Posted on 06/12/2005 1:46:39 PM PDT by phoenix_004
The US government may have set its security standards for nuclear power plants too low, and guards say they may not be ready to stop a terrorist attack of September 11 magnitude.
A nuclear regulatory commission (NRC) document "raises serious questions about whether the government has set security requirements for nuclear plants too low and allowed nuclear plant operators to provide security on the cheap," Time reported.
Even plant guards worry they would be unable to thwart a big terrorist operation, saying they lack the necessary training and weapons, the magazine said. The plants could also be vulnerable to an attack on foot, it said.
"Our training has increased, but I don't think it's increased enough to deal with that," a veteran guard, who was not named, told Time. Another guard said: "We don't have the weapons or training to stop an attack of that magnitude. ... Everyone feels that way. It's a consensus of opinion."
"I don't think they could handle a 9/11-size attack," David Orrik, a senior NRC official who retired in February after a 20-year career probing power-plant vulnerabilities, was quoted as saying.
Since the September 11, 2001, attacks, the government has spent $1bn to boost nuclear power plant security, compared to $20bn for aviation security, Time reported.
"The NRC and the nuclear power industry are today where the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] and airlines were on Sept. 10, 2001," a senior US anti-terrorism official was quoted as saying by the magazine.
NRC-commissioned studies say a plant's concrete and steel infrastructure could withstand a suicide airplane attack, making the risks of a major release of radioactivity low.
But other experts, including a recent National Academy of Sciences panel, say the particular design and vulnerabilities of each plant make such blanket assurances meaningless, Time said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news24.com ...
More research is probably needed... </sarcasm>
Bill
making the risks of a major release of radioactivity low.
The first is probably true. The second is blatantly false.
The terrorist do not need to breach the Containment Building to cause a major release.
Another thing in the article I have to question is the part about the 1 billion dollars the government has spent to boost nuke plant security. The government simply says the utilities has to meet this new standard and the Utilities have to come up with the money to pay for the improvements or loose their license to operate.
Yep. Sounds like the anti-nuke campaign is revving up. There must be serious interest in building some new nuke plants.
Their Abu Graib/Gitmo stories must have been losing steam, so some new crisis was needed.
Of course. It's what will really power the "hydrogen economy".
Time is not well informed. Of course, usually they are in the business of providing our secrets to the enemy (ala Saigon bureau).
Nuke plants are probably the worst (from a terrorist point of view) target in the country.
But, people have been so propagandized by the media, fiction ("24" doesn't help), envirowhackos it's basically hopeless to convince anyone otherwise.
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