The NRC's on-site response to the Three Mile Island accident

Early evaluation of the Three Mile Island accident pointed to a need for significant technical and logistic resources that the utility alone could not supply. It is unlikely that any utility in the US could have provided all these resources. During the accident it became clear that the NRC (United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission) would have to go beyond its traditional licensing and inspection role and assume more of a participatory role to meet the needs of public health and safety. The need for NRC staff to work closely with the licensee as technical consultants and to be involved in each step of the post-accident facility operation has provided the rationale for some of the requirements now being examined in the course of the NRC's 'Lessons Learned' activities and ongoing investigations. NRC's involvement in the accident pointed out that more planning and a significantly higher level of resources must be developed by both the nuclear industry and the NRC for utilization in the unlikely event of another serious nuclear accident. (author)