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1. Disasters in Energy ProductionNuclear and Coal
2. Major Disasters in Nuclear Energy National Reactor Testing Station-
Jan. 3, 1961
Three Mile Island- March 29, 1979
Chernobyl-
April 26, 1986
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency the safe limit for a residency is 5 Ci/km2
9. 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 1839-2007 in U.S. (3)
622 Mining Coal
10. 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
13. 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
1891- Fire
Est. killed 120, dozens wounded
1956- Explosion
39 killed, 88 rescued
1958- Bump
74 killed, 100 rescued
14. China Largest coal deposits in the world
80% of mining deaths
34% of coal mined
Apr. 26 1942- Benxihu Colliery- coal dust explosion killed 1,549 miners
In 2006 4,726 miners were killed
15. United Kingdom No disaster since 1979
Range Total
1700-1750 93
1750-1800 267
1800-1850 3,486
1850-1900 59,580
1900-1950 84,331
1950-2000 16,599
Total 164356
17. Centralia, Pa
18. Links Reuters: “China sees coal mine deaths fall, but outlook grim”
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK206148.htm
Idaho National Laboratory
https://inlportal.inl.gov/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=1311&parentname=CommunityPage&parentid=46&mode=2&in_hi_userid=200&cached=true
U.S. National Regulatory Commission
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/3mile-isle.html
International Atomic Energy Agency
http://www.iaea.or.at/NewsCenter/Features/Chernobyl-15/cherno-faq.shtml
Energy Information Administration
http://www.eia.doe.gov/
Center for Disease Control and Prevention: National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/
19. Links Continued Springhill Mining Disasters
http://archives.cbc.ca/economy_business/natural_resources/topics/111/
The Coalmining History Resource Centre
http://www.cmhrc.co.uk/site/disasters/
National Mining Association
http://www.nma.org/
“The Town That Was” documentary on Centralia
http://www.thetownthatwas.com/