The Three Mile Island Accident: Lessons and Legacy

Major Nuclear Reactor Accidents Presentation Series, presentation 1

with Ridhita B. Borhan and Royvi Rafayet
Friday, April 25, 2025, 10:00 am
6-051 VTRC, Arlington 
440 Goodwin Hall, Blacksburg

On March 28, 1979, the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear accident became the most significant incident in the history of U.S. commercial nuclear power. While it resulted in minimal off-site radiation exposure, the partial meltdown of the TMI Unit 2 reactor exposed critical weaknesses in plant design, operator training, and emergency response. The event prompted substantial regulatory and procedural reforms, transforming how nuclear facilities are managed and overseen. This presentation examines the sequence of events, technical failures, human errors, and the enduring impact the accident has had on nuclear safety and public perception of nuclear energy.

Ridhita B. Borhan is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Nuclear Engineering program at Virginia Tech, and has an MS degree in Radiological Sciences and Protection with research focus on radiochemical separations. She is currently working under the supervision of Dr. Celine Hin. Her research focuses on the design and characterization of novel nanoporous high-entropy alloys using molecular dynamics simulations.

Royvi Rafayet is also a first-year Ph.D. student in the Nuclear Engineering program at Virginia Tech, advised by Dr. Celine Hin. His research centers on evaluating the performance of nanoporous high-entropy alloys in high-radiation environments through Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations.