Deceased liquidators' portraits used for an anti-nuclear power protest in Geneva
The abandoned city of Pripyat, Ukraine, with the accidental Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the distance

Worldwide, many nuclear accidents and serious incidents have occurred before and since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Two thirds of these mishaps occurred in the US.[1] The French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) has concluded that technical innovation cannot eliminate the risk of human errors in nuclear plant operation.

Nuclear safety

The nuclear power industry has improved the safety and performance of reactors, and has proposed new safer (but generally untested) reactor designs but there is no guarantee that the reactors will be designed, built and operated correctly.[2] Mistakes do occur and the designers of reactors at Fukushima in Japan did not anticipate that a tsunami generated by an unexpected large earthquake would disable the backup systems that were supposed to stabilize the reactor after the earthquake.[3] According to UBS AG, the Fukushima I nuclear accidents have cast doubt on whether even an advanced economy like Japan can master nuclear safety.[4] Catastrophic scenarios involving terrorist attacks are also conceivable.[2] An interdisciplinary team from MIT has estimated that given the expected growth of nuclear power from 2005 to 2055, at least four serious nuclear accidents would be expected in that period.[1][5]

Overview

Globally, there have been at least 99 (civilian and military) recorded nuclear power plant accidents from 1952 to 2009 (defined as incidents that either resulted in the loss of human life or more than US$50,000 of property damage, the amount the US federal government uses to define nuclear energy accidents that must be reported), totaling US$20.5 billion in property damages. Property damage costs include destruction of property, emergency response, environmental remediation, evacuation, lost product, fines, and court claims.[6] Because nuclear power plants are large and complex, accidents on site tend to be relatively expensive.[7]

The 1979 Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania was caused by a series of failures in secondary systems at the reactor, which allowed radioactive steam to escape and resulted in the partial core meltdown of one of two reactors at the site, making it the most significant accident in U.S. history.[8]

The world's worst nuclear accident has been the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union, one of two accidents that has been rated as a level 7 (the highest) event on the International Nuclear Event Scale.[9] Note that the Chernobyl disaster may have scored an 8 or 9, if the scale continued. The accident occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant after an unsafe systems test led to a series of steam explosions that destroyed reactor number four. The plume spread in the near distance primarily over Belarus and after that covered extensive portions of Europe with traces of radioactivity, leaving reindeer in Northern Europe and sheep in portions of England unfit for human consumption. A 30 kilometres (19 mi) "Zone of alienation" has been formed around the reactor.[10]

At least 57 accidents and severe incidents have occurred since the Chernobyl disaster, and over 56 severe incidents have occurred in the USA. Relatively few accidents have involved fatalities, with roughly 74 casualties being attributed to accidents and half of these were those involved in the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.[6]

Belgium

This list is incomplete but there are no known fatalities in Belgium. See the Laka Foundation's list of recent nuclear and radiological incidents in Belgium from which this table is (partially derived).[11]

Nuclear power accidents in Belgium[11]
DateLocationDescriptionFatalitiesCost
(in millions
2006 US$)
INES
rating
2002 Tihange, Belgium "Safety injection during hot shutdown at Tihange 2 unit".[12][13] 0 2
2005 Tihange, Belgium "Inadequate protection relays and related setpoints".[14][11] 0 2
2006 Fleurus, Belgium "Severe health effects for a worker at a commercial irradiation facility as a result of high doses of radiation" at Sterigenics.[15] 0 4
2008 Fleurus, Belgium Iodine-131 release in the environment.[16] 0 3
2011 Doel, Belgium "Inadequate setting of the auxiliary feedwater turbopump".[17] 0 2

Canada

Nuclear power accidents in Canada[18][19]
DateLocationDescriptionFatalitiesCost
(in millions
2006 US$)
INES
rating
December 12, 1952CRL, Ontario, CanadaThe NRX accident. A hydrogen explosion occurred in the reactor core due to a cascade of malfunctions and operator errors. The world's first major nuclear reactor accident.[20]0See NRX accident 5[21][22]
May 24, 1958CRL, Ontario, CanadaThe NRU accident. A fuel rod caught fire and broke when removed, then dispersed fission products and alpha-emitting particles in the reactor building.0See NRU accident.
November 1978WR-1 Reactor at Pinawa, Manitoba, CanadaLOCA loss of coolant accident. 2,739 litres of coolant oil leaked, most of it into the Winnipeg River. The repair took several weeks for workers to complete.[23] 0Unknown
August 1, 1983Pickering nuclear Reactor 2, Pickering, Ontario, CanadaLOCA loss of coolant accident. Pressure tube, that holds the fuel bundles, ruptured due to hydriding. All four reactors re-tubed with new materials (Zr-2.5%Nb) over ten years.[24]01 billion Canadian dollars (1983-1993).[25]
March 1986Bruce nuclear Reactor 2, Bruce County, Ontario, CanadaLOCA Loss of coolant accident. Pressure tube rupture during pressurizing test (reactor shut down). Pressure tube holds the fuel bundles.[26]0Unknown
August 2, 1992Pickering nuclear Reactor 1, Pickering, Ontario, CanadaA Heavy water leak of 2300 trillion becquerels of radioactive tritium into Lake Ontario, resulting in increased levels of tritium in Toronto drinking water .[27]0Unknown.
December 10, 1994Pickering nuclear Reactor 2, Pickering, Ontario, CanadaLOCA loss of coolant accident. A spill of 185 tonnes of heavy water. The Emergency Core Cooling System was used to prevent a meltdown.[28]0Unknown. 2[29]
June 11, 2002Bruce nuclear Reactor 6, Bruce B station. Bruce County, Ontario, CanadaPressure tube and calandria tube damage during a channel maintenance procedure, required replacement of the two tubes.[26]0Unknown 0[29]
December 21, 2009Darlington nuclear station. Clarington, Ontario, CanadaAround 200,000 litres of water with trace amounts of radioactive isotope tritium coming from a storage tank mistakenly were released by workers into Lake Ontario, representing 0.1% of the monthly allowed amounts of tritium for this power plant.[30][31]0Unknown.
March 14, 2011Pickering nuclear Plant A Pickering, Ontario, CanadaA leak of 73 cubic metres (73,000 litres) of demineralized water into Lake Ontario from a failed pump seal. There was negligible risk to the public according to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.[32][33]0Unknown.

France

Nuclear power accidents in France[7][34]
DateLocationDescriptionFatalitiesCost
(in millions
2006 US$)
INES
rating
17 Oct 1969Loir-et-Cher, France50 kg of uranium dioxide melted inside of the A1 nuclear reactor of Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux, during a refueling operation0Unknown (likely far less than the 13 Mar 1980 accident)4
25 Jul 1979Saclay, FranceRadioactive fluids escaped into drains designed for ordinary wastes, seeping into the local watershed at the Saclay BL3 Reactor05
13 Mar 1980Loir-et-Cher, FranceA malfunctioning cooling system fused fuel elements together at the Saint Laurent A2 reactor, melting two fuel assemblies and forcing an extended shutdown0224
14 Apr 1984Bugey, FranceElectrical cables failed at the command center of the Bugey Nuclear Power Plant and forced a complete shutdown of one reactor02
21 May 1986Normandy, FrancePipe maintenance at the fuel reprocessing plant at La Hague released a radioactive solution to which three welders and two plant workers were exposed.[35]05
27 Dec 1999Blayais, FranceAn unexpectedly strong storm flooded the Blayais Nuclear Power Plant, forcing an emergency shutdown after injection pumps and containment safety systems failed from water damage0552
21 Jan 2002Manche, FranceControl systems and safety valves failed after improper installation of condensers, forcing a two-month shutdown0102
16 May 2004Cattenom-2, Lorraine, FranceSub-standard electrical cable trays at the Cattenom-2 nuclear reactor caused a fire in an electricity tunnel, damaging many safety system cables [36]0121
13 Jul 2008Tricastin, FranceThousands of litres (thirty cubic meters[37]) of wastewater contaminated with uranium were accidentally poured on the ground and runoff into a nearby river071
9 Aug 2009Gravelines, FranceAssembly system failed to properly eject spent fuel rods from the Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant, causing the fuel rods to jam and the defueling operation to be suspended021
5 Apr 2012Penly, FranceFire on a primary pump of the second reactor, followed by a small radioactive leak into the containment0 ?1
2017France, generic20 reactors of the 1300 MW-class with seismic weaknesses on their emergency diesel generators0 ?2

Germany

Nuclear power accidents in Germany[7][34]
DateLocationDescriptionFatalitiesCost
(in millions
2006 US$ million)
INES
1975Greifswald, East GermanyA near core meltdown at Greifswald Nuclear Power Plant: Three out of six cooling water pumps were switched off for a failed test. A fourth pump broke down by loss of electric power and control of the reactor was lost. 10 fuel elements were slightly damaged before recovery0 ?3
4 May 1986Hamm-Uentrop, GermanyOperator actions to dislodge damaged fuel elements at the Thorium high-temperature reactor released radioactivity to 4 km2 surrounding the facility0267 ?
17 Dec 1987Hessen, GermanyStop valve failed for a moment at Biblis Nuclear Power Plant; contamination of local area in the reactor building013

India

Nuclear power accidents in India[38][7][39]
DateLocationDescriptionFatalitiesCost
(in millions
2006 US$)
4 May 1987Kalpakkam, IndiaFast Breeder Test Reactor at Kalpakkam refuelling accident that ruptures the reactor core, resulting in a two-year shutdown0300
10 Sep 1989Tarapur, Maharashtra, IndiaOperators at the Tarapur Atomic Power Station find that the reactor had been leaking radioactive iodine at more than 700 times normal levels. Repairs to the reactor take more than a year078
13 May 1992Tarapur, Maharashtra, IndiaA malfunctioning tube causes the Tarapur Atomic Power Station to release 12 curies of radioactivity02
31 Mar 1993Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaThe Narora Atomic Power Station suffers a fire at two of its steam turbine blades, damaging the heavy water reactor and almost leading to a meltdown0220
2 Feb 1995Kota, Rajasthan, IndiaThe Rajasthan Atomic Power Station leaks radioactive helium and heavy water into the Rana Pratap Sagar River, necessitating a two-year shutdown for repairs0280
22 Oct 2002Kalpakkam, IndiaAlmost 100 kg radioactive sodium at the fast breeder reactor leaks into a purification cabin, ruining a number of valves and operating systems030

Japan

Nuclear power accidents in Japan
DateLocationDescriptionFatalitiesCost
(in millions
2006 US$)
INES
rating
8 Jan 1975 Mihama, Japan Radioactivity released from Mihama nuclear power plant.[40] 0
2 Nov 1978Fukushima No I, JapanJapan's first criticality accident at No 3 reactor, this accident was hidden for 29 years and reported on 22 Mar 20070
2 Apr 1979 Tokaimura, Japan Two workers suffer radioactive contamination at the Tokaimura complex.[40] 0
24–28 Jan 1981 Tsuruga, Japan 29 workers were exposed to radiation.[41] 0
8 Mar 1981 Tsuruga, Japan 56 workers were exposed to about 45 tonnes of radioactive waste which spilled from storage tanks at the Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant. The waste was cleaned up with buckets and mops,[42][43] and was also discharged into Tsuruga Bay via the town sewer.[41] At the time, the plant had recorded 30 malfunctions since it was commissioned in 1970.[44] 0
31 Aug 1985 Fukushima, Japan Fire at Fukushima nuclear power plant during routine shutdown.[40] 0
23 Jun 1986 Tokaimura, Japan Twelve people suffer "slight" plutonium contamination while inspecting a storeroom.[40] 0
8 Feb 1991 Fukui, Japan Radioactivity was released from Mihama nuclear power plant after an emergency release valve failed.[40] Officials said the release "did not pose a threat to humans or the environment."[45] 0
22 Feb 1993 Fukushima, Japan High-pressure steam accident kills one worker and injures two others.[40] 1
December 1995Tsuruga, JapanThe fast breeder Monju Nuclear Power Plant sodium leak.[42] State-run operator Donen was found to have concealed videotape footage that showed extensive damage to the reactor.[46]0
11 March 1997Tokaimura, JapanThe Tokaimura nuclear reprocessing plant fire and explosion. 37 workers were exposed to low doses of radiation. Donen later acknowledged it had initially suppressed information about the fire.[42][46]0
18 Jun 1999Shika, JapanWrong handling of some control rods set off an uncontrolled nuclear reaction.[42]02
30 Sept 1999Tokaimura, JapanThe criticality accident at the Tokai fuel fabrication facility.[42] Hundreds of people were exposed to radiation and two workers later died. This is not a nuclear power plant accident, however.[46]24
2002Onagawa, JapanTwo workers were exposed to a small amount of radiation and suffered minor burns during a fire.[46]0
9 Aug 2004Mihama, JapanA main piping burst in the turbine building of the Mihama-3 station and killed persons present there; the subsequent investigation revealed a serious lack in systematic inspection in Japanese nuclear plants, which led to a massive inspection program.[47]51
2006Fukushima No1, JapanA small amount of radioactive steam was released at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant and it escaped the compound.[46]0
16 Jul 2007Kashiwazaki, JapanA severe earthquake (measuring 6.8 on the Richter magnitude scale) hit the region where Tokyo Electric's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant is located and radioactive water spilled into the Sea of Japan; as of March 2009, all of the reactors remained shut down for damage verification and repairs. The plant with seven units is the largest single nuclear power station in the world, which now again is shut down due to the Fukushima accident.[47]01
Dec 2009Hamaoka, JapanLeakage accident of radioactive water. 34 workers were exposed to radiation0
Mar 2011Fukushima Dai-ichi, JapanThe world's second INES 7 accident. A magnitude 9.0 earthquake and associated tsunami triggered cooling problems at Fukushima 1 & 2 stations with several reactors. Loss of coolant resulted in meltdowns in three units and hydrogen explosions caused their structural damage. Radioactive steam was released into the atmosphere, and highly radioactive water spilled into the ocean through utility trenches. Some immediate injuries resulted. 117 workers received committed effective doses above 100 mSv, and 6 workers received doses above the emergency dose limit of 250 mSv.[48]2+;[49] further near 573 died from indirect causes[50]1,200 - 2,1007
6 June 2017 Ibaraki Prefecture The incident occurred at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency's Oarai Research and Development Center, after a bag containing radioactive material tore open while a check on radioactive storage inside a "controlled" room was performed. It resulted in internal radiation exposure in five workers, with one of them inhaling plutonium. However, no radiation was detected in the external environment.[51][52] 0

Pakistan

Nuclear power accidents in Pakistan[53]
DateLocationDescriptionFatalitiesCost
(in millions
2006 US$)
18 October 2011Karachi, PakistanThe KANUPP Karachi nuclear power plant imposed a seven-hour emergency after heavy water leaked from a feeder pipe to the reactor. The leakage took place during a routine maintenance shut down, and the emergency was lifted seven hours later, after the affected area was isolated.[53]0N/A

Russia

Nuclear power accidents in the Russian Federation
DateLocationDescriptionFatalitiesCost
(in millions
2006 US$)
INES
1957Mayak reprocessing plant, Ural-regionKyshtym disaster: Explosion in a waste tank of the plant with a massive radioactive cloud, deteriorating deeply the health of the region's populationThe accident caused nearly 200 late cancer fatalities[54] ?6
1975 Leningrad, Soviet union Reactor 1 of the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant suffered core damage which released radioactivity.0 ?4
1992 Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation An RBMK reactor of the Leningrad NPP released radioactivity which traveled over north-eastern Europe. Russian officials declared that they saw no immediate danger posed by the event.[55]0 ?2
1997Saint Petersburg, Russian FederationWorker Sergei Kharitonov revealed photographs of cracked walls and groundwater seepage at a nuclear power plant waste storage facility. He also revealed that the plant has been dumping 300 litres of contaminated water into the Gulf of Finland annually "for years".[55]0N/A
April 1998 Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation An RBMK reactor was shut down following the discovery of a radiation leak.[55]
Autumn 2017 Ural-region, Russian Federation Roshydromet had issued report stated rise in beta activity of aerosoles and surfaces at all monitoring posts in South Ural from 25th Sep to 1 Oct 2017. In two aerosol samples Ru-106 activity increase was detected. At 26th and 27th Sep Ru-106 decay products was detected in Tatarstan republic. At 27th and 28th Sep high pollution levels of aerosoles and surfaces was detected in Volgograd and Rostov-on-Don. In two aerosol samples from Chelyabinsk Oblast 986- and 440-fold activity increase was measured comparing to preceding month[56] The Mayak nuclear plant is widely suspected as the source of the radiation.[57]
August 2019 Arkhangelsk region On August 9, 2019 an explosion triggered radiation levels to rise near Nyonoksa, which was later confirmed by Russia's nuclear energy agency as an accident while testing an isotope power source for a liquid-fuelled rocket engine. Five nuclear scientists had died and three suffered from burns. Russian authorities ordered the evacuation of the village nearing the blast site, suggesting grave dangers due to nuclear radiation.[58] 5

South Korea

Nuclear power accidents in South Korea[59]
DateLocationDescriptionFatalitiesCost
(in millions
2006 US$)
4 October 1999Wolsung, South Korea22 workers employed by the Korea Electric Power Corp were exposed to radioactive liquid and gas at the Wolsung-3 reactor. Two workers were initially exposed when approximately 12 gallons of heavy water leaked during pipe maintenance. A further 20 workers were exposed during clean-up operations.[59]

Serbia

Nuclear power accidents in Serbia[60]
DateLocationDescriptionFatalitiesCostINES
October 1958Vinca, Serbia6 Workers were exposed to high doses of radiation while taking out nuclear fuel rods out of the prototype nuclear reactor.1 ?3

Switzerland

Nuclear power accidents in Switzerland
DateLocationDescriptionFatalitiesCostINES
January 1969Lucens, SwitzerlandMelting of a fuel element of the protoptype power reactor (6 Megawatts el.) VAK Lucens0 ?4

Sweden

DateLocationDescriptionFatalitiesCostINES
May 2011Varberg, SwedenA left behind wet vacuum cleaner in reactor 2 of the Ringhals NPP caught fire during a test pressurization of the reactor. The reactor had to be shut down for six months for cleaning. [61]0SEK 1.8 billion (estimated)

Taiwan

Nuclear power accidents in Taiwan
DateLocationDescriptionFatalitiesCostINES
March 2001Maanshan, South Taiwan2-hour-Station Blackout in one of the two units of Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant due to a grounding fault (Common cause failure) to the two available emergency diesel buses0 ?3

Ukraine

Nuclear power accidents in Ukraine[7][34]
DateLocationDescriptionFatalitiesCost
(in millions
2006 US$)
INES
26 Apr 1986Pripyat, Ukraine, USSRSteam explosion and meltdown (see Chernobyl disaster) necessitating the evacuation of 300,000 people from the region and dispersing radioactive material across Europe (see Effects of the Chernobyl disaster)Around 50 directly (radiation sickness), eventually as many as 4000 (mainly cancers)[62]67007
October 1999 Pripyat, Ukraine Metal structures broke, causing a gamma ray source to fall out of its container and expose two workers to "high" levels of radiation. The reactor was subsequently shut down until November.[55]

United Kingdom

Nuclear accidents in the UK[7][34]
DateLocationDescriptionVictimsCost
(in millions
2006 US$)
INES
rating
Spring, 1957 Windscale (now Sellafield), UK Radioactivity release from a military reactor contaminated about 800 farms and introduced strontium 90 to domestic milk supply. Milk was sold to the public without any warnings.[63]
8 Oct 1957 Sellafield, UK Fire ignited plutonium piles of a military reactor, contaminating surrounding dairy farms with radioactive releases of mainly iodine and in lesser amounts cesium and strontium.[63][64] The two accidents of 1957 caused around 240 cancers[65] 78 5
May 1967Scotland, United Kingdom Melting of fuel element at Dumfries and Galloway. Graphite debris partially blocked a fuel channel causing a fuel element to melt and catch fire at the Chapelcross nuclear power station. Contamination was confined to the reactor core. The core was repaired and restarted in 1969, operating until the plant's shutdown in 2004.[66][67]
May 1977 Dounreay, Scotland, UK A hydrogen explosion at the plant caused by a reaction of potassium and sodium. This furthermore resulted in a concrete slab being destroyed, and the debris being scattered around the facility.[68]
Sep 1996 Dounreay, Scotland, UK A fuel reprocessing plant was shut down after elevated radiation levels were detected in waste-water discharged to the sea.[69]
Feb 1998 Sellafield, UK Two workers were exposed to elevated levels of radiation when the containment properties of a bag containing a contaminated filter were compromised. The workers were moved to duties elsewhere in the plant to limit their doses.[70]
9 May 2005 Sellafield, UK 82,966 litres of radioactive liquor made up of nitric acid containing 20 metric tonnes of dissolved uranium and 160 kilograms of plutonium leaked via a fractured pipe from primary to secondary containment within the THORP nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. 0 65 3[71]
July until November and further on 2019/2020 Sellafield, UK Loss of radioactive liquor into the ground from the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS) which contains irradiated magnesium cladding materials from the UK's Magnox reactor fleet. The levels of activity contained in the lost liquor surpassed regulatory limits. Terrain remediation works will be undertaken when the facility is decommissioned. [72] 0  ? 2

United States

Nuclear power accidents in USA
DateLocationDescriptionFatalitiesCost
(in millions
2006 US$)
INES
November 29, 1955Idaho Falls, Idaho, USAPower excursion with partial core meltdown at National Reactor Testing Station's EBR-1 Experimental Breeder Reactor I05
July 26, 1959Simi Valley, California, USAPartial core meltdown at Santa Susana Field Laboratory’s Sodium Reactor Experiment032
January 3, 1961Idaho Falls, Idaho, USAExplosion at National Reactor Testing Station's SL-1 Stationary Low-Power Reactor Number One3224
October 5, 1966Monroe, Michigan, USASodium cooling system malfunctions at Enrico Fermi demonstration breeder reactor causing some fuel elements to melt0194
August 11, 1973Palisades, Michigan, USASteam generator leak causes manual shutdown of pressurized water reactor010
March 22, 1975Browns Ferry, Alabama, USAFire burns for seven hours and damages more than 1600 control cables for one of the three nuclear reactors at Browns Ferry, disabling core cooling systems02403
November 5, 1975Brownsville, Nebraska, USAHydrogen gas explosion damages the Cooper Nuclear Station’s auxiliary building013
June 10, 1977Waterford, Connecticut, USAHydrogen gas explosion damages three buildings and forces shutdown of Millstone-1 Boiling Water Reactor015
February 4, 1979Surry, Virginia, USASurry Unit 2 shut down in response to failing tube bundles in steam generators012
March 28, 1979Middletown, Pennsylvania, USALoss of coolant and partial core meltdown, see Three Mile Island accident and Three Mile Island accident health effects02,4005
October 17, 1981Buchanan, New York, USA100,000 gallons of Hudson River water leaked into the Indian Point Energy Center Unit 2 containment building from the fan cooling unit, undetected by a safety device designed to detect hot water. The flooding, covering the first 9 feet of the reactor vessel, was discovered when technicians entered the building. Two pumps which should have removed the water were found to be inoperative. NRC proposed a $210,000 fine for the incident.[73]0
January 25, 1982Rochester, New York, USASteam generator-leak at the Ginna Nuclear Generating Station causes extensive injection of the high pressure emergency core cooling system0 ?
March 20, 1982Lycoming, New York, USARecirculation system piping fails at Nine Mile Point Unit 1, forcing two year shutdown045
March 25, 1982Buchanan, New York, USADamage to steam generator tubes and main generator resulting in a shut down Indian Point Energy Center Unit 3 for more than a year056
June 18, 1982Senaca, South Carolina, USAFeedwater heat extraction line fails at Oconee 2 Pressurised Water Reactor, damaging thermal cooling system010
February 12, 1983Forked River, New Jersey, USAOyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant fails safety inspection, forced to shut down for repairs032
February 26, 1983Fort Pierce, Florida, USADamaged thermal shield and core barrel support at St Lucie Unit 1, necessitating 13-month shutdown054
September 15, 1984Athens, Alabama, USASafety violations, operator error, and design problems force six year outage at Browns Ferry Unit 20110
March 9, 1985Athens, Alabama, USAInstrumentation systems malfunction during start-up, which led to suspension of operations at all three Browns Ferry Units01,830
April 11, 1986Plymouth, Massachusetts, USARecurring equipment problems force emergency shutdown of Boston Edison's Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant01,001
1986Surry, Virginia, USABroken Feedwater pipe at Surry Nuclear Power Plant kills 44 ?
March 31, 1987Delta, Pennsylvania, USAPeach Bottom units 2 and 3 shutdown due to cooling malfunctions and unexplained equipment problems0400
December 19, 1987Lycoming, New York, USAMalfunctions force Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation to shut down Nine Mile Point Unit 10150
September 10, 1988Surry, Virginia, USARefuelling cavity seal fails and destroys internal pipe system at Surry Unit 2, forcing 12-month outage09
March 5, 1989Tonopah, Arizona, USAAtmospheric dump valves fail at Palo Verde Unit 1, leading to main transformer fire and emergency shutdown014
March 17, 1989Lusby, Maryland, USAInspections at Calvert Cliff Units 1 and 2 reveal cracks at pressurized heater sleeves, forcing extended shutdowns0120
November 17, 1991Scriba, New York, USASafety and fire problems force shut down of the FitzPatrick nuclear reactor for 13 months05
April 21, 1992Southport, North Carolina, USANRC forces shut down of Brunswick Units 1 and 2 after emergency diesel generators fail02
February 3, 1993Bay City, Texas, USAAuxiliary feed-water pumps fail at South Texas Project Units 1 and 2, prompting rapid shutdown of both reactors03
February 27, 1993Buchanan, New York, USANew York Power Authority shuts down Indian Point Energy Center Unit 3 after AMSAC system fails02
March 2, 1993Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, USAEquipment failures and broken pipes cause shut down of Sequoyah Unit 103
December 25, 1993Newport, Michigan, USAShut down of Fermi Unit 2 after main turbine experienced major failure due to improper maintenance067
14 January 1995Wiscasset, Maine, USASteam generator tubes unexpectedly crack at Maine Yankee nuclear reactor; shut down of the facility for a year062
May 16, 1995Salem, New Jersey, USAVentilation systems fail at Salem Units 1 and 2034
February 20, 1996Connecticut, USALeaking valve forces shutdown Millstone Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 2, multiple equipment failures found0254
September 2, 1996Crystal River, Florida, USABalance-of-plant equipment malfunction forces shutdown and extensive repairs at Crystal River Unit 30384
September 5, 1996Clinton, Illinois, USAReactor recirculation pump fails, prompting shut down of Clinton boiling water reactor038
September 20, 1996Senaca, Illinois, USAService water system fails and results in closure of LaSalle Units 1 and 2 for more than 2 years071
September 9, 1997Bridgman, Michigan, USAIce condenser containment systems fail at Cook Units 1 and 2011
May 25, 1999Waterford, Connecticut, USASteam leak in feed-water heater causes manual shutdown and damage to control board annunciator at the Millstone Nuclear Power Plant07
September 29, 1999Lower Alloways Creek, New Jersey, USAMajor Freon leak at Hope Creek Nuclear Facility causes ventilation train chiller to trip, releasing toxic gas and damaging the cooling system02
February 16, 2002Oak Harbor, Ohio, USASevere corrosion of control rod drives in the reactor head forces 24-month outage of Davis-Besse reactor0143
January 15, 2003Bridgman, Michigan, USAA fault in the main transformer at the Donald C. Cook nuclear power plant causes a fire that damages the main generator and back-up turbines010
June 16, 2005Braidwood, Illinois, USAExelon's Braidwood Nuclear Generating Station leaks tritium and contaminates local water supplies041
August 4, 2005Buchanan, New York, USAEntergy's Indian Point Energy Center Nuclear Plant leaks tritium and strontium into underground lakes from 1974 to 200530
March 6, 2006Erwin, Tennessee, USANuclear fuel services plant spills 35 litres of highly enriched uranium, necessitating 7-month shutdown 098
November 21, 2009 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA Twelve workers were contaminated after radioactive dust was mobilized at the Three Mile Island plant during pipe maintenance works.[74] 0
January 7, 2010Buchanan, New York, USANRC inspectors reported that an estimated 600,000 gallons of mildly radioactive steam was intentionally vented after an automatic shutdown of Indian Point Energy Center Unit 2. The levels of tritium in the steam were below those allowable by NRC safety standards.[75]00
February 1, 2010Vernon, Vermont, USADeteriorating underground pipes from the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant leak radioactive tritium into groundwater supplies0700
August 2011Louisa county, Virginia, USAA 5.8-earthquake in the region caused the loss of offsite power at the North Anna Nuclear Generating Station. Later in the incident, the plant lost an emergency diesel generator, leading to the activation of the so-called SBO diesel generator - an emergency situation.0 ?2
March 13, 2013Russellville, Arkansas, USATemporary overhead crane collapsed at Arkansas Nuclear One's Unit 1[76]1 ?
January 2014St. Lucie, Florida, USAFlooding of the auxiliary building of the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant, caused by lacking proper flood barriers[77]0 ?
July 2016Michigan, USAMassive steam leak in the turbine building of Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant, unit 20 ?
December 2019Nebraska, USAOne of the two safety related component cooling systems of Cooper Nuclear Station was unable to operate, because its service water system, that takes water from the river, was plugged with silt.[78]0 ?

See also

References

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