List of civilian nuclear incidents

This article lists notable minor civilian incidents involving nuclear material that did not result in substantial health damage, property damage, or contamination (for those that did see List of civilian nuclear accidents). Military accidents are listed at List of military nuclear accidents. Civil radiation accidents not involving fissile material are listed at List of civilian radiation accidents. For a general discussion of both civilian and military accidents, see Nuclear and radiation accidents.

Scope of this article

In listing minor civilian nuclear incidents, the following criteria have been followed:

1. The event should involve fissile material or a reactor.
2. The incident must be related directly to radioactive material, not merely (for example) at a nuclear power plant.
3. To qualify as "civilian", the nuclear operation/material must be principally for non-military purposes.
4. The event must not qualify for the List of civilian nuclear accidents

See also: List of military nuclear accidents and List of civilian radiation accidents

1960s

• November 1965

• An operator error caused overheating and melting of some fuel in the Experimental Breeder Reactor-1 facility at the National Reacor Testing Station in Idaho. There was no raditaion release or exposure.

1970s

• March 1975 — Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant, AL, United States

• A fire caused by careless technicians cut off many control circuits for two nuclear power reactors of the Tennessee Valley Authority at Browns Ferry Station in Alabama. The fire burned uncontrolled for 7.5 hours and the two operating GE nuclear reactors were at full power when the fire began. One of them went "dangerously out of control" for several hours and was not stabilized until a few hours after the fire was put out. There was some concern about a meltdown, but this did not occur and there was no radioactive contamination.

• March 1977 — Toledo, OH, United States

• An electromatic relief valve stuck open following a reactor scram at the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant near Toldedo, OH. The valve was noticed by operators, and the reactor, manufactured by Babcock & Wilcox, was only slightly damaged.

2000s

• 9 August 2004 — Mihama Nuclear Power Plant, Japan

• An accident occurred in a building housing turbines for the Mihama 3 reactor. Hot water and steam leaking from a broken pipe killed five workers and resulted in six others being injured. Officials insist that there was no radiation leak, and there is no danger to the surrounding area.

See also

• Criticality accident
• International Nuclear Events Scale
• List of Chernobyl-related articles
• List of crimes involving radioactive substances
• List of nuclear reactors · a comprehensive annotated list of the world's nuclear reactors
• Nuclear debate
• Nuclear power
• Nuclear reactor technology
• Radiation