TMI recovery: a unique engineering event

The March 28, 1979, accident at the Three Mile Island Station of Metropolita Edison Company was the start of a unique experience for over 500 Burns and Roe people. The emergency response by Burns and Roe personnel began immediately after the accident with questions answered by phone in minutes, minor redesigns telecopied within hours, and major new systems designed and drawings delivered by courier within days. After the initial problems were solved and the recovery team organized, the Burns and Roe people were primarily involved in the Plant Modifications Group. Plant Modification's first problem was an urgent task request on April 5 by the Waste Management Group for a backup filter system to be installed within days. The urgency necessitated locating completed equipment from manufacturers or nuclear power plants under construction. By April 25 the system was complete enough to run two fans; by May 4 it was in operation filtering radioiodine from the ventilation exhaust from the crippled plant. In less than a month a multi-million dollar facility had been engineered, constructed and put into operation