ANDREA MITCHELL COVERED IT AT THE TIME AND JUST WENT BACK.
THE TIME AND JUST WENT BACK. >> Reporter: THEY GATHERED
>> Reporter: THEY GATHERED BEFORE DAWN AT THREE MILE
BEFORE DAWN AT THREE MILE ISLAND, MARKING THE MOMENT WHEN
ISLAND, MARKING THE MOMENT WHEN ONE OF TWO REACTORS WENT INTO
ONE OF TWO REACTORS WENT INTO PARTIAL MELTDOWN, THE WORST
PARTIAL MELTDOWN, THE WORST NUCLEAR ACCIDENT IN U.S.
NUCLEAR ACCIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY, HALTING THE GROWTH OF
HISTORY, HALTING THE GROWTH OF NUCLEAR POWER IN AMERICA TO THIS
NUCLEAR POWER IN AMERICA TO THIS DAY, AND SPARKING HEALTH
DAY, AND SPARKING HEALTH CONCERNS THAT LINGER 40 YEARS
CONCERNS THAT LINGER 40 YEARS LATER.
LATER. THE CLEANUP WILL TAKE YEARS AND
THE CLEANUP WILL TAKE YEARS AND COST HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF
COST HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
DOLLARS. >> IT WAS JUST PANIC, IT WAS
>> IT WAS JUST PANIC, IT WAS FEAR, IT WAS ALL THESE EMOTIONS
FEAR, IT WAS ALL THESE EMOTIONS WRAPPED UP INTO ONE.
WRAPPED UP INTO ONE. >> Reporter: THOUSANDS OF
>> Reporter: THOUSANDS OF PREGNANT WOMEN AND FAMILIES WITH
PREGNANT WOMEN AND FAMILIES WITH TODDLERS LIKE CHRISTINE LAYMAN’S
TODDLERS LIKE CHRISTINE LAYMAN’S EVACUATED.
EVACUATED. TWO WEEKS LATER AN ALL-CLEAR
TWO WEEKS LATER AN ALL-CLEAR FROM REGULATORS AND THE UTILITY
FROM REGULATORS AND THE UTILITY COMPANY.
COMPANY. >> THAT WAS OUR PLAYGROUND
>> THAT WAS OUR PLAYGROUND GROWING UP.
GROWING UP. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THAT SUMMER,
AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THAT SUMMER, WATERSKIED IN THOSE VERY WATERS,
WATERSKIED IN THOSE VERY WATERS, BECAUSE THEY TOLD US IT WAS
BECAUSE THEY TOLD US IT WAS SAFE.
SAFE. >> DO YOU BELIEVE THEY TOLD YOU
>> DO YOU BELIEVE THEY TOLD YOU THE TRUTH?
THE TRUTH? >> NO.
>> NO. >> Reporter: 40 YEARS LATER,
>> Reporter: 40 YEARS LATER, PEOPLE HERE ARE STILL DEBATING
PEOPLE HERE ARE STILL DEBATING WHETHER TO KEEP THE REMAINING
WHETHER TO KEEP THE REMAINING TOWER OR SHUT IT DOWN.
TOWER OR SHUT IT DOWN. >> THE PEOPLE NOTICE AN AWFUL
>> THE PEOPLE NOTICE AN AWFUL LOT OF CANCER, ALL TYPES.
LOT OF CANCER, ALL TYPES. ALL TYPES OF CANCER.
ALL TYPES OF CANCER. >> Reporter: ONE RECENT STUDY
>> Reporter: ONE RECENT STUDY FOUND A POSSIBLE CORRELATION
FOUND A POSSIBLE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE ACCIDENT AND
BETWEEN THE ACCIDENT AND CANCERS, BUT MOST OTHERS DIDN’T.
CANCERS, BUT MOST OTHERS DIDN’T. RALPH DeSANTIS WAS THE THREE
RALPH DeSANTIS WAS THE THREE MILE ISLAND SPOKESMAN AT THE
MILE ISLAND SPOKESMAN AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. >> THERE WASN’T ENOUGH RADIATION
>> THERE WASN’T ENOUGH RADIATION RELEASE FROM THE ACCIDENT TO
RELEASE FROM THE ACCIDENT TO CAUSE HEALTH EFFECTS IN THE
CAUSE HEALTH EFFECTS IN THE AREA.
AREA. >> Reporter: BUT ARNIE
>> Reporter: BUT ARNIE GUNDERSON, A NUCLEAR ENGINEER,
GUNDERSON, A NUCLEAR ENGINEER, SAYS EQUIPMENT BACK THEN DIDN’T
SAYS EQUIPMENT BACK THEN DIDN’T MEASURE ALL THE RADIATION.
MEASURE ALL THE RADIATION. >> SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FIVE TO TEN
>> SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FIVE TO TEN TIMES MORE RADIATION WAS
TIMES MORE RADIATION WAS RELEASED THAN THE NUCLEAR
RELEASED THAN THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ADMITS TO.
REGULATORY COMMISSION ADMITS TO. >> Reporter: THE COMMISSION SAYS
>> Reporter: THE COMMISSION SAYS THE ACCIDENT LED TO SIGNIFICANT
THE ACCIDENT LED TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN ENHANCED SAFETY AND
CHANGES IN ENHANCED SAFETY AND THE ACCIDENT HAD NEGLIGIBLE
THE ACCIDENT HAD NEGLIGIBLE EFFECTS ON HEALTH.
EFFECTS ON HEALTH. WITH CHEAPER NATURAL GAS,
WITH CHEAPER NATURAL GAS, NUCLEAR ENERGY IS NO LONGER A
NUCLEAR ENERGY IS NO LONGER A BARGAIN.
BARGAIN. NOW THE STATE IS DECIDING
NOW THE STATE IS DECIDING WHETHER TO SUBSIDIZE THAT LAST
