Largest Supplier of Private Guards at U.S. Nuclear Facilities Putting Homeland Security at Risk, Says SEIU
2 March 2004, 3:25pm ET
Mounting Evidence of Lax Security, Ignored Safety Concerns, and Other Problems Throughout Nuclear Power and Weapons Facilities Guarded by Wackenhut
WASHINGTON, March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- There is mounting evidence of widespread security problems at sensitive U.S. nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons facilities guarded by Denmark-based security firm Group 4 Falck/Wackenhut, the largest supplier of private security officers to those sites. A comprehensive study of public documents, reports, news clippings, and court filings reveals security problems at multiple nuclear sites throughout the U.S. over the last several years. The most recent revelations, concerning the Oak Ridge Nuclear Weapons Plant in Tennessee were made public at the end of January.
"It is deeply disturbing that these kinds of problems continue to exist in this day and age," said Anna Burger, International Secretary-Treasurer of the Service Employees International Union. "As the largest union of security officers, we are committed to improving security practices and raising industry standards for safety and training. The fact is, Wackenhut is undercutting efforts around the country to improve security standards, and the public deserves to know that. Especially when it comes to nuclear security, there is no margin for error."
Wackenhut has been caught:
Cheating on security drills at the Oak Ridge nuclear weapons plant in Tennessee. U.S. Department of Energy investigators heard testimony of a pattern of cheating during security drills at Oak Ridge.
Cutting corners on security at Indian Point nuclear plant near New York City. Wackenhut also provided false information to plant management who was conducting a government-ordered investigation into whether employees could freely report safety concerns.
Ignoring security concerns raised by guards at nuclear facilities and illegally punishing the guards who raised them. The concerns raised by guards that went unheeded included lax perimeter security at the Salem Nuclear Power Plant in New Jersey, negligence in taking inventory of plutonium stores, sloppy emergency drills, and elimination of a bomb-detection unit at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site in Colorado, and shoddy employee screening at the Callaway Nuclear Power Plant in Missouri.
More details about these cases and Wackenhut's security record at U.S. nuclear facilities, are available online at www.EyeonWackenhut.com .
SEIU, America's largest private security officers' union, launched www.EyeOnWackenhut.com to educate security consumers about Wackenhut's business and employment practices. The site includes information based on a systematic analysis of public documents, press reports, and surveys of employees that reveal a Wackenhut track record of security problems at sensitive nuclear facilties, questionable hiring practices, poor officer training, and illegal retaliation against employees who raise security concerns.
http://www.seiu.org
http://www.EyeonWackenhut.com/