Faculty Forum at College Library to Address TMI Plant Accident

A May 7 program entitled "The Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant Accident The First Two Hours" will be the fourth in a series of faculty forums to be presented at the Pennsylvania College of Technology Library.

The program, which will be presented by Thomas E. Ask, assistant professor of HVAC Technology/Mechanical Refrigeration, is free and open to the public. It will be offered from noon to 1 p.m. in the library, located in the Learning Resources Center on the College's main campus in Williamsport.

Twenty-five years ago last month, the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near Harrisburg experienced the most serious accident ever at a commercial nuclear power facility in the United States, leading to a partial meltdown of the Unit 2 reactor core. The accident triggered sweeping changes and prompted the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission to intensify regulatory oversight of the industry.

At the time, CBS Evening News anchorman Walter Cronkite portrayed the accident as "the first step in a nuclear nightmare."

Ask will present the causes of the March 28, 1979, accident and provide insights into the first two hours of the event.

For more information about the Penn College Library, call (570) 327-4523 or visit on the Web.