Nuclear is big in Pennsylvania, but so is worry
HARRISBURG – Nearly half a century has passed since the partial nuclear meltdown at Three Mile Island which shook the commonwealth and the industry.
Radioactive gas filled the air in late March 1979 and led to the evacuation of a wide area of people in the Harrisburg area.
Today, Microsoft is working to bring the plant back online to power its artificial intelligence technology. Skeptical members of the public who have long come to associate the plant with the worst-case scenario are concerned.
To address these concerns, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is holding meetings to present the issue and hear concerns from the public. The first will be held Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at the Capital Union Building at Penn State Harrisburg in Middletown. The second will be held virtually on Wednesday from 4-5:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health is reaching out to community members who live near the state’s four operating nuclear plants. Those are Beaver Valley in Beaver County, Peach Bottom in York County, Susquehanna in Luzerne County, and Limerick in Montgomery County.
Residents who live within 10 miles of the plants are invited to obtain free Potassium Iodide tablets on Aug. 14. Times and locations for distribution can be found on the department’s website.
The tablets are to be taken only in the event of a nuclear emergency in order to protect against thyroid cancer, a primary concern with exposure to radioactive iodine. Many who live in these areas may already have the pills, but the department encourages them to replace expired kits.
As for the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island, there is much local lore and speculation around the potential health ramifications it had. Studies both by the Department of Health and several other research institutions, however, have not shown higher instances of cancer or mortality in the local population than expected.
For those looking to generate more power with less carbon output, nuclear continues to be a leading contender. In Pennsylvania, part of the output from the Susquehanna plant is promised to a new Amazon data center, while small modular reactors hold promise for a new era of nuclear in the coming decades.
For existing plants, new technologies and safety measures exist. One area where advocates still struggle is what to do with nuclear waste, most of which is stored onsite in the communities where the plants operate.
