Study Finds Nuclear Facilities Vulnerable to Attack

Access to information on nuclear security has been hard to come by, but some information has been surfacing that raises concerns about the security of America's nuclear power plants. Since 9/11, nuclear reactors and chemical plants have received considerable attention with critics calling for stronger government requirements and oversight to better ensure the safety of neighboring communities. Government action to beef up security at nuclear facilities has been slow; it often allows industry to take voluntary steps in the absence of strong regulation. Officials have hidden information behind a veil of increased secrecy with the explanation that information restrictions prevent terrorists from obtaining dangerous data. However, recent reports and testimony indicate that this secrecy also keeps the public uninformed about safety risks and potentially irresponsible decisions made by officials. Risks from the Air Since the 9/11 attacks, the possibility that airplanes could be used to attack atomic generating stations has become very real. Critics have called for increased precautions against this type of attack such as strengthening spent fuel containment pools and erecting additional barriers to deflect or diminish any impacts. Currently, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and energy companies maintain that such efforts are unnecessary. They assert that reactors are already hardened, secure structures, and claim that the possibility of an attack that would release radiation is highly unlikely. Power companies believe that the critics are merely trying to drive the cost of nuclear energy up so that plants have to close down. According to the Los Angeles Times, a recently leaked study conducted by the German government indicates that nuclear plants may be more vulnerable to this type of attack than the NRC and energy companies claim. The study noted that higher speed impacts from airliners, which pilots were able to accomplish in simulators approximately half the time, could result in uncontrolled releases of radiation. The two main concerns from such an attack are the reactor core and spent fuel storage. If the reactor's core were damaged, it could meltdown and result in an uncontrolled radioactive reaction. Spent nuclear fuel rods are stored in enclosed ponds of water, but if an attack damaged a pond and the cooling water drained away, the fuel would catch fire and release massive amounts of radiation. A 1997 report by the Brookhaven National Laboratory concluded that a spent fuel fire could render 188 square miles uninhabitable and cause as many as 28,000 cancer deaths. Land Based Risks Since the 9/11 attacks, efforts have been underway to improve security measures at nuclear plants throughout the country, especially from ground attacks. The NRC has ordered companies to prepare themselves for defense against larger more organized attackers then previously required. But Government Accountability Office (GAO) auditors reported during a House Government Reform Committee hearing that it could be years before NRC knows if facilities are meeting these new requirements. Apparently, there is little real world data or oversight and plants are only required to file minimal paperwork. The GAO also reported a clear conflict of interest in the security testing. The industry trade association, the Nuclear Energy Institute, contracted Wackenhut, a major security firm, to train and manage adversary teams used to test the security measures at nuclear power plants. However, Wackenhut also provides security guards to half the facilities. Concerns were raised over NRC allowing this controversial contract because of the conflict of interest. According to the Service Employees International Union, which includes the largest union of security officers, Wackenhut was already been caught cheating during a 2003 security drill at a nuclear weapons site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The organization operates an entire website devoted to documenting problems with the security company. The website also contains a report entitled "Homeland Insecurity: How the Wackenhut Corporation is Compromising America's Nuclear Security" that details the firm's failings at nuclear security including numerous security lapses, training cutbacks, and lax security measures. Accountability and oversight for nuclear security has become more difficult recently as the NRC has re-removed almost all related data from its web site. The agency had completely shut down its site immediately following the 9/11 attacks but had eventually reposted most of the site including information on security. Without access to such information, watchdog groups working on nuclear issues can not effectively represent public interests or criticize officials' decisions.
back to Blog