Major accidents at nuclear power plants in the US (18 photos)

In light of recent events in Japan, the topic of nuclear power plants has become very important. About Chernobyl we have already mentioned.




The Chernobyl accident

The accident, which occurred March 28, 1979 at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station (Three Mile Island), located near Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania is considered the worst nuclear accident in the United States. The Chernobyl accident on April 26, 1986, accident at Three Mile Island was considered the worst nuclear accident in the world. As a result of this accident, the reactor core station was badly damaged, and part of the nuclear fuel melted. One result of this accident was the fact that after the development of nuclear energy in the United States was almost frozen.



1.Politseysky and the guards on duty at the gates of nuclear power stations. The accident was triggered by a number of technical faults and obvious errors in the work of the station staff. Official statistics show that as a result of the accident, none of the people shall not perish, and not even received a serious dose. Work to eliminate the consequences of the accident ended only in 1993, and their value amounted to 975 million dollars. Emergency power unit number 2 is completely closed, and he is under constant surveillance. Another power unit continues to operate today.

2. Working the night shift in protective suits enter the station to continue work on the station shut down during the accident. March 29, 1977.



3. The operating personnel enters the airlock disabled emergency reactor for another technical expertise. February 11, 1892.



4. General view of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station. March 30, 1979. Unit number 2, which in the March 28, 1979, and the accident occurred, is in the center under the dome.



5. Julie Sipling walks with her year-old daughter Debbie in her home, which is in close proximity to the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station. The picture was taken on the day of the accident, 29 March 1979. Authorities decided that a large-scale evacuation of the population is not necessary, but the governor of Pennsylvania is still recommended for pregnant women and preschool children to leave the 8-kilometer zone around the stricken reactor.



6. Snapshot 30 March 1979. Mrs. David Neil, along with his daughter Danielle and pet are going to leave the danger zone around the stricken reactor. Their neighbor, John Sweitzer, helping them to download things in the car.



7. Cooler Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station cooling heat exchangers. In the vicinity of the cooling tower is a children's playground. The picture was taken March 30, 1979.



8. deserted streets of the city Goldsboro, PA March 31, 1979. Part of the population of the city to get away from the nuclear power plant accident, and those who could not or did not want to leave, trying not to go out unless absolutely necessary. In the distance the towers Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station. The Government argued that as a result of this accident residents 16-kilometer zone around the plant received an equivalent dose less than 100 millirem, which is about one-third of the annual dose received by the Americans due to natural background radiation.



9. Employee Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station measures the level of radiation on the Susquehanna River, which is located on the shores of emergency plant. A melted nuclear fuel still has not been able to burn the body of the reactor, but radioactive water leaked into the concrete containment, and remove this contamination was almost impossible. The picture was taken February 11, 1980. Protective shutdown of the reactor building №2 can be seen on the right side of the picture.



10. The picture Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, made shortly before the accident March 28, 1979 - the largest nuclear accident in the United States.



11. Unit №1 Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in the accident was not injured and continues its work today. In the photo, issued on 15 April 1982, the NPP workers inspect remove the head of the reactor unit №1.



12. Snapshot October 31, 1983 shows the damaged pipe heat-units operating on emergency power unit №2. This unit was stopped after the accident and is under constant surveillance.



13. The head of the reactor unit №2. The picture was taken August 22, 1980. Technical experts suggest that the head is damaged from the inside.



14. US President Jimmy Kartar (center), Director of the Nuclear Energy Agency and the United States, Harold Denton Governor Dick Thornburgh Pennsylvania protective boots bypass the emergency dispatcher station April 1, 1979.



15. Working power units №1 Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station. Power unit №1 in the accident was not injured and reopened in 1985 after a vote among the residents of the three counties closest to the station. The picture was taken March 3, 1999.



16. Working tower unit №1 Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station. The picture was taken March 17, 2007.



17. This picture was taken at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in 1979 (exact date unknown).



18. Clouds of steam rise above the operating cooling towers Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station. The picture was taken October 19, 2005.