Three Mile Island Reactor
Accident: Recovery, Cleanup,Lessons, & Future
IRID Symposium
Tokyo18 July, 2014
Lake H. Barrett
Lake@Lbarrett.com

L. Barrett Consulting LLC

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Three Mile Island• Light Water Power Reactor Core Melt Accident– 1979: 35 Years ago• Similar & Different Than Fukushima Daiichi (1F)
• TMI Major but Less Technically Severe Accident• Similar Cleanup Challenges• Many Lessons Are Applicable• TMI Was Safely Cleaned Up & 1F Can Be Also
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TMI: US/Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

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PennsylvaniaHarrisburg-Middletown

Three Mile
IslandOn
Susquehanna
4RiverThree Mile Island Units 1 &2
Susquehanna River

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Three Mile Island Units 1 &2
March 28, 1979

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Three Mile Island Unit-2 Accident
March 28, 1979
04:00 Relief Valve fails to close

Operators
Believe
ReactorOverfilled andTurn Off
Injection
Pumps

Core is uncovered Fueloverheats/fails/~50% Melt

650,000 gallons of highly
radioactive water collects
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7LLC

TMI Core Damage Sequence~120 Min Core UncoversDamage Starts
800C Burst (~06:00)~150MinCore Cladding
Oxidize ~1800C(~06:30)
L. Barrett Consulting LLC~226 Min Core
Melted ~2700C(~07:30)8Control Room Operators Confused
Not Recognize Plant Conditions
Untrained for Situation

Complex System
100+ Alarm Lights

Safety Tags Hid
Indicator Lights

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Difficult Environment toThink

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Hydrogen Deflagrates 13:00
Containment Holds
Hydrogen
Deflagration
3MPa (28psig)
13:00

Unknown for a Week

Radiation>200Sv/hr~3M deepwater

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Radioactivity Release Pathways

Auxiliary Systems Needed to Run Main
L. BarrettCoolantConsulting LLCPumps to Cool Melted Core 11

Offsite Releases Variable &Confused Readings 3/28-30

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TMI Precautionary Evacuation
March 30, 1979
• Due To Uncertainties & Unknowns• Advisory Evacuation for Pregnant Women &Children: lasted 10 days
• ~140,000 People Left, most for Less than a Week
– Cost $71M Paid by Owner Insurance

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Public Confusion Due To Lackof Information & Distrust

Company Not Believed

Government Distrusted
But NRC Single Spokesman
Denton Made Progress
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14Evacuation Sites

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President Carter Arrives
April 1President Carter In Control RoomCarter, Denton & PA Governor Thornburg
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Initial Plant Stabilization• Core Cooling Established: 6 Hours• Cold (<100C) Passive Shutdown:1 Month• All Accident Water Retained• Pre-accident Water Processed and Released toMake Room For Accident Water• Accident Water Never Released to River• Airborne Iodine Releases From Auxiliary
Building Mitigated

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ACCIDENT RADIOLOGICALCONSEQUENCES– Ad Hoc Interagency Dose Assessment GroupFindings– 2,000,000 Persons  3300 Person-Rem– Average Population Dose: 15uSv (1.5 mrem)– Maximum “Fence-Post” Dose 830 uSv (83 mrem)(Estimated Actual Maximum Dose 37 mrem)– One Excess Cancer (Over 325,000 Bkgd)– Food Sampling - All Below FDA Limits

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Severe Accident Recovery
Prioritization Timing• Ancient Fundamentals: Fire, Wind, Water &Earth• Nuclear Accident Recovery Fundamentals:– Fire: Energy- Cool Core
– Wind: Control/Mitigate Airborne Release– Water: Control/Mitigate Water Release– Earth: Manage Solid Wastes Responsibly

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TMI Recovery-National Support

Visitor Center Command
Station-1000+people
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New Accident Response/CleanupManagement Organization• GPU Formed Integrated National Cleanup Team– Utility• Owner & Existing Operational Workforce– Nuclear Contractor Industry• Bridge Technology & Operational Support– National Defense Laboratories• Intellectual & Applied Knowledge– Navy Nuclear Culture• Disciplined Technological Operational Philosophy– Academia• Advanced Technology

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New Accident Response/CleanupManagement Organization-2• US Government Supported– Had Authority to Take Over, however
Remained Private for Best National Interest– USNRC Became Lead Agency– USDOE Scientific Technical Support• Defense and Non-Defense– USEPA Active Local Environmental Monitoring• Special USNRC Regulatory Program– Special Delegated Onsite Authority
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New Accident Response/CleanupManagement Organization-3• Active Public Communications/Involvement
Programs– Rebuild Public Trust & Confidence– It’s personal: Focus is on People, not Technology• Extensive Congressional Oversight• Extensive Pennsylvania State Involvement• Extensive Local Government Involvement• Extensive Nuclear Industry Involvement– Utilities (e.g. EPRI)
L. Barrett Consulting LLC– Contractors (e.g. Bechtel& NSSS)

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Industry Government Teamwork• Federal Government– DOE National Laboratories• High Radiation Reprocessing Experience– DOE R&D Support• Solid Waste Disposal• Spent Fuel Removal• Other Utilities– EPRI Agreement• Academia– Robotics Applied Science Center• PA Universities
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Creation Of New Applied Cleanup
Research & Development(R&D)Program• Couple DOE Laboratory Programs To On-SiteCleanup Task Problem Solution Activity– TMI On-Site DOE Technical Integration Office (TIO)– Coordinated All National Laboratory Efforts– Senior DOE Person Full Time at Site: Dr. Willis Bixby– Senior INEL (EG&G) Laboratory Lead Staff• Bring Advanced Technology Research to
Implementable Onsite Cleanup Actions
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Formal TIO ‘Teamwork” AppliedCleanup R&D Agreement• Integrated & Formalized Earlier Accident
Response Science Efforts– Owner Utility: GPUN
– DOE Laboratory Organizations– EPRI– NRC Research• Signed and Implemented March 1980

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TIO Team Developments Utilized• Advanced Water Treatment Systems forProcessing & Defueling• Degraded Core Investigation Instrumentation• Defueling Tools– Core Boring Machine• Waste Packaging & Safety Analyses• Fission Product Transport Analysis• Decontamination Processes
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TMI-2 Cleanup
TIO Organization Functions

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Cleanup Principles-1• Maintain Public Safety & Environmental
Protection– Stable Cool Core & High Activity Waste– Clean, Control & Monitor all Airborne Releases– Clean, Recycle, Monitor & Store all Water– Manage Solid Radioactive Wastes For Disposal• Maintain Worker Safety– Control Worker Exposures ALARA– Industrial & Rad Safety Factors• Focus to Remove Damaged Fuel
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Cleanup Principles-2• Cleanup Site To Status Similar to a Normal
Shutdown Reactor• Properly Disposition Fuel & Radioactive Wastes– Technically– Socially• Open & Transparent & Inclusive Process– Understandable to Outside People– Responsive to Needs– Maintain Social/Political Support
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Cleanup Approach• Prompt Safe & Cost Effective Cleanup– Reduce Risks, Contain, Stabilize• Clear End State Focus• Expect Surprises– Monitor, Self-Learn, Adapt, Succeed• Keep Simple– Adapt Proven Technologies As Much As Possible• Work Safely From Outside In
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Auxiliary Building Decon
1979

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Process Auxiliary Building Water
EPICOR Radwaste System

Flowsheet
Resin Canisters

Building
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LLC

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High Activity Aux Bldg Wastes
Shipped & Disposed

Resin Liners Stored at TMILoaded In Transport
Cask
Disposed In High
Integrity Container in
Disposal Site inWashington
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Containment Access Necessary@ +1 Year

2PBq Kr-85

25PBq Cs137

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85Kr Venting

June 28, 1980

Concept

Public Emotional Issue
External Advisory Committee
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Filtration System
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Containment Conditions
Closed Environment With Rain

Closed Environment
With Rain

3 M Deep 10Sv/hr
Warm Water
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Radiation Heat Damage

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H2 Pressure Wave Damage

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Process 2.5M L of Water FromContainment Basement

Phased Water Cleanup Systems Created Based on Best Available Technology Submerged
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Demineralizer System (SDS)Closely Coupled Design-Operations Team for Successful Developmental System
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SDS High Active Waste
1PBq (E15 Bq or 30KCi) of Cs/Can

Loading SDS Shipping Cask

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SDS Shipping Cask

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Containment Decontamination

High Pressure Washing

Radioactive Sludge on Floor

Robots Developed

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Robotic HP Washing43

Evaluate Core Conditions
QuickLook

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Restore 100Ton Polar Crane

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Gain Access to Reactor Internals

Lifting 40 Ton Missile Shield Blocks

Building Remediation to Gain
Core Access (Barrett Entry)
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Reactor Head Lift

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Defueling Plan

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Internal Surface Decontamination
Evolutionary Process

Manual Surface Scabbling
Scabble Machine

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Scabble Robot Vacuum

49Defueling Work Platform

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TMI Damaged Core Removal~1985-1990

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Defueling Tools

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Transfer Load Spent Fuel Cans

Spent Fuel Cans In Pool forTransport cask loading
344 cans loaded
Shielded Transfer BellL. Barrett Consulting LLC

53TMI DefuelingCore Bore Machine

Defuel Can Loading

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Transportation Cask Developed,
Licensed & Constructed

Hold Seven Fuel Cans

Dry Loading System
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Spent Fuel Shipping

Transport Cask
Last Fuel 125B Casks
Leaving TMI To Idaho
1990
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Rail Route to Idaho

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Cask Unloading At Idaho INEL

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Fuel Can Unloading For R&D

Fuel To Hot Cell for Analysis

Core Material & Vessel Analyses
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INEL Nuclear R&D/Storage ProgramCask Transfers In Idaho

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INEL Nuclear R&D/Storage Program

TMI Fuel In Dry Storage Today
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Accident Water Storage Tanks
Downstream Drinking Water Cities Objected~9 Milllon L of Tritiated (24TBq) Accident Water Met Release Standards,
BUT STONG EMOTIONS
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Processed
H3 Water
Evaporation
9,000 Tons
1991-93

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Three Mile Island Units 1 &2 Today
1993- Current

TMI-2
Safestore

TMI-1

Unit 1 Operating Until 2034 Then Decommission Both Units Together64

Three Mile Island History•••••••••••••

Reactor Scram: 04:00 3/28/79
Core melt and relocation: ~ 05:00 – 07:30 3/28/79
Hydrogen Deflagration: 13:00 3/28/79
Recirculation Cooling: Late 3/28/79
Phased Water Processing: 1979-1993:Removed ~1.2MCi Cs137
Containment Venting 43KCi Kr-85: July 1980
Containment Entry: July 1980
Reactor Head removed and core melt found: July 1984
Start Defuel: October 1985
Shipping Spent Fuel: 1988-1990
Finish Defuel: Jan 1990
Evaporate 9,000 Tons Processed Water: 1991-93
Cost: ~$1 Billion ($2.3B in 2012$)
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TMI Unit 1 Restarted• Separated GPU Organization From Unit 2• Restarted September 18, 1985
– Six and Half Year Process– Extensive Operator Training– Plant Modifications– Extensive Public Regulatory Hearing Process• One of Best Operating Reactors Today in US

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TMI SUMMARY• Most Serious U.S. Reactor Accident• Reactor Core Melted (Not Known at Time)• Large Releases to Containment Building• Only Minor Environmental Releases &Consequences• Cleanup Accomplished• Profound Effects-MADE US NUCLEAR STONGER– Utility– Nuclear Industry– Regulatory Authorities
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TMI Became Model For Future
Growing US Cleanup Industry• Growth Of Defense Cleanup Programs– Creation of DOE Environmental ManagementOrganization– Technology Development– Technology Application– Effective Management Practices Evolution• Growth of Commercial Cleanup Programs– Commercial Power Reactor D&D Programs
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Peace On The River
Most Painful Experiences Are the Most Teachable

1978

2008

Most Stress is Gone- All are Wiser
Nuclear Power is Safer
Nuclear Power is More Productive
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Lake H. Barrett
Lake@Lbarrett.com
Lake Barrett is a part time independent consultant in the energy field. He has
worked in the nuclear energy and nuclear materials management areas for over 4
decades, most recently as the former head of the US Department of Energy’s Officeof Civilian Nuclear Waste Management which is responsible for implementing theUnited Sates’ programs for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste, asmandated by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. In that capacity, he led the complex
scientific Yucca Mountain Geologic Repository program through the statutory site
selection process culminating with the Presidential site designation and following
successful House and Senate votes.
He also served at U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where he was directly
involved with the early response to the Three Mile Island reactor accident andbecame the Site Director, responsible for regulatory programs during thestabilization, recovery, and cleanup of the damaged reactor. He also has had
extensive managerial and engineering experiences in DOE’s Defence Programs andprivate industry at both Bechtel Power Corporation, with commercial nuclear power
plants, and Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics with nuclear reactor andsubmarine systems design, operation, and decommissioning.

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