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PREFACE

THE ACCIDENT

At 4:00 a.m. on March 28, 1979, a serious accident occurred at the Three Mile Island 2 nuclear power plant near Middletown, Pennsylvania The accident was initiated by mechanical malfunctions in the plant and made much worse by a combination of human errors in responding to it, (For details see "Account of the Accident" within this volume.) During the next 4 days, the extent and gravity of the accident was unclear to the managers of the plant, to federal and state officials, and to the general public. What is quite clear is that its impact, nationally and internationally, has raised serious concerns about the safety of nuclear power. This Commission was established in response to those concerns.