Remembering Three Mile Island as Japan's Nuclear Crisis Unfolds

Just about 32 years ago, a cadre of reporters -- myself included -- was trying to explain to a panicked public just what was going on at Three Mile Island.  As I've watched the story of Japan's nuclear crisis unfold, I've been struck by the similiarities to Three Mile Island, earthquake and tsunami aside.  We really don't know what's actually going on inside those plants except that the situation is out of control.  The Kemeny Commission's report on Three Mile Island, issued seven months after the fact, told us just how chaotic the scene was inside the reactor even as utility officials were telling reporters that things were under control.  I can't help but wonder just how close to the tipping point things are inside the Japanese reactors.  The St. Louis Beacon asked me to reflect on my experiences at Three Mile Island.  You can read my account here.