The one on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in southeast Washington was the first full-scale nuclear reactor in the world. ... it could scram the reactor which means to shut the reactor down.

A scram refers to the rapid shutdown of a nuclear reactor. It is typically triggered automatically by the plant's safety system, but can also be initiated manually.

Pete Roche is an independent energy policy consultant and long-time nuclear critic. He has been policy advisor to Nuclear Free Local ...