Documentaries On:
Incident at Browns Ferry
How safe is "safe" nuclear power?
Written, directed and produced by Robert Richter
Written, directed and produced by Robert Richter
"All the elements of an apocalyptic thriller...one of the most important public services on television this year, and it is terrifying."
—Boston Globe
"Particularly provocative, lucid, eye-opening..."
—Christian Science Monitor
—Boston Globe
"Particularly provocative, lucid, eye-opening..."
—Christian Science Monitor
The incident started with a candle flame used to check for nuclear leaks, causing an accidental fire that went out of control.
Three Mile Island shocked the world about nuclear power's potential dangers 30 years ago. If you had seen "Incident at Browns Ferry" you would not have been surprised. The Browns Ferry documentary won a duPont Columbia Broadcast Journalism award (TV"s Pulitzer Prize) despite the nuclear power industry's effort to stop its national telecast in the PBS Nova series.
The Browns Ferry fire led to a near meltdown in what was then the largest nuclear power plant in the US. After the fire was extinguished in this huge technically sophisticated facility, potentially dangerous air leaks were checked with a chicken feather.
As Pres. Obama calls for new safe and clean nuclear power plants and the U.S. licenses new nuclear plants for the first time in 30 years, the questions at the core of Incident at Browns Ferry remain:
How safe is nuclear power? How safe is safe?
In May 2007 the Browns Ferry plant reopened after 22 years of being shut down. A week later it shut again.
57 minutes
Study Areas: Environmental studies, nuclear power, energy, safety, statistical analysis.
Last updated: 2010-07-24