Evaluation of the Three Mile Island Accident in the Context of WASH-1400

摘要

The accident at unit 2 of the Three Mile Island nuclear station (TMI-2) on March 28, 1979, occurred after approximately 400 reactor years (RY) of commercial nuclear reactor operation in the US. The purpose of work summarized here was to evaluate the probability statements in the WASH-1400 reactor safety study (RSS) in view of the TMI-2 event and to estimate the likely public impact of TMI-2. The RSS probability estimate for such a release was found to be consistent with the fact that the TMI-2 accident occurred. The expected health effects are consistent with those for a low-level category of radioactivity release as described in the RSS and they are immeasurably small. However, the public perception of the health effects of the release is likely to be much more severe than the estimated health effects. (ERA citation 05:015816)