Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station is located on an island in the Susquehanna River near Middletown, Pennsylvania. The site is best known for the 1979 partial meltdown of Unit 2, the most significant nuclear accident in U.S. history.
Last verified: 2026-03-09Three Mile Island Unit 1 began commercial operation in 1974, and Unit 2 followed in 1978. Both units were constructed with extensive asbestos-containing insulation and fireproofing materials. The 1979 accident at Unit 2 created a massive cleanup effort lasting over a decade, during which thousands of workers were brought in for decontamination and repair work. Unit 1 continued operating until 2019, exposing additional generations of workers to asbestos during maintenance.
Workers at Three Mile Island encountered asbestos in pipe insulation, gaskets, turbine wrapping, and fireproofing throughout both nuclear units. The post-accident cleanup of Unit 2, which lasted from 1979 to 1993, exposed thousands of cleanup workers to disturbed asbestos as they demolished and removed contaminated components. During routine maintenance on Unit 1, workers regularly stripped and replaced asbestos insulation on pipes, valves, and equipment in confined spaces.
The following job categories at Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station had the highest risk of asbestos exposure:
Former Three Mile Island workers, including both regular employees and cleanup contractors, have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. The extensive post-accident cleanup created uniquely high exposure conditions as asbestos-containing materials were disturbed and removed throughout Unit 2. Workers who handled insulation materials without adequate respiratory protection are at the highest risk for developing mesothelioma decades after their exposure.
Health information is based on established medical research on asbestos exposure. Asbestos is classified as a known human carcinogen by the National Cancer Institute, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Consult a physician for medical advice specific to your situation.
Workers exposed to asbestos at Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station may be entitled to compensation through asbestos trust funds, personal injury lawsuits, or veterans benefits. Mesothelioma patients and their families have recovered billions in compensation from companies that manufactured or used asbestos products.
3 asbestos trust funds have been identified as potentially related to exposure at this site. Many mesothelioma patients qualify to file claims with multiple trusts simultaneously.
Find Out If You QualifyWorkers who were employed at Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station between 1960s–1980s may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials. If you've been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may have legal options including trust fund claims and lawsuits.
Workers exposed to asbestos at Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station may be eligible to file claims with the following trust funds:
If you were exposed to asbestos at Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, these specialized treatment centers in Pennsylvania may be able to help.
Yes. Both Unit 1 and Unit 2 at Three Mile Island were constructed with extensive asbestos-containing materials, including pipe insulation, gaskets, fireproofing, and turbine insulation.
Yes. The cleanup and decontamination of Unit 2, which lasted over a decade, required thousands of workers to operate in areas where asbestos-containing materials had been damaged and disturbed by the accident, creating heightened exposure conditions.
Yes. Workers who developed mesothelioma, asbestosis, or lung cancer after working at Three Mile Island may file claims through asbestos trust funds or pursue legal action against the manufacturers of asbestos products used at the facility.
No. Missing paperwork is normal after this long, and it is not what decides a claim. A Social Security earnings statement lists every employer you had, by year, and can usually be requested directly. Union records, W-2s and a DD-214 for military service do similar work. Coworkers who were there can also confirm conditions. What matters most is what you remember, written down in your own words.
Yes. A wrongful death claim can be brought by the estate or eligible family members, and it is a separate route from a claim the patient would have brought themselves. It also runs on a different clock: the deadline generally starts at the date of death rather than the date of diagnosis, which means families are sometimes still in time when they assume they are not. Deadlines are set by each state, so confirm the one that applies to yours.
Possibly. Asbestos fibres travelled home on work clothes, in hair and in vehicles, and household members were exposed while washing laundry or greeting someone at the end of a shift. This is called secondhand or take-home exposure and it is a recognised route to a claim in its own right, not an exception. If you are documenting a family member's work history, write down your own contact with their work clothing as well.
You do not need a lawyer, a diagnosis, or a decision to do this. You need a piece of paper. Memory is the part of a claim nobody else can reconstruct for you, and it is the part that fades.
If you are doing this for a relative who has died, write down what you remember too, including work clothes brought home to be washed. Household exposure is a real claim, not an edge case.
That is usually enough to work out which claims are open to you — trust funds, a lawsuit, or VA benefits if the exposure happened in service. You do not need records, dates you are certain of, or the name of a product. If you are asking on behalf of someone who has died, a family member can file and the deadline runs differently. No cost, no obligation, and no pressure to decide anything today.
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