Three Mile Island’s possible nuclear power restart draws protest

A Harrisburg government reform activist called police Monday morning to inform them of a man trespassing on private property at an entrance to Three-Mile Island, site of the most serious nuclear accident in American history.

After making the call and chatting with the press, Gene Stilp, a longtime activist and a Democratic candidate for the state House 125th district, walked past the bright yellow line separating public grounds from private property in protest of the possible restart of a TMI reactor.

Stilp, who has been arrested for many acts of civil disobedience over the years, moved on to Constellation Energy’s property to the cheers of a small crowd — less than a dozen people, mostly friends and other anti-nuclear advocates — in attendance.

“Go on, Gene,” onlookers egged him on. “Thanks, Gene.”

The event, organized by Stilp and Three Mile Island Alert, was the first in what is expected to be a series of demonstrations against the reopening of Three Mile Island Unit 1.

Unit 1, a decommissioned reactor separate from the 1979 incident that permanently disabled Unit 2, closed down in 2019 when its operational costs became too much to compete against the natural gas industry. Still, one attendee at Monday’s demonstration said he supports the reopening.

Constellation Energy, which purchased Unit 1 in 1999, did not respond late Monday afternoon to a request for comment about the protest.

But in a statement to Reuters news wire the company shared with PennLive, it said, “restarting closed nuclear plants offers another opportunity for the industry to add clean, reliable energy to the grid, as is currently underway at Palisades in Michigan. That effort has sparked discussion about Three Mile Island Unit.”

Mark Rodgers, the company’s spokesman, did not confirm when or how — or even if — the project will move forward. Signs from the state legislature, though, have stirred local attention, including the relaunch of the Pennsylvania Nuclear Energy Caucus last month.

Three Mile Island Unit 2 was on line only five years before a coolant relief valve malfunction led to a partial meltdown of the reactor’s core, exposing up to 2 million Pennsylvania residents to small amounts of radiation.

Studies conducted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Health showed no negative health consequences to those exposed, but residents who remember 1979 feel differently.

Maria Frisby, a former Miss Pennsylvania, was a freshman at Middletown Area High School when the disaster happened and recounts the taste of metal in her mouth and parents rushing to pick their kids up from school. Keith Bentz, a Harrisburg resident, has been taking part in anti-nuclear protests for years.

Both attended the demonstration to protest against the island’s partial reopening, holding signs with the names of friends and locals who died of cancer, even though experts have debated whether the small exposure levels could cause negative health effects.

After more than half an hour, authorities had yet to arrive to address Stilp’s trespassing. Protesters doubted that the police would arrive.

“Don’t feel rejected, Gene. We still love you,” they said.

But others advocate for Unit 1′s restart, hoping to bring new jobs to central Pennsylvania. Joe Gusler, the president of the Central Pennsylvania Building & Construction Trades Council, said Unit 1 should not be cast aside because of Unit 2′s reputation.

“There are people who specifically work nuclear. It would be great for the local economy. There would be people staying in hotels, eating at restaurants,” he said. Gusler attended the protest as a second-generation nuclear worker, but did not engage with the other side.

Former owner Exelon estimated that decommissioning Unit 1 in 2019 would cost more than $1.2 billion. Rodgers declined to confirm how much it would cost to restart the nuclear reactor after five years of dormancy.

Sen. John Kane, D-Chester County, who co-chairs the legislative nuclear energy caucus, said the group first heard of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s potential interest in reopening Three Mile Island in June as part of his energy plan. Kane, a former nuclear worker, said he is excited for the possibility and affirmed that Pennsylvania residents have no reason to worry.

“The most highly skilled people in the entire world build nuclear power plants, and I would assure them not to be concerned about safety issues,” he said.

Shapiro spokesman Manuel Bonder said the governor supports Pennsylvania as an “energy state” and will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure the state’s energy future.

“The Shapiro Administration recognizes the role Pennsylvania’s nuclear generation fleet plays in providing safe, reliable, carbon-free electricity that helps reduce emissions and makes Pennsylvania’s energy economy more competitive,” he said.

“The Governor supports efforts to ensure the reliability of Pennsylvania’s energy grid while protecting and creating energy jobs — and his administration will continue to work with the General Assembly on this proposal to meet the commonwealth’s energy needs.”

Constellation Energy’s employee political action committee spent $33,500 on Pennsylvania legislators and appointed officials so far this year. No money was donated to any of the four Nuclear Energy Caucus co-chairs.

No police showed up Monday, even after Stilp spoke to security and blocked the private bridge used by mail and maintenance trucks. After 45 minutes, Stilp returned to the public side of the line.

“We’ve been across the line for a while now, and apparently, they don’t mind,” he said to his audience, who kept hold of their signs. “We’re declaring victory today.”

The group confirmed it would be back as soon as next week to try again as talks continue on the future of the nuclear plant.