Did we really 'almost lose Detroit' in Fermi 1 mishap 50 years ago?
As Michigan and the nation's energy profiles are poised to change dramatically in the coming decade, the 50th anniversary last week of the Fermi 1 nuclear plant mishap in Monroe County — the genesis for the book and song "We Almost Lost Detroit" — is a stark reminder that decisions on how to meet the economy's energy needs are nearly always controversial and may bring unanticipated consequences.
Fermi 1 was the worst nuclear accident at a U.S. commercial power plant in the years before Three Mile Island jolted the nation. There were no injuries or hazardous radiation released, but the incident provided an early argument against nuclear power as too dangerous, including speculation at the time that a crushed beer can in the works had caused the partial meltdown.
The Fermi accident had many of the trappings of a Hollywood drama, including shadowy informants and a purported cover-up. Even then-Vice President Hubert Humphrey was in town at the time of the partial meltdown to dedicate the new Monroe County Public Library.
Experts in the nuclear industry emphasized how Fermi's safety mechanisms worked that afternoon of Oct. 5, 1966, and that the plant'scontainment structure was built to withstand far worse mishaps. Detroit Edison later published its own book titled "We Did Not Almost Lose Detroit."
Read more: http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/10/09/detroit-fermi-accident-nuclear-plant/91434816/