CounterPUNCH has an interesting article running about the THREE MILE ISLAND anniversary.. and some disturbing historical facts that often go unpublished, even with 20/20 radioactive hindsight.. Such as this,
David Lochbaum of the Union of Concern Scientists estimates between 40 million curies and 100 million curies escaped during the accident. President Carter’s Kemeny Commission estimated about 15 million curies of radioactive gas was vented from the containment building, including 43,000 curies of krypton-85 [2] — which stays in the environment for 100 years — and 15-to-24 curies of radioactive iodine-131. [3] (A curie is a huge amount of radiation — 37 billion disintegrations per second.) The NRC later admitted to several “deliberate but uncontrolled releases” of the cancer-causing gases. Estimates of these airborne releases are mere guesses, because half of the outside radiation monitors were not working, and of those that worked, a large number of them went off-scale.
And this
Approximately 400,000 gallons of highly radioactive cooling water leaked from the reactor into “containment” areas. This water was secretly dumped into the Susquehanna River, a source of drinking water for nearby communities. [5]Later, about 2.3 million gallons of radioactively contaminated cooling water were allowed to be “evaporated” into the atmosphere.[6]
And finally,
On the third day of the venting and dumping, half the population within 15 miles — 144,000 people — fled the area. By this time the bulk of the airborne radiation gusher had already been spewed and was drifting on the wind. Yet the Kemeny Commission ignored all data on the effects of wind-borne radiation, even though the wind blew 6-to-9 mph toward upstate New York and western Pennsylvania. [7]
The Counterpunch article points out that in 1980, (the year of my entry into the world) Pennsylvania State Health Department authorities reported a sharp rise in hypothyroidism in newborn infants in the three counties downwind from the reactor. And this: “The data actually shows more than a doubling of observed cancers in areas near the partial meltdown, including lymphoma, leukemia, colon and the hormonal category of breast, endometrium, ovary, prostate, and testis. For leukemia and lung cancers in the six-to-12 kilometer distance from TMI, the number observed cases was almost four times greater.”
This has also been my problem with anniversary shows and remembrances.. The truth of what occurred that day is rarely presented in a true light. Sure, it was a problem that came from no where and became a crisis within minutes.. and yes, perhaps, who can be prepared for that.
But that argument is not solid.. Who can be prepared?
If you build a number of nuclear reactors near big population areas and major water sources, you should have a plan to be ready. And also officials should be honest about the very real dangers to the living conditions after a crisis like this does happen..
And we sure should hope nothing like this ever happens again.
CounterPunch investigates: Cancer and Infant Mortality at Three Mile Island
