God bless the Boys......
Posted on 10/30/2001 8:20:35 PM PST by LibraTango
Just on the News-Large Trucks- (semi's, box trucks, trucks with trailers) prohibited within 10 miles of Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge TN. In response to Alert issued by Attorney General Ashcroft. All traffic into the valley inspected and security tight.
Those 3 words speak volumes about the threat from the terrorists.
Hopefully, they are just being over-cautious to the extreme.
God bless the Boys......
ORNL restricts truck traffic from its main roadway By Frank Munger and Laura Ayo, News-Sentinel staff writers
The main road to Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been closed to truck traffic indefinitely because of new terrorist concerns. The restrictions went into effect at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Dr. Bill Madia, the director of ORNL, said vehicles larger than pickup trucks or those pulling a trailer will be stopped at checkpoints on the east and west ends of Bethel Valley. Those with official business at ORNL will be allowed to proceed, and others will be turned back, he said.
"I know it's an extra burden in getting here, but it's the right thing to do," Madia said. State troopers will assist with the checks, he said. The decision to limit trucks on Bethel Valley Road was made after ORNL officials reviewed the Monday advisory from U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, who warned of the potential for new terrorist acts this week.
That same advisory prompted local law enforcement agencies, as well as local offices of federal law enforcement agencies, to remain on heightened security status Tuesday. Spokespeople for most of the agencies reported they have been at their highest security status since Sept. 11, when the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked by terrorists.
"We've never stepped back from our heightened state of awareness," said Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell Debusk. FBI Special Agent Scott Nowinski said the Knoxville office of the FBI has re-established its 24-hour command center in response to Monday's announcement.
"We have an agent on duty at the office 24 hours a day," he said. Becky Huckaby, spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, said no changes in security had occurred at McGhee Tyson Airport since Ashcroft's latest alert. Security at the airport is "already at highest alert and has been since the bombing in Afghanistan began," she said.
Madia said he had not received any complaints from laboratory employees about the road restrictions, even though it may slow their commute to work. "There are a lot of concerned people out here," he said. Meanwhile, Steven Wyatt, a U.S. Department of Energy spokesman, said other security precautions have been enacted in Oak Ridge, but he declined to be specific.
Bill Wilburn of BWXT, the managing contractor at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, said an existing checkpoint on the east end of Bear Creek Road will remain in operation 24 hours a day and another check point has been established on New Hope Road - which provides secondary access to the plant.
"All personnel are asked to be especially observant and to report anything suspicious to their supervisor or security," Wilburn said.
Frank Munger may be reached at 865-482-9213 or twig1@knoxnews.infi.net. Laura Ayo may be reached at 865-342-6341 or ayo@knews.com. News-Sentinel business writer Stan DeLozier also contributed to this report.
Used to be anyone could drive up Bear Creek (I'm dating myself but it's not like anyone else would). That was a fun road to open up on. Ahh...the good old days. Try doing that now...
You know what sucks about this though? I was sitting here, all tired for the first time in days and ready to go to bed...now I'm up and wired again. Geeze.
ORNLs work for the Office of the Deputy Adminstrator for Defense Programs (DOE-DP) within the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) includes support for nuclear weapons R&D, strategic computing, facility transition, and the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) program.
ORNL produces 252Cf in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) through an Industrial Sales/Loan Program co-sponsored by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science (DOE-SC). Transuranium element isotopes are recovered from Mark 42 targets, purified, and used in weapons diagnostics at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
ORNLs Radiochemical Development Facility (Building 3019A) provides shielded, safeguarded storage for the DOE inventory of separated 233U. ORNL is supporting the DOE Integrated Nuclear Materials Program in the decision process for disposition or removal of the 233U inventories from the Laboratory’s main campus.
In 1997, the Defense Nuclear Facility Safety Board (DNFSB) issued Recommendation 97-1, "Uranium-233 Storage Safety at Department of Energy Facilities." In 1999, ORNL completed the technical evaluations in response to this recommendation and initiated significant enhancements to the material handling capabilities for 233U in the facility. In June 2000, DOE approved a management plan submitted by ORNL, Program Management Plan for the 233U Safe Storage Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL/TM-2000/105, March 2000). This plan defines a multiyear Inspection and Repackaging Project to repackage the 233U inventories to meet the DOE standard Criteria for Packaging and Storing Uranium-233-Bearing Materials (DOE-STD-3028-2000, July 2000). Security considerations associated with this project are discussed in Sect. 7.2.3.2 of the Institutional Plan.
In August 2000, the Radiochemical Development Facility began supplying 233U to the ORNL Radioactive Materials Analytical Laboratory for extraction of 229Th to supply 225Ac/213Bi for cancer research. In September 2000, DOE announced a new initiative to seek private sector participation in processing the 233U in Building 3019 to expand the supply of 213Bi for medical applications (see Sect. 5.2.3 of the Institutional Plan). Program modifications are under way to promote the commercialization initiative.
link to info on ornl.org
And now he lives in Knoxville. Shortly after the attack on the WTC, some reporter looked him up and did a story on him. They ran it on the front page. He says that he was misunderstood, that he was doing it to bring attention to the plight of the oppressed black men up north.
It kills me that he now lives in Knoxville...but just really frosts me that they gave him a platform in the News Sentinel.
I wasn't here when it happened, we moved here in 1979, but I have read about it. A friend of mine's father was there, and told us about how they scrammed all the reactors in the facility. Also told us that if the plane had begun a dive, it wouldn't have reached the ground in one piece, but wouldn't say anything beyond that point.
This city was built for one purpose during WW2. It was for development of the atomic bomb. Some of the main roads still have the guard shacks standing though abandoned long ago. During WW2 the only way in was through a military guard that searched your vehicle and asked for identification.
To enter the city you either had a pass or someone had to sign you in. Security in this area was very tight even to the point that Norris Dam about 15 miles upstream built by TVA in the mid 1930's had a machine gun placement below it which the foundation still stands. They were afraid a stray Japan or German bomber would make it up that far and take out the city.
That's a lot of land. Either being very cautious, or they have something very scary.
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