What if this Missouri Nuke Plant Melted Down? It'll Be Fine

I like to watch disaster movies. I should probably share that before I dive into a subject I've always wondered about. What would happen if the nuclear power plant in Missouri had a catastrophic failure? There isn't as much to worry about as the Hollywood movies would have you imagine.

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First of all, the nuclear power plant I'm talking about is the Callaway Nuclear Generator near Fulton, Missouri that began operation back in 1984 when Reagan was president. Wikipedia says that this Missouri nuke plant hasn't been without issues saying the "plant experienced three unplanned shutdowns during the last three quarters of 2020". That will help us all sleep better at night, right?

I find it comforting that Ameren's website says Callaway's nuclear generator is "safe, clean and affordable". The United States Nuclear Regulatory Committee agrees. But, what if it wasn't?

What is a nuclear meltdown anyway?

In the simplest terms, Wikipedia says a nuclear meltdown at a plant like the one near Fulton, Missouri is a serious accident causing overheating of the core. Science Direct says that even in a worst-case scenario, it likely wouldn't be as bad as The China Syndrome made it out to be. They say "most of the gaseous and particulate radioactivity that might be released would be discharged into the ground which acts as an efficient filter, thus significantly reducing the radioactivity released to the above-ground environment". So not great, but not end of the world stuff either. Good to know.

William Woods University has some guidelines about what would happen if a serious accident happened at Callaway Nuclear Generator. They say that the following things would occur:

The public would be notified by Missouri radio, television and internet media
You would be directed to shelter in place until the crisis is managed

In an extreme scenario, evacuations would be directed where the public would be directed to these care centers:

Hearnes Multi-Purpose Building at the University of Missouri – Columbia, MO
Jason Gym and Soldier's Hall on Lincoln University Campus – Jefferson City, MO
Montgomery County R-II High School – Montgomery City
Hermann Senior High School – Hermann, MO

They say that evacuations involving nuclear accidents are rare, but if a serious emergency did happen, the emergency activation system would be utilized.

Look at it this way. The Callaway Nuclear Plant has been safely operating since 1984. While it's good to know what might happen if something goes terribly wrong, this is nothing to lose sleep about.