Meltdowns and Waves

The first place we studied and visited was Three Mile Island and the meltdown that occurred there in 1979. Being able to actually go on the island was pretty special, and taking a tour of the facility was amazing. One thing that our tour guide stressed was the amount of safety precautions that were in place at the plant today. One thing that was immediately apparent when we stepped onto the island was the amount of security. I couldn’t believe that there is more security staff on the payroll than actual plant workers. Yet, we were able to drive directly onto the island without going through any security at all. This was a strange contradiction because security was extremely tight, but only after someone is already on the island. During the tour I noticed several safety stations and tons of fire extinguishers. There were a couple eye washing stations and even a full shower. All the machinery was massive and the plant itself was very clean on the inside. I was surprised at how well maintained it was. When we entered the control room I was astonished at all the complicated switches and nobs that were inside. I thought that it was no wonder an accident happened at the plant. The control room was so complex it must take months of training to learn. I was impressed too that our tour guide even said that everyone in the control room has to go through rigorous training. They will work for a couple weeks and then spend another week going through training. I found this process extremely impressive because that is a lot of time spent training for an event that has a low likelihood of happening. It’s even more impressive to think about the fact that the workers jobs are to wait for the worst case scenario and try to prevent it. Also, the supervisor of the control room informed us that the workers at the NRC don’t stay at one plant for long and only a few previously worked at the plant. This is crucial in order for there to be no negligence on the NRC’s part. The last thing I noticed leaving the plant was a chart hanging up outside one of the offices. It was some sort of monetary goal chart displaying what seemed to be the amount of money the plant is making. This was a very sobering image for me to see as we exited the plant because it reminded me that in the end this plant is here to make money. It provides power to thousands, but in the end it is privately owned and meant to make a profit. Overall I enjoyed the tour and it was interesting to hear about the safety regulations in place today there.