Revisiting Three Mile Island

For decades the Nuclear Industry has insisted that the accident at Three Mile Island, though terrifying, had no major effect on the health of Americans who lived nearby. The radiation was mostly contained, they insisted, and exposure to limited doses of radiation does not necessarily cause harm. New research out of Penn State University is challenging that claim.

The study, peer-reviewed and accepted with distinction, studied molecular changes in the bodies of people exposed to radiation after the facility had a meltdown in 1978. The findings were sobering. The individuals tested suffered a higher incidence of thyroid cancer, and the molecular changes responsible for cancer might be traceable back to radiation exposure.

This is not completely surprising. Since Marie Curie and Hiroshima, exposure to sufficient amounts of radiation has been shown to cause changes to the human body. Many of these changes occur at the molecular level but eventually manifest themselves as cancers. No clear safe range of radiation exposure has been consistently determined in these situations.

The Nuclear Industry will certainly attempt to obfuscate the significance of these findings. For nearly forty years Three Mile Island has been used as an example of how an accident can be contained and health risks can be limited. But as with exposure to other dangerous substances, such as tobacco smoke and asbestos, it becomes more and more difficult to deny the long-term health implications as more and more people suffer negative outcomes.

If you or someone you love has been injured by exposure to dangerous pollutants, the person or company responsible for that exposure should be held accountable. Only be holding businesses responsible for their dangerous policies can we hope to put an end to those policies. Contact an experienced attorney to have your case evaluated.