Anti-nuclear groups do not want the community to forget what happened 50 years ago.
On Oct. 5, 1966, a fueling melting incident took place at Edison’s Fermi 1’s fast-breed reactor.
The accident was not known to have released excessive radiation and there were no reports that anyone was injured, according to the Monroe News archives. Yet, the incident was a catalyst for a 50 year debate about nuclear energy.
Instead of being cooled by water, its reactor core was cooled by sodium metal in liquid form. On that day five decades ago, something partially blocked the flow of the cooling metal to the reactor core and caused some of the nuclear fuel to melt.
After a long investigation, Edison officials concluded a metal part which guided the flow of the coolant broke loose and blocked the sodium flow.