3 Miles Longer

[flamelord]

What if, instead of being a partial meltdown, the 3 mile island reactor had fully melted down?

[LeoXiao]

then there would be a bigger anti-nuclear movement in the US.

[Kevin R.]

Even in OTL, anti-nuclear activists still use the partial meltdown at Three Mile Island as an example of the dangers of nuclear power. If it was a full meltdown, like Chernobyl, then the nuclear industry probably won't last another ten years. A side-effect of this would be a greater push for disarmament, as you now have the example of an American city (Harrisburg, PA) that has been made uninhabitable by nuclear radiation. Speaking of Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania government would have to move its capital. Finally, cancer rates in the Mid-Atlantic will go way up.

[black angel]

*yells and pulls out hair!*

Chernobyl didn't meltdown, it blow up first of all, second of all Chernobyl was more then one reactor, (it was 6) Three Mile Island had one, as all USA Plants do, any way, in a meltdown the core gets over heated and melts downward into the ground, the ground would glow weird colors and i won't drink the ground water for the next 1,000 years but no one is going to die from nuclear radiation, Harrisburg, PA would be fine (maybe somewhat higher cancer rates, maybe)

[aktarian]

Originally Posted by black angel

*yells and pulls out hair!*

Chernobyl didn't meltdown, it blow up first of all, second of all Chernobyl was more then one reactor, (it was 6) Three Mile Island had one, as all USA Plants do, any way, in a meltdown the core gets over heated and melts downward into the ground, the ground would glow weird colors and i won't drink the ground water for the next 1,000 years but no one is going to die from nuclear radiation, Harrisburg, PA would be fine (maybe somewhat higher cancer rates, maybe)

Doesn't TMI also have containing building, something Chernobyl lacked?

[black angel]

Originally Posted by aktarian

Doesn't TMI also have containing building, something Chernobyl lacked?

Chernobyl did not have a containment dome, also the steam got built up and blow the roof off, thus spewing highly radioactive steam and dust all over and leaving the core open to the sky

TMI would not have this happen thanks to the containment dome (4-6 feet of Rebar and Concrete)

[Torqumada]

Originally Posted by black angel

*yells and pulls out hair!*

Chernobyl didn't meltdown, it blow up first of all, second of all Chernobyl was more then one reactor, (it was 6) Three Mile Island had one, as all USA Plants do, any way, in a meltdown the core gets over heated and melts downward into the ground, the ground would glow weird colors and i won't drink the ground water for the next 1,000 years but no one is going to die from nuclear radiation, Harrisburg, PA would be fine (maybe somewhat higher cancer rates, maybe)

You're wrong about all US plants only have a single reactor. Some of the ones that I am familiar with have more than one. Plant Vogtle has two and is looking at adding two more. Catawba has two. Oconee has three. Hatch has two. At the time of the incident Three Mile Island had two reactors. Where do you get the idea that American Nuclear power plants have only a single reactor? In fact, of the 61 currently active nuclear power facilities, 39 of them have more than one reactor. That's 63.4% of them.

Torqumada

[black angel]

Originally Posted by Torqumada

You're wrong about all US plants only have a single reactor. Some of the ones that I am familiar with have more than one. Plant Vogtle has two and is looking at adding two more. Catawba has two. Oconee has three. Hatch has two. At the time of the incident Three Mile Island had two reactors. Where do you get the idea that American Nuclear power plants have only a single reactor? In fact, of the 61 currently active nuclear power facilities, 39 of them have more than one reactor. That's 63.4% of them.

Torqumada

i'm half asleep and didn't say what i meant to say, what is meant to say was


second of all Chernobyl was more then one reactor running together

meaning the US (as far as i know) don't run reactors linked together as Chernobyl, and none in America have 6 reactors

[Torqumada]

Originally Posted by black angel

Chernobyl did not have a containment dome, also the steam got built up and blow the roof off, thus spewing highly radioactive steam and dust all over and leaving the core open to the sky

TMI would not have this happen thanks to the containment dome (4-6 feet of Rebar and Concrete)

No likely, but not impossible to have a breach of the containment facility. It would depend upon how much force was exerted by the fule hitting the water table, which is going to be very near the surface since they were already sitting on a river. If the sudden flash to steam can beat 200PSI, it's possible to crack the containment facility. I think the real fear at the time was the hydrogen bubble.

Torqumada

[flamelord]

Well, the U.S. nuclear industry is Screwed...