Posted by MoparNorm on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 5:55PM :
In Reply to: Re: How close was 3 mile Island to that mess? posted by Paul(in NY) on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 5:14PM :
...have containment domes. There were a couple similar to the Chernobyl design, that are to longer in service. Three Mile Island was never in danger of going to melt down before a technician realized that the incorrect readings were from a broken gauge and valve. The emergency shutdown sequence went into effect and shut down the reactor. The broken valve resulted in a release of radioactive water that was kept inside the containment building, then automatically pumped out to a holding tank which ruptured because of the exterme heat.
The Soviet versions had neither the containment or shut down features of the American designs. No new reactor has been built in the US since 1979. Making us more at risk than we would be if the technology had been allowed to continue and be refined. The plants operating now are nearing the end of their life spans, raising the potential of higher electricity costs in the very near future.
MN
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