• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Archives

Atomic Insights

Atomic energy technology, politics, and perceptions from a nuclear energy insider who served as a US nuclear submarine engineer officer

Atomic Show #213 – TMI Memories

March 24, 2014 By Rod Adams

At 4:00 am on March 28, 1979, the accident at Three Mile Island Unit 2 began. That day, 35 years ago this coming Friday, is seared into the memory of most of the people who were working in the industry, who regularly watched the evening news, or who lived in the northeast US. Most can remember exactly what they were doing when they first heard the news and what they did in the next few days as the event unfolded.

I chatted with two people who were working in the nuclear industry at the time of the accident. Les Corrice was working in the operations department at a boiling water reactor owned by the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company while Dave Rossin was the Director of Research for Commonwealth Edison. Despite my advanced years and my status of being a three time grandfather, I was a sophomore in college–at a school where there were few opportunities to watch the evening news–at the time of the event.

Mainly, I listened to the two more experienced individuals share their stories.

We also talked about some of the impacts that the accident had on the nuclear industry. I was able to contribute a little more to that discussion. I think you will learn something from this discussion.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/AtomicShowFiles/atomic_20140323_213.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:13:47 — 33.9MB)

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS

Filed Under: Accidents, Atomic history, Podcast

About Rod Adams

Rod Adams is Managing Partner of Nucleation Capital, a venture fund that invests in advanced nuclear, which provides affordable access to this clean energy sector to pronuclear and impact investors. Rod, a former submarine Engineer Officer and founder of Adams Atomic Engines, Inc., which was one of the earliest advanced nuclear ventures, is an atomic energy expert with small nuclear plant operating and design experience. He has engaged in technical, strategic, political, historic and financial analysis of the nuclear industry, its technology, regulation, and policies for several decades through Atomic Insights, both as its primary blogger and as host of The Atomic Show Podcast. Please click here to subscribe to the Atomic Show RSS feed. To join Rod's pronuclear network and receive his occasional newsletter, click here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. David Andersen says

    March 24, 2014 at 8:12 PM

    Another communication glitch was that the NRC thought that an air sample report from a helicopter some distance away was actually from a sample taken directly inside the exhaust stack causing them to think releases from the plant were much higher than actual.

  2. Sean McKinnon says

    March 28, 2014 at 3:00 PM

    Great show!

Primary Sidebar

Categories

Join Rod’s pronuclear network

Join Rod's pronuclear network by completing this form. Let us know what your specific interests are.

Recent Comments

  • Rod Adams on “The Martian’s” RTG science includes jarring errors
  • Gareth on “The Martian’s” RTG science includes jarring errors
  • Rod Adams on “The Martian’s” RTG science includes jarring errors
  • Gareth on “The Martian’s” RTG science includes jarring errors
  • Gene Nelson, Ph.D. on Atomic Energy Wells

Follow Atomic Insights

The Atomic Show

Atomic Insights

Recent Posts

Oil and gas opposition to consolidate interim spent fuel (CISF) storage facilities in Permian Basin

Atomic Energy Wells

Enough with “renewables!”

Can prototype nuclear reactors be licensed in the US under current rules?

Atomic Show #303 – Bret Kugelmass, CEO Last Energy

  • Home
  • About Atomic Insights
  • Atomic Show
  • Contact
  • Links

Search Atomic Insights

Archives

Copyright © 2023 · Atomic Insights

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy