A series of mechanical failures and human errors at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant caused a partial meltdown of the reactor core. Though no deaths were directly attributed to the accident, it caused a public panic and fundamentally changed nuclear regulation. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission was overhauled, new safety requirements were imposed on every reactor in the country, and the legal framework for nuclear emergency response was completely rewritten. No new nuclear plant was ordered in the United States for over thirty years. Three Mile Island demonstrated that even a contained accident could destroy public confidence and reshape an entire industry's legal framework.