SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE THREE-MILE-ISLAND ACCIDENT AND THE ROLE OF RADIATION RISK PERCEPTION (PREPRINT IBRAE 2017-10)

PreprintIBRAE-2017-10 

Melikhova E.M. 

The paper considers all different social consequences of the Three-Mile-Island accident in comparison with those of non-radiological disasters. It is concluded that one can explain all but one social consequences of the Three-Mile-Island accident by governmental decisions during the acute phase. The consequences of the radiological emergency with a real but not realized threat of radiation fallout did not differ much from those of natural disasters with official calls for evacuation and without any physical damage (“false alarm”). Only development of social relationships in local communities followed the specific scenario of a technogenic accident with “chronic” pollution of the environment. The social tension resulted from polarization of local residents’ opinion on severity of health hazards persisted for decades. Comparison of governmental decisions taken on negligibility low radiation risk with those taken in the case of chronic chemical contamination of urban territories in Love Canal, NY, revealed one crucial difference: the decision makers’ exaggerated fear of potential health hazards from radiation. It is this particular fear that paves the way for long-term negative social tension in local communities, even if radiation risk is much less than socially acceptable risk levels. 

Bibliographical reference

E.M. Melikhova. Social consequences of the Three-Mile-Island accident and the role of radiation risk perception / Preprint IBRAE 2017-10. Moscow: Nuclear Safety Institute, 2017. — 32 p.