Three Mile Island Nuclear Meltdown at 42

Posted: 8th April 2021

Fairewinds Nuclear Spring Series: Three Mile Island Nuclear Meltdown at 42: Never Forget

April 07, 2021
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Nuclear Hotsea t Host Libbe HaLevy was one mile from the nuclear accident when it happened In this picture taken 10 days after the accident began she attempts to inject some humor into a decidedly unfunny situation That scream looks like a joke but it wasnt

By The Fairewinds Crew

Three Mile Island Nuclear Meltdown at 42: Never Forget! is the fourth installment in our #NuclearSpringSeries. Our response is to listen up! The Fairewinds Crew listened in rapt attention to Nuclear Hotseat founder Libbe HaLevy’s personal story woven into the many harrowing stories of community members who lived in the Three Mile Island (TMI) area when the meltdown occurred.

Libbe’s entire podcast encapsulates not only the technical aspects of the meltdown but, more importantly, captured the trauma and drama that the community faced while the disaster was unfolding.

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An Oral History of Americas Worst Nuclear Accident  by Robbie Leppzer

Community members were in the midst of a meltdown. Simultaneously, General Public Utilities and Metropolitan Edison, the TMI owners, lied to the public and the NRC as the meltdown unfolded.

In this 42nd commemoration of the meltdown at Three Mile Island near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Libbe used testimonies and audio clippings to tell a more complete story than most of us have ever heard.

TMI was a disaster that could have been avoided and mitigated. TMI, therefore, was not an accident as, after the fact, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the nuke industry continue to insist.

We just cannot help but feel that this most recent Nuclear Hotseat podcast really delves into the human perspective of the TMI disaster.

Libbe included clips of interviews with Former NRC Commissioner Peter Bradford, TMI Alert chairman Eric Epstein and member Mary Stamos, and numerous people living in the TMI area. Filmmaker Robbie Leppzer of Turning Tide Productions also provided important audio clips. Libbe even added a cameo audio featuring Walter Cronkite on his evening news broadcast the night of the TMI meltdown.  

Listen below:

Today, Fairewinds encourages you to listen to this fantastic podcast covering the 42nd commemoration of the disaster at Three Mile Island on Nuclear Hotseat. Listen up to the truth about this atomic power meltdown!

Fairewinds’ takeaway from this Nuclear Hotseat memorial podcast is the playbook created by the nuclear industry for Chernobyl, Fukushima, and every other unusual atomic disaster developed from the TMI coverup. Quite simply: deny, deny, deny. Then years later, when science proves the ongoing damage created by radioactive leaks, meltdowns, uranium mining, fuel fabrication, and incompetent nuclear waste storage, peoples’ attention has already moved on to another environmental catastrophe or war.

“The world has never known a day quite like today. It faced the considerable uncertainties and dangers of the worst nuclear power plant accident of the atomic age. And the horror tonight is that it could get much worse…”
— Walter Cronkite, 1979

By the way, if you missed Fairewinds 42nd commemoration of TMI, Arnie uncovered misplaced scientific analyses from 1996 when he was an expert witness for the plaintiffs’ case against the owners of TMI. You can read more from our 3rd installment on Demystifying Nuclear Power Blog along with explanations of their significance in showing how the NRC and nuke industry were not as forthcoming with the truth about the extent of the TMI meltdown and ensuing radiation release.

Thanks again, Libbe, and thank you to all those truth-telling voices that refuse to be quiet!

More to come on this topic as this #NuclearSpringSeries progresses.


Find out more – call Caroline on 01722 321865 or email us.