On March 28, 1979, a partial meltdown occurred at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Mechanical failures and human errors combined to create a serious accident in one of the plant’s reactors. Although the containment structure held and offsite radiation releases were limited, the incident caused widespread fear. News coverage and public anxiety led to intense scrutiny of nuclear power safety. The accident slowed the growth of nuclear energy in the United States for decades. It remains a key case study in risk management, regulation, and crisis communication.
