Disasters in Energy Production Nuclear and Coal

Major Disasters in Nuclear Energy National Reactor Testing Station- Jan. 3, 1961 Three Mile Island- March 29, 1979 Chernobyl- April 26, 1986

National Reactor Testing Station Desert near Idaho Falls, Idaho The only fatal nuclear accident in US Problem control rod was removed incorrectly from a low power reactor Caused the core to melt resulting in an explosion Killed 3 military members nityPage&parentid=46&mode=2&in_hi_userid=200&cached=true

Three Mile Island Susquehanna River, Londonderry Township, south of Harrisburg, Pa Unit 1: 802 MWe Unit 2: 906 MWe Cooling system malfunction in Unit 2

The coolant malfunction damaged and overheated the core 43,000 curies of Krypton Gas released 20 curies of iodine-131 released Leukemia an Lung Cancer were up to 10 times higher down wind Increased infant mortality for 2 years All Data:

Chernobyl Ukraine, USSR, 1986 Number 4 reactor – Went out of control during a low power test Officials ignored safety precautions and the Uranium overheated and melted through it’s encasings The reactor was not equipped with a dome to keep in radiation in case of accidents Graphite blocks used to help neutralize radiation also ignited and allowed air into the reactor 20 people were killed in the explosion 28 firefighters and emergency clean up personnel died from radiation within months

49,360 were evacuated within 36 hours from the nearest town of Priypat 200,000 people were eventually evacuated from the surrounding areas 1800 documented cases of thyroid cancer in children under the age of 14, no cases in cleanup workers Radioactive fallout reached for 150,000 sq km (approx 58,000 sq mi) “Allowable” amounts of fallout still exist in the area All data :

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency the safe limit for a residency is 5 Ci/km2

Mining Quick Facts 2030 Coal Mines In Operation as of 2007 (1) – 1453 in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania 1.2 Billion Tons of Coal Mined in 2007(2) 726 Total Mining Incidents of More Than 5 Fatalities in U.S. (3) – 622 Mining Coal (1) (2) (3)

United States of America 34 Fatalities and 3,402 Injuries Reported in 2007 Monongah Mining Disaster was worst in US history: 362 men killed in 1907 Sago Mine Disaster in 2006 killed 12 miners in an explosion in Sago, West Virginia 1 miner survived, while in the mine for 2 days

Energy Information Administration

Canada 26 miners killed in 1992 on Nova Scotia following a coal dust explosion Spring Hill Mining Disaster – Worst in Canadian History – Spring Hill, Nova Scotia Fire – Est. killed 120, dozens wounded Explosion – 39 killed, 88 rescued Bump – 74 killed, 100 rescued

China Largest coal deposits in the world 80% of mining deaths 34% of coal mined Apr Benxihu Colliery- coal dust explosion killed 1,549 miners In ,726 miners were killed Data According to Reuters: desk/PEK htm desk/PEK htm

United Kingdom No disaster since 1979 RangeTotal , , , ,599 Total All Data: -Produce tons in No disaster since Four major Disasters -Senghenydd Colliery- 439 dead, gas explosion in Albion Colliery- 290 dead, gas explosion in Gresford Colliery- 266 dead, in Prince of Wales Mine- 259 dead, in 1878

Centralia, Pa

Links Reuters: “China sees coal mine deaths fall, but outlook grim” Idaho National Laboratory ommunityPage&parentid=46&mode=2&in_hi_userid=200&cached=true U.S. National Regulatory Commission International Atomic Energy Agency Energy Information Administration Center for Disease Control and Prevention: National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

Links Continued Springhill Mining Disasters topics/111/ The Coalmining History Resource Centre National Mining Association “The Town That Was” documentary on Centralia