1. Shawn Lonabaugh

2. Background  Nuclear energy first came about it the 1940s during WWII. Nuclear properties had been studied for years prior but came directly to be known due to World War II. The atomic bomb is what really sparked interest in nuclear energy. After it was built, nuclear power plants began to show up as a new kind of energy source. The first power plant being the Obinsk Nuclear Power Plant. Ever since that came to be, other nuclear plants began showing up all over the world. Little did the people building the power plants know that they could go from a source of energy to a horrible disaster. Nuclear disasters soon came to be known and dangerous, with the first being in 1952.

3. Causes  Security Measures Failing.  Lack of attention paid to reactor’s status.  Ignoring how stable the reactor or other parts are.  Loss of the Coolant.  Accidental Removal of uranium rods  Damage to reactor or plant by natural disasters such as tsunamis or earthquakes.  Flaws in the design of the reactors.  Core Explosions.  Leaks of radioactive gas into air.  Explosion fueled by combustible sugar dust.  Mistakes by plant operators.

4. Instances of Nuclear disasters  1952: Dec. 12 Ottawa Canada: Meltdown of Uranium core after accidental removal of 4 control rods.  1953: Love Canal, N.Y.: Waste from Chemical plants ravaged area.  1979: Harrisburg, PA: One of two reactors lost coolant. Uranium core had a partial meltdown, radioactive water and gases were released. Worst reactor accident in US history.  1986:Chernobyl: Explosion and fire in the graphite core spread nuclear materials all over Soviet Union. Worst accident to date.  2011: Fukushima: Explosion in no.1 reactor destroys building. Cooling system failed after a tsunami and an earthquake struck Japan.

5. Chernobyl and Fukushima

6. Sources:  http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001457.ht ml http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001457.ht ml  http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/safety- and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl- accident/ http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/safety- and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl- accident/  http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety- and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Fukushima- Accident/ http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety- and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Fukushima- Accident/  http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Current- and-Future-Generation/Outline-History-of- NUclear-Energy/ http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Current- and-Future-Generation/Outline-History-of- NUclear-Energy/