Former PSH student
h e
Gus W. Smith is a hard-working man. He begins his day at 5 a.m. and
usually works until 6 p.m. He has been with the same employer for almost 19
years. Smith started as an intern while attending Penn State Harrisburg and worked
his way up the ladder.
In fact, he sounds just like most others with a normal job except for one
thing: Smith, 36, works at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant; the site of
the worst nuclear power plant scare in American history.
On March 28, 1979, improper maintenance in the plant’s cooling system
caused the core to overheat. As a result of this partial meltdown, radiation leaked
out into the surrounding
area. This scared area resi
dents, and many evacuated.
The American public was
fearful of nuclear energy
for years to come
Smith started out
as a utility worker for the
plant when he was 18, only
five years after the 1979
accident. Smith said the
accident had little influence
on his desire to work there.
“It was scary to live here at
the time, but it’s something
that we all just got used to,” Smith said. Smith’s family never had a problem with
his job. His mother Nancy Smith also worked at Three Mile Island for several
years.
Smith chose to work at Three Mile Island because of the educational ben
efits the plant provides. The plant paid for his education while he worked his way
through the ranks. He became an engineer at the plant when he graduated in 1998
with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.
Smith’s proudest moment came when he was selected to create and man-
Photo by Steve Standridge
The two main cooling towers at the nuclear power plant on Three Mile Island, which is a couple miles from PSH
ps make
By Steven C. Standridge
Capital Times Staff Reporter
“If any abnormalities
occur in the plant’s every
day processes. Smith’s
team responds immediate
ly. ‘Their job is to be
quick and effective. My
job is to make sure they
have the means to do it,’
Smith said/’
TMI safer
age the “Fix It Now” team. He and
his team have the responsibility to
prevent future accidents from occur
ring. If any abnormalities occur in
the plant’s everyday processes,
Smith’s team responds immediately.
“Their job is to be quick and effec
tive. My job is to make sure they
have the means to do it,” Smith said.
Although Smith feels com
fortable with nuclear energy, many
Americans are still unsure. Smith
said that in the 1980 s, people were
concerned about the safety of
nuclear power, but in the last decade
it has shown to be a viable resource.
Still, the opinion about nuclear
power is split.
Safety became an even
larger issue following the September
11, 2001 attacks on the United
States. Since then, security at Three
Mile Island has increased. Plant GUS Smith, a PSH graduate,
tours have stopped and access to the manages the “Fix It Now” team,
facilities is restricted. Now, the which Works tO prevent future
National Guard keeps constant
watch over the plant. “We are aware
of the risk, but we don’t dwell on
it,” Smith said. Smith hopes to one day be the director of a major department.
Continued learning is also important to him. He would like to go back to
school to earn his masters. “My education at Penn State was very beneficial. It
helped me advance,” Smith said. He plans to just let things fall into place and take
what comes his way.
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