Wanting to find out more I read [1] - startling that 1979 little incident only cost a billion to clean up. [2] From [1] > In 2009, science writer Richard Ma

Wanting to find out more I read [1] - startling that 1979 little incident only cost a billion to clean up. [2] From [1] > In 2009, science writer Richard Martin stated that Weinberg, who was director at Oak Ridge and primarily responsible for the MSRE, lost his job as director because he championed development of thorium reactors.[23] Weinberg himself recalls this period: [Congressman] Chet Holifield was clearly exasperated with me, and he finally blurted out, "Alvin, if you are concerned about the safety of reactors, then I think it may be time for you to leave nuclear energy." I was speechless. But it was apparent to me that my style, my attitude, and my perception of the future were no longer in tune with the powers within the AEC [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium-based_nuclear_power https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium-based_nuclear_power [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_accident https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_accident Edit to add more and for clarity.