No Entrance Guards Required

The NRC does not yet have a requirement for posting guards at the entrances of nuclear plants. In fact, for nearly two years before the 9-11 attacks, the entrance at TMI was wide open. Exelon had done away with the guard post to cut expenses. A vehicle barrier and a swing down arm (like those found at railroad crossings) were virtually open all of the time. Had terrorists decided to drive a truck bomb onto the site, nothing would have prevented them from getting very close to the reactor and spent fuel pool. See video of TMI's wide open entrance just three nights before the 9-11 attacks. Windows Media Real One Quicktime Three Mile Island Alert believes that armed guards are needed at nuclear plant entrances to act as a physical and visual deterrent against potential violent actions. We filed a petition for rulemaking with the NRC on September 12, 2001 that would mandate permanent entrance guards . This petition was written one week before the 9-11 attacks. State Representative Bruce Smith wrote to the NRC in support of the guard petition. Representative Smith describe his own experience at TMI on July 27, 2001 "Upon arriving at TMI, the gate was completely open with nobody standing guard and all four vehicles drove directly inside the facility. Even worse, all four vehicles were able to drive right past the reactors and throughout the facility without coming in contact with any security personnel. If these are the standards applied at the most infamous American nuclear facility, then I am afraid to ask about security at other facilities." "Current regulations should have been changed long before September 11th, but it should now be quite clear that changes need to be made immediately requiring armored guards at all entrances of a nuclear facility." Representative Bruce Smith's letter to the NRC (pdf file) More than two years ago, Three Mile Island Alert filed legal papers requesting that the NRC require at least one armed guard at all nuclear plant entrances. The NRC has yet to decide if guards should be permanently required! Three Mile Island Alert's security consultant Scott Portzline gave this account of the September 11th attacks. "I was on the telephone with a radio reporter discussing the guard petition we were planning to file the next day. As soon as I hung up, the phone rang. A relative told me to turn on the news. Seeing the clear skies in New York City on my television, I told him that the crash was no accident. When the second jet crashed I hung up and immediately telephoned Three Mile Island and subsequently the NRC to request that TMI close its vehicle barrier at the North Entrance, to post armed guards at the entrances, and to go on the highest level of vigilance possible. I reminded them of the World Trade Center bombers training camp only 30 miles from TMI in 1993 and the threat to attack nuclear plants. But, TMI could not close its vehicle barrier for about 3 hours because it had no electrical supply to power it closed. Just three weeks earlier, I had told a US News and World Report photographer that I doubted TMI could close its entrance barrier in the event of an emergency. The picture was used in an article titled A Nuclear Nightmare which described the vulnerabilities and security failings." The Middletown Press and Journal front page (9/12/2001) described how the TMI entrance barrier could not be closed because there was no electricity to power it shut. Three Mile Island Alert's Recommendations The NRC must require armed guards at the entrances of nuclear plants Write a letter to the NRC Commissioners Call the NRC staff to let them know of your concern (800) 695-7403 Write a letter to your Congressmen , Senators, or the President Drive past your nuclear plant near you to see if guards are present Do not "test" security This page updated by Three Mile Island Alert January 2004