Nuclear Insecurity Under DOE

A new Department of Energy (DOE) regulation could threaten safety standards at nuclear weapons facilities nationwide. At the same time, findings by DOE’s watchdog office reveal that nuclear facilities cheated during mock attacks. New Safety Standards Congress passed legislation in 2002 requiring fines for contractors that violate occupational, safety and health criterion at nuclear weapons facilities. The legislation’s goal was to spur improved worker protection policies and greater consistency of protection. However, DOE proposed a rule in Dec. 2003 allowing contractors to ignore the established federal safety standards and instead develop site-specific safety plans. One of the legislation’s authors, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY), accused DOE of altering Congress’ intentions with a rule that will hurt worker protections. Critics point out that under the DOE rule contactors would be inclined to relax worker protections. Often, the government provides incentives for early completion of projects and the new rule would allow contractors to lower safety standards, which often slow down work. Additionally, the site-specific safety plans would most likely use low standards to avoid fines from violations. Violations and fines also provide valuable information for evaluating the quality of worker protections at a facility. By allowing facilities to rig the system and avoid violations, DOE is hiding problems rather than solving them. John Conway, chairman of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board at the Energy Department, stated 100,000 workers at these facilities would see risks from weakened standards. DOE defended the rule saying it will give contractors flexibility to create safety plans that address specific site hazards. Certain dangers covered under federal rules do not exist at every facility. DOE contends the rule will fully protect workers. See the related New York Times article for more information. Cheating Before Mock Attacks A report issued by DOE’s inspector general on Jan. 23 revealed a Tennessee nuclear weapons facility cheated in a test of its preparation and security system. The facility was tipped off about surprise-simulated attacks. The mock attacks were intended to help facilities develop a safety plan. The plant was expected to pass only two of the four tests; when all were passed, DOE launched an investigation. The investigation determined that guards were allowed to view computer simulations before the tests. Additionally, other incidents of cheating were found at nuclear facilities across the U.S. The allegations were based on interviews with former and current facility guards. The National Nuclear Security Administration authored a letter in which the agency stated that if the attacks were compromised and information collected was subsequently skewed, then “the results could have extremely significant effects in a way that is entirely unacceptable.” Information on simulations results is usually classified as national security materials. Safety standards and security practices at nuclear facilities are alarming and seem contradictory to the administration’s guise of strengthening homeland security. Improvements in safety and security must begin with honest and open assessments of the problems rather than manipulative techniques to hide the problems. It is the administration’s responsibility to ensure the safety of those that work at or live near nuclear facilities.
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