longer intervals thereafter. The most important of these surveys were those done by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a federal agency with the mission of monitoring and regulating nuclear plants, and by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Rumors abounded. Many centered on negative reproductive developments among farm animals in the area. Blame was leveled particularly at the utility company, which was almost universally believed not to be telling the truth about the risks, even though subsequent investigations revealed that most rumors had no foundation in fact. It was also widely believed that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission had failed to exercise proper supervision. The technology of nuclear electricity generation lost so much credibility that many nuclear plants under construction were canceled and no new nuclear plant contracts were let in the United States.