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Senator Schumer on Nuclear Plant Security

By Eric McErlain
Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has completed a report card on Homeland Security and was on CNN this morning to talk about it. Here's the passage that caught our attention (online link not yet available):
CNN 09/05/06 09:17:50: ...and this is -- you know when you think about how much effort the administration is put into the war on terror overseas, and then how little effort and resources in particular they put into the war at home. any basketball coach will tell you need a good offense and a good defense. this is a down the middle report. we give them credit in aviation Security and Nuclear plant Security...
This isn't the only instance when an independent study had positive things to say about nuclear plant security. Click here for a list. And click here for a link to the complete interview -- get it fast as the link may only work temporarily. As soon as we have an online reference to Schumer's report, we'll pass it along.

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Comments

Anonymous said…
How curious that there is no aviation security for nuclear power plants, however.

According to a June 1982 Argonne National Laboratory report no US reactors were designed nor constructed to withstand aircraft collisions. The federal lab itself did not even analyze deliberate attack. However, ANL concluded that the hazard of collision, penetration, concussion, explosion and fire can have severe consequences with a possible core melt accident. Moreover, the severe accident could cascade from aircraft impact onsite other than the containment itself.

While some gains have been made on commercial airline security, general aviation aircraft an increasingly serious concern. A private aircraft can deliver a serious threat to safe operations of nucleasr reactors and no spent fuel pools are designed to withstand a deliberate suicidal attack with a fuel and explosive laden aircraft.

Its time to call an end to "faith based security" and for the industry to own up to the unique and real costs of security for nuclear power plants.

Gunter
September 10, 2006 at 3:43 PM
Anonymous said…
Gunter--the 1982 Argonne report on aircraft potentially damaging a nuclear power plant has been widely debunked and totally contradicted by the NRC since. Yet it continues to be used time and again by the anti-nuke zealots. It was flawed science then, and it flawed science now.
December 20, 2006 at 12:36 PM
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