Three Mile Island : a nuclear crisis in historical perspective J. Samuel Walker

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Walker, J. Samuel.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant (Pa.).

Nuclear power plants--Accidents.

Nuclear power plants.

Physical Description:

xi, 303 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Berkeley : University of California Press, 2004.

Summary:

On March 28, 1979, the worst accident in the history of commercial nuclear power in the United States occurred at Three Mile Island. For five days, the citizens of central Pennsylvania and the entire world, amid growing alarm, followed the efforts of authorities to prevent the crippled plant from spewing dangerous quantities of radiation into the environment. This book is the first comprehensive, moment-by-moment account of the causes, context, and consequences of the Three Mile Island crisis. Walker captures the high human drama surrounding the accident, sets it in the context of the heated debate over nuclear power in the seventies, and analyzes the social, technical, and political issues it raised. He also looks at the aftermath of the accident on the surrounding area, including studies of its long-term health effects on the population.--From publisher description.

Contents:

The nuclear power debate

The regulation of nuclear power

Defense in depth

Wednesday, March 28 : "This is the biggie"

Thursday, March 29 : "The danger is over for people off site"

Friday, March 30 : "Going to hell in a handbasket"

Saturday, March 31 : "You're causing a panic!"

Sunday, April 1 : "Look what we have done to these fine people"

The immediate aftermath of the accident

The long-term effects of Three Mile Island.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (p. 245-290) and index.

ISBN:

0520239407

9780520239401

OCLC:

52208467

Online:

Book review (H-Net)

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description