National Reactor Testing Station (SL-1 Reactor)

USA / Idaho / Atomic City /
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Site of the SL-1 experimental reactor, and the site of the first nuclear power plant accident in the US. The SL-1, or Stationary Low-Power Reactor Number One, was a United States Army experimental nuclear power reactor which underwent a steam explosion and meltdown on January 3, 1961, killing its three operators. The direct cause was the improper withdrawal of the central control rod, responsible for absorbing neutrons in the reactor core. The event is the only known fatal reactor accident in the United States.[1][2] The accident released about 80 curies (3.0 TBq) of iodine-131,[3] which was not considered significant due to its location in a remote desert of Idaho. About 1,100 curies (41 TBq) of fission products were released into the atmosphere.[4]
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SL-1
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   43°31'4"N   112°49'25"W

Comments

  • Three deaths were recorded... they were buried in lead coffins because they were so radioactive...
This article was last modified 12 years ago