Chasing clean power: Why Three Mile Island is fighting to stay open
Forty years after the country's worst nuclear accident, Three Mile Island could close. That's sparked a debate about the risks and benefits of this carbon-free energy source.
Listen 13:50
Aerial view of Three Mile Island nuclear plant near Harrisburg, Pa., scene of a nuclear accident, Thursday, March 28, 1979. The plant started leaking radioactive steam, contaminating the area. (AP Photo)
Forty years after the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history, Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island could prematurely shut down in September if the state doesn’t bail it out. Some opponents view this as a positive, pointing out that we still don’t know what to do with the plant’s nuclear waste. But are the potential dangers of nuclear power worth the benefits of having a carbon-free energy source as the world grapples with climate change? StateImpact Pennsylvania reporter Marie Cusick joins us on this episode of The Why.
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The company that owns Three Mile Island’s Unit 1 reactor will scale back its emergency planning starting in January.
4 years ago
Pennsylvania raises alarms on transfer of radioactive Three Mile Island reactor
DEP asks the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to slow down the review of a license transfer due to the coronavirus emergency.
5 years ago
Listen 1:56
Three Mile Island anniversary and the future of nuclear power
On the 40th anniversary of the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, we look back at the disaster and discuss the effect it had on the nuclear power industry then and now.
Air Date: March 28, 2019 10:00 am
Listen 49:44