Posted on 05/23/2002 7:23:49 AM PDT by Solson
Security scare puts Pa. power plants on alert
NEW YORK, May 21 (Reuters) -
Alarms sounded at Pennsylvania power plants this weekend, already on heightened alert after the Sept. 11 attacks, when two "Middle Eastern-looking" men unsuccessfully tried to enter a rural power plant, industry officials said on Tuesday.
The two men, who told authorities they were contractors, fled from the Westwood power plant not far from the state capital of Harrisburg when guards asked them for identification before allowing them inside.
The guards immediately notified local police, the FBI and PJM, the regional power grid operator.
The rural, natural gas-fired power plant, owned by WPS Resources Corp. , is about 35 miles (56 km) north of the state capital of Harrisburg.
State and federal agencies said they either had not heard of or declined to comment on the episode. Local police said they could provide no information on the mens' identities or whereabouts. An FBI spokeswoman declined to confirm whether they had even been told of the incident.
"We are cooperating fully with local authorities and the FBI," said Jim Streed, spokesman for plant owner WPS.
A spokesman for the PJM power grid said they alerted local utilities and plant operators to the incident as soon as they heard about it.
"We got the notice from WPS and sent it out to our other power plant and utility members," Ray Dotter, the PJM spokesman, said.
Dotter said they also notified the National Infrastructure Protection Center, a branch of the FBI that deals with the nation's energy, telecommunications and water infrastructure.
A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Governor's Office said the State Office of Homeland Security was not aware of the incident and had not seen any security memo on the subject.
But memos of the episode describing the men as "Middle Eastern in origin" were circulated among the region's power traders and control room operators.
Power plants nationwide have been on a heightened state of alert since the Sept. 11 hijacked airplane attacks on the Pentagon and New York City.
Earlier Tuesday, the FBI warned New Yorkers of "general threats" against the city, its bridges and other landmarks.
Nah. We don't need profiling.... /sarcasm
PING
There have been dozens of cases of "middle eastern looking men" trespassing at reservoirs, taking pictures of infrastructure locations, attempting to enter power plants, etc..
Nearly every case where the perps have been caught, the turn out to be here legally, with full identification, and carrying nothing more dangerous than a camera.
It sure feels like our security and our resources are being tested, and on a massive scale.
It would seem to me that trying to gain entry to a power plant under false pretenses should be some sort a crime - for God's sake, everything else is a crime nowadays.
They should have been frisked, allowed to enter, and then held in a secure area until they can be dealt with by the proper people - like the familes of those killed on 9/11.
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.