I suspect that everyone’s story is technically the same during those days around the Three Mile Island meltdown. I am a surgeon and began practice in Orthopedics in York, Pa. in June of 1978.
Oddly enough my wife and I had seen the movie ‘China Syndrome’ and on our way out of the theatre I remember musing that I thought it was an entertaining movie but the entire idea of a ‘melt down’ could never really occur. Two days later it did occur.
the movie was a crash course in the enormous deadly threat that we all faced.
It was BECAUSE of having seen this movie that allowed millions of people to understand exactly was was happening at Three Mile Island. More importantly the movie was a crash course in the enormous deadly threat that we all faced.
Like all businesses (and I mean ALL businesses) there was an attempt to ease the distress that was actually staring at the population around TMI. It was the movie that prevented ease. Despite attempts by the energy company, the police force, the State Government and the Federal Government there could be no ease.
York is much closer to TMI than one would think. It may be 25 miles away by highway but it is only a few miles away as ‘the crow flies’.
My wife was a physician and we had three children (1, 3, and 5). She was from Chevy Chase, Maryland and we decided that it would be best for her to take the children down to her parents home in Washington D.C. As odd as it sounds I told my wife that I would be fine because if things became as bad as it could get I could simply move into my lead lined X-ray room at my office. I would be protected.
I knew that if I was able to smell that plant it meant we were safe
I stayed behind for only one reason. I took an oath at graduation from Medical School swearing to place my patient’s welfare fist and I was simply following that oath. Doctors do not think beyond that oath. At least in those days they did not think beyond that oath.
The President of York Hospital was a good friend of mine and he kept in close contact with me during those days that were so full of tension. There is a paper product plant slightly north west of york and depending on the direction that the wind blows you may smell the awful sulphuric side products of the plant. I remember telling the President that when I awaken each morning I knew that if I was able to smell that plant it meant we were safe because any thing carried by the air would going AWAY from York. Retrospectively that may seem to ignore the people who WERE in the wind path of TMI but I will NEVER Monday Quarterback the situation. You, just like in war, really care about those physically near you and that must never change.
The problem was actually with the people and not the plant
It quite literally came down to a matter of a few minutes whether we would or would not evacuate York Hospital. Paul, the President, told me when I saw him at the hospital that within 15 minutes we will know whether or not to evacuate the hospital and they will need all help possible. This was that time when they were trying to safely release the hydrogen bubble trapped inside the plant. No matter what they said we knew that there was a meltdown. We did not know how much of a meltdown had or was occurring. The announcement was given by TMI about 5 minutes later that the bubble did not explode and was released. They denied any serious radiation threat to the populace at that point but we knew that was not the truth. There were numerous radiation releases.
I never became an anti-nuclear plant person. The problem was actually with the people and not the plant. THIS is what is never addressed. It is the human.
Thomas