Posted on 11/02/2007 11:28:54 AM PDT by yorkie
“I would expect them to try to fly a plane with explosives into the plant on a suicide mission. “
Right after 9/11 I was working at the “Red Hawk” plant (right behind Palo Verde). I usually took the back roads there, coming in from my hotel in Goodyear. For several weeks there was an AA battery stationed on one of these roads.
I agree, the terrorists would probably love to hit a nuke, but I also know that the NRC knows this also and that the plants have installed numerous security features to prevent this and also, to withstand an attack.
Pre 9/11 at all the nuke plants you could drive your car right up the entrance of the “protected area”. Geez, now you have to park at least a quarter mile away and walk the rest.
the world can be stopped because some bozo who couldn't get hired be a real police department "isn't comfortable." Like when they're "not comfortable" with your "attitude?" Or with your skin color? Screw this nonsense.
A contract in a pickup truck. So, my first guess is that he showed with a pvc pipe that that had tools or materials in it, like so many contractors do...
Thanks for the ping, HG. Yes, I work there. Let’s clear up some erroneous statements:
- The situation is not more serious than originally thought.
- The guy didn’t get through “the gate.” All vehicles are inspected at the entrance to the plant property, and that’s how the problem was discovered. The “gate” was a term used by people in this thread, and no one crashed through anything.
- “Lockdowns” in nuclear plants do not happen all the time. This was very unusual. The plant even declared the lowest level of emergency classification, Notification of Unusual Event.
- Don’t ignore the Plant Manager. He knows what he’s talking about, unlike some people.
- The plant is still churning out the megawatts of electrical power and was not shut down.
- It wasn’t a “random check.” Every vehicle coming into the plant is inspected.
- The pipe bomb could have placed in the guy’s truck by someone who had a grudge against him. Innocent Until Proven Guilty is still the rule in this country.
- I don’t agree either that someone will inevitably bypass nuclear plant security and cause a disaster.
- The engineer from Palo Verde took a computer program related to the plant’s Control Room Simulator to Iran and demonstrated it to his family. The only problem with that as far as I know was that the company that wrote the software caught the guy accessing their computer and turned him in.
- You can get a lot closer to Palo Verde than Interstate 10. You can drive right past it at a distance of less than a mile.
- SteamShovel is wise.
- Our Security officers are not “bozos.” They did their jobs and possibly prevented a big problem. They deserve respect and thanks.
A nuke plant exploding in this country is unlikely in this country, and the theory is that the dome would contain the blast.
I worked in IT at a nuclear power plant on and off for seven years as a contract worker.
I thank FMBass and Tarantulas for explaining a little bit about how access to a nuclear plant works.
I feel much more comfortable about nuclear power than I did BEFORE I worked there. Those folks are serious about their job, because its a serious job. Their families live down the road and they know the consequences of failure. Security is good, maybe not perfect, but very, very good at a nuclear plant and that was BEFORE 9/11.
No vehicle enters a nuclear plant without inspection. The sally portal for vehicles is at a considerable distance from the protected area (as is the sally portal for people). The inspection of both vehicles and persons includes scanning for explosives and explosive residue. A big bomb at a nuclear plant could cause a lot of casualties and could cause a big interruption in power supplies, but US nukes are well protected and designed. An actual leak of radiation would be unlikely.
I’ve been through several real lockdowns....once because my tool bag had picked up a fuel flea. A lockdown is an automatic response to anything that has even a sniff of a whiff of potential threat. At least when I worked in the industry, you had practice lockdowns periodically to make sure everyone knows what to do.
Sally portal? Fuel flea?
Lemme guess; it's red and white striped??
sally port: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_port
fuel flea: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_fleas
To shut down the plant there is more here than they are saying.
Red plaid!
El Paso on the rear end thermometer!
;o)
““security was “not comfortable with,” “
Not comfortable with...?
Knowing security...he was carrying ‘common sense’....”
Or a cheeseburger.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.