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North Carolina Group's Report Uncovers Security Issues at Nuclear Plant

Posted on: Thursday, 15 December 2005, 15:00 CST

By Ken Little, Star-News, Wilmington, N.C.

Dec. 14--A North Carolina environmental group released a report Tuesday that points to security concerns at the Shearon Harris nuclear power plant in Wake County and by extension, the Brunswick plant near Southport in Brunswick County.

Security workers at Harris acted as whistleblowers in alleging criminal misconduct and coverups, NC Waste Awareness and Reduction Network Director Jim Warren said.

A spokesman for plant operator Progress Energy said many of the allegations were already known to the utility "and are being dealt with through various channels."

NC WARN described a Nov. 3 incident targeting a rail line outside the Brunswick plant boundaries.

The rail line, according to NC WARN, was "sabotaged."

"One or more spikes had been driven into the ground, preventing a switching mechanism from operating," the report states.

Harris security was told "that this would have apparently derailed a train had it not been discovered."

Progress Energy spokesman Rick Kimble declined to discuss the incident.

"We really can't go into the allegations," he said. "We've got two problems with most of this information. We don't talk about personnel and security issues."

The response is typical for the utility, Warren said.

"They're using homeland security as a pretext to cover up a lot of things that should be exposed," Warren said.

Progress Energy employs the multinational company Securitas to provide security at its power facilities.

Warren said some Securitas employees working at Harris came forward with a number of allegations, including cheating on state security certification examinations, security violations at checkpoints, nonfunctioning security doors in the plant, flawed or missing intruder detection equipment and reprisals against security personnel for reporting injuries.

On the morning of Nov. 4, a large black flag was found hanging from the Shearon Harris communications tower in a utility-controlled area, about a half-mile from the plant's protected area.

On the morning of Aug. 19, an armed guard at Harris reported being fired on while patrolling near a lake.

Taken together, the Harris allegations demand scrutiny from state and federal authorities, Warren said.

"We don't have any whistleblowers over at Brunswick," he said. "If there are legitimate problems we hope the guards and other folks do come forth."

Kimble said Progress Energy is looking at all allegations.

"It depends what we find in this new stuff," he said. "Most of the seemingly inflammatory stuff has already been dealt with."

A copy of the report was forwarded Tuesday by NC WARN and the Union of Concerned Scientists to the office of N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper.

"They did deliver a copy to our office this afternoon, and we plan to review it," Attorney General's Office spokeswoman Noelle Talley said.

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Copyright (c) 2005, Star-News, Wilmington, N.C.

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PGN,

Source: Morning Star

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