World’s Worst Nuclear Accidents

%28Photo%20Credit%3A%20Wikipedia%29%0D%0AOn%2010%20October%201957%2C%20an%20undetermined%20amount%20of%20contamination%20got%20released%20into%20the%20air%20after%20the%20graphite%20core%20of%20Britain%E2%80%99s%20first%20nuclear%20reactor%2C%20a%20site%20at%20Windscale%2C%20Cumberland%2C%20caught%20fire.%20The%20incident%2C%20known%20as%20the%20Windscale%20fire%2C%20was%20the%20worst%20nuclear%20accident%20in%20England%E2%80%99s%20history.%20Five%20decades%20later%2C%20medical%20researchers%20reported%20mortality%20and%20cancer%20rates%20for%20workers%20involved%20in%20the%201957%20fire%20%E2%80%9Cdoes%20not%20reveal%20any%20measurable%20effect%20of%20the%20fire%20upon%20their%20health.%E2%80%9D%20%28You%20can%20read%20the%20report%20of%20a%20British%20board%20of%20inquiry%20into%20the%20accident%20here%20%28http%3A%2F%2Fnews.bbc.co.uk%2F2%2Fshared%2Fbsp%2Fhi%2Fpdfs%2F05_10_07_ukaea.pdf%29.%20The%20former%20Windscale%20power%20station%20was%20shut%20down%20and%20decommissioned.%20%0D%0A

%28Photo%20Credit%3A%20Associated%20Press%29%0D%0AIn%20this%20Nov.%2010%2C%202000%20file%20photo%2C%20the%20control%20room%20with%20its%20damaged%20machinery%20is%20seen%20inside%20reactor%20No.%204%20in%20the%20Chernobyl%20nuclear%20power%20plant.%20Geiger%20counters%20registered%20about%2080%2C000%20microroentgens%20an%20hour%2C%2016%2C000%20times%20the%20safe%20limit.%20Reactor%20No.%204%20at%20the%20Chernobyl%20nuclear%20power%20plant%20in%20Ukraine%2C%20then%20part%20of%20the%20Soviet%20Union%2C%20exploded%20on%20April%2026%2C%201986%2C%20sending%20a%20cloud%20of%20radiation%20over%20much%20of%20Europe.%20Around%20200%20people%20died%20after%20a%20ruptured%20reactor%20vessel%20and%20fire%20caused%20an%20explosion%2C%20resulting%20in%20the%20release%20into%20the%20environment%20of%20radioactive%20materials.%20Researchers%20tracking%20an%20increase%20in%20the%20number%20of%20thyroid%20cancer%20cases%20in%20the%20region%20believe%20the%20rise%20is%20related%20to%20the%20Chernobyl%20accident.%20However%2C%20the%20long-term%20health%20impact%20on%20local%20residents%20is%20still%20unclear%20and%20experts%20believe%20it%20will%20take%20years%20to%20quantify.%20%0D%0A

%28Photo%20Credit%3A%20Associated%20Press%29%0AWill%20this%20one%20be%20next%3F%20The%20Fukushima%20Daiichi%20power%20plant%E2%80%99s%20Unit%201%20is%20seen%20in%20Okumamachi%2C%20Fukushima%20prefecture%2C%20Japan%2C%20on%20March%2011%2C%202011.%20In%20the%20aftermath%20of%20a%20massive%20earthquake%20that%20devastated%20Japan%2C%20the%20plant%20suffered%20an%20explosion%20that%20led%20to%20the%20release%20of%20large%20amounts%20of%20radiation%20into%20the%20atmosphere%20and%20the%20evacuation%20of%20residents%20with%20a%2012-mile%20radius.%20The%20quake%20was%20reported%20to%20have%20interrupted%20the%20plant%E2%80%99s%20cooling%20system.%20That%20led%20to%20a%20buildup%20of%20pressure%20to%20the%20point%20that%20it%20blew%20out%20the%20concrete%20walls%20surrounding%20the%20plant%E2%80%99s%20nuclear%20reactor.%20In%20the%20immediate%20aftermath%20of%20the%20explosion%2C%20officials%20described%20the%20release%20of%20radioactive%20matter%20as%20small.%20Officials%20confirmed%20three%20people%20were%20exposed%20to%20radiation%2C%20but%20said%20they%20showed%20no%20ill%20effects.%20%0A

%28Photo%20Credit%3A%20Wikipedia%29%0D%0AThe%20most%20serious%20nuclear%20accident%20in%20United%20States%20history%20occurred%20at%20Three%20Mile%20Island%20in%20Pennsylvania%20on%20March%2028%2C%201979.%20About%20140%2C000%20people%20were%20forced%20to%20evacuate%20their%20homes%20after%20a%20combination%20of%20equipment%20malfunctions%2C%20problems%20with%20the%20design%20of%20the%20reactor%20and%20human%20error%20led%20to%20a%20partial%20meltdown%20of%20the%20TMI%202%20reactor%20core.%20Although%20the%20partial%20meltdown%20resulted%20in%20some%20contamination%20within%20the%20plant%2C%20nobody%20died%20or%20got%20injured.%20However%2C%20the%20other%20casualty%20was%20the%20nuclear%20energy%20industry%20itself.%20The%20accident%20stirred%20public%20protest%20and%20subsequently%20led%20the%20U.S.%20Nuclear%20Regulatory%20Commission%20to%20tighten%20its%20regulatory%20oversight%20over%20the%20industry.%20It%20also%20contributed%20to%20a%20freeze%20in%20the%20construction%20of%20new%20nuclear%20plants%20in%20the%20U.S.%20over%20the%20next%20three%20decades.%20%0D%0A

On%20March%206%2C%202006%2C%20the%20nuclear%20plant%20at%20Erwin%2C%20Tenn.%2C%20suffered%20a%20uranium%20leak%20which%20led%20to%20the%20contamination%20of%201%2C000%20people.%0D%0A

%28Photo%20Credit%3A%20Getty%20Images%29%0D%0AA%20fire%20and%20subsequent%20cover-up%20that%20sparked%20public%20anger%20led%20to%20a%2014-year%20shutdown%20of%20the%20Monju%20Prototype%20Fast%20Breeder%20Reactor%20in%20Tsuruga%2C%20Fukui%20prefecture%2C%20west%20of%20Tokyo.%20Some%20278%20people%20were%20affected%20by%20four%20successive%20leaks%20of%20radioactivity.%20The%20leaks%2C%20which%20also%20led%20to%20the%20widespread%20evacuation%20of%20local%20residents%2C%20resulted%20in%20fall-out%20levels%20equivalent%20to%20that%20of%20more%20than%20200%20atomic%20bombs%20of%20the%20type%20dropped%20on%20Hiroshima%20at%20the%20end%20of%20World%20War%202.%20The%20official%20charged%20with%20investigating%20the%20cover-up%20would%20later%20commit%20suicide%20by%20jumping%20from%20the%20roof%20of%20a%20Tokyo%20hotel.%20He%20was%20not%20involved%20in%20the%20cover-up%2C%20but%20reports%20at%20the%20time%20said%20he%20was%20distressed%20by%20the%20evidence%20that%20came%20across%20his%20desk.%20%0D%0A

%28Photo%20Credit%3A%20Wikipedia%29%0D%0AIn%20April%201993%2C%20the%20Soviets%20reported%20an%20explosion%20at%20a%20secret%20nuclear%20reprocessing%20plant%20in%20Siberia%20near%20the%20town%20of%20Tomsk.%20The%20reactor%20was%20believed%20to%20have%20been%20involved%20in%20the%20production%20of%20weapons-grade%20nuclear%20fuel%20but%20authorities%20kept%20a%20tight%20lid%20on%20the%20release%20of%20information%20about%20the%20accident.%20The%20number%20of%20casualties%20is%20unknown.%20Despite%20the%20end%20of%20the%20Cold%20War%2C%20the%20area%20remains%20closed%20to%20non-residents%2C%20and%20visitors%20must%20present%20entry%20documents%20at%20checkpoints%2C%20such%20as%20the%20one%20in%20the%20accompanying%20photo.%20%0D%0A

%28Photo%20Credit%3A%20Getty%20Images%29%0D%0AThe%20Japanese%20town%20of%20Tokaimura%20was%20the%20scene%20of%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20worst%20nuclear%20accident%20since%20the%201986%20Chernobyl%20reactor%20explosion.%20On%20September%2030%2C%201999%2C%20an%20accident%20at%20the%20uranium%20processing%20plant%20killed%20two%20workers%20and%20more%20than%20600%20people%20got%20exposed%20to%20moderate%20levels%20of%20radiation.%20A%20subsequent%20investigation%20turned%20up%20evidence%20of%20fraud%20and%20safety%20lapses.%0D%0A