It. I am concerned about the safety of this area. Ms. Watson we are in the thornburgh room, looking at some of the thornburgh collection. Dick thornburgh is a pittsburgher from the start. Attended law school here and went on to be governor of pennsylvania, u. S. Attorney general, and his collection is archived at the university of pittsburgh. The thornburgh collection is large, which is an understatement, considering it is 1052 cartons of documents. He was elected governor in 1979, and was being sworn in on january 16, 1979. He was there with his hand up being sworn in with his wife inside him. Beside him. He was visited with matters pertaining to the forthcoming budget when a phone call came at 7 50 a. M. On wednesday, march 28. It was announcing to the new governor that there was an accident at the nearby Nuclear Plant on three mile island. He realized Nuclear Accidents had amazing repercussions and uncertainties and difficulties ahead. And then the next morning, early in the day, his notes referred to having heard mention of a fuel core damage. And consulting through the whole day, that did not change. But what to do was an enigma. Thornburgh was well enough redad and knew from the very start of an accident at a Nuclear Plant was something truly serious. Immediately, he had to pull together a very small group of people that he could trust to pursue the need that emergency plans for pennsylvania. And he himself had to be sure that the public, once they knew about this accident, was consistently, appropriately, calmly informed. As time went on, trying to understand what happened, the reports were conflicting. Every day, practically every hour, there was a change. This one, for example, says there is absolutely no danger of a meltdown. As he underlines, these were conflicting reports. Someone else said theres no Radioactive Material released. Well, there was. And that became known later that day and ongoing, that there was a leak, and radiation had been released. It was a matter of how much and what to do about it. The company itself reversed its opinions and its statements almost hourly. They werent useful. And his own personnel at that point were nuclear exports. So he really was rather its the at sea until he can find someone somehow to get the real facts. The news that something it happened on a Nuclear Plant got around the world and the country quickly. Reporters came from far and wide. I think by the end of the week, even, there were hundreds of them in the state capital, wanting to know what had happened and of course the governor himself didnt know at that time. Newspaper headlines were just blasting out u. S. Aides see a risk of meltdown have been Nuclear Plants, more radioactive gases released. The nation does not understand why or what can be done about it. Early on, the governor really did not know the ramifications of some of these releases of radiation. He did advise people in the immediate areas to stay inside. That was a recommendation. Also, on friday, which was just two days later, he asked and advised mothers with Young Children to go off out of the area, and the pennsylvania government provided locations for them to stay. And they did, for some three or four days thereafter. He did consider ordering an evacuation, but he was very cognizant too that there was hazard, great hazard, in doing that without suitable planning or under any circumstances, so he was loath to do that unless it became specifically unavoidably necessary. Thornburgh was able to get Telephone Communications with the president on friday. And when the president asked, what can i do for you . He said, i need scientists and folks from the Nuclear Regulatory agency to tell me what really is going on. The president said essentially, done and he sent a military helicopter up with 10 people from the Nuclear Regulatory agency to figure it out and let everyone know. Carl denton was an engineer with a Nuclear Regulatory commission. A very smart man, hed only been employed there for six monthsm but he was the one assigned to go up there to see what was happening. Theres about 100,000 gallons of highly contaminated water in the primary system thats being circulated around the cooling core. All the water that was spilled inside the containment is still inside the containment. Roughly 600,000 gallons of highly contaminated water. I see no imminent chance for any of that water being released, but that water has got to be cleaned up, both the water in the bottom of the containment in the water that is in the primary system. The walls of the containment have to be washed down and that collected and decontamination must go on. Watson the agency in washington didnt understand how serious it was until harold and the team got there to take a look, and determined that it was pretty serious. But ultimately, they were able to ascertain that the socalled bubble was not going to burst. And there was not going to be a meltdown, which is what language was out there for peoples fears. As a result of that, assurance from Harold Denton, the president actually flew up to harrisburg the next day with mrs. Carter and met with harold, the governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and they actually had a tour of the control room. This is all because they had assurance it was not going to blow up instantly, of course. They could go and look and talk to the engineers. After the tour of the control room, the president held a press conference, including Harold Denton and Lieutenant Governor scranton. It was a poignant, calm statement on his part, commending the population in the area for their careful thinking and caution in the case of the accident, and praising dick thornburgh, the governor. After the president left, and the population or the populace knew there was not going to be an explosion, people who did leave return to their homes. The mothers and children who had been away from their homes for little while returned. And things began to really be calm. And the news reports were no longer accident meltdown, but thornburgh did a great job. He, in crisis, a builder of confidence. There were many articles like this, where his capacity for handling this really serious event had been so successful and appropriate. Once it was determined that there wasnt a leak, not an explosion, not a meltdown, that did not solve the problem, just by understanding that. It took years for engineers to determine how to fix it or it how to fix it. It cost 1 billion. After things called in harrisburg, event behooved washington to find out what was going to go on, or had gone on. The United States senate, for example, just in april 19, wrote to governor thornburgh and said we are pleased to invite you to be our leadoff witness in our committee. We would like your presence. And any principal state officials you wish. One of the pages i pulled out here i thought was particularly telling. His quote from his speech was the toughest decision of all, however, is the one i had to make 24 hours a day throughout the crisis. That was, of course, the decision not to order an evacuation that would have been unprecedented in its nature as well as its potential for harm. Despite having starting off his career as governor, a twoterm governor with a massive emergency, his team and his policies, and is balanced budgets were favorably received by the state of pennsylvania. In his concluding times, he was very broadly affectionately regarded nash justly, i think
comparemela.com © 2020. All Rights Reserved.