but, chernobyl could never happen here....

[Guest guest]

Although fears -- and warnings -- that terrorists might attack

nuclear facilities have increased since Sept. 11, nuclear power is

enjoying enthusiastic support from the Bush administration, which

touts it as a clean, safe energy source. But just how safe is it?

Take a deep breath. To compete with the newly deregulated

electricity sector, the nuclear industry has been cutting expenses,

including security costs. There are no rules requiring atomic plants

to be secured against large truck bombs or air attacks. And in the

last decade, almost half of nuclear plants failed security drills,

even when guards had at least six months to prepare and knew the day

and time the mock terrorists were attacking. An attack on a nuclear

facility could have consequences that would make the tragic acts of

Sept. 11 pale in comparison -- so what's being done about it? In the

first part of a two-part series, journalist Shelley Smithson takes a

look at the state of nuclear security, only on the Grist Magazine

website.

 

only in Grist: How secure are U.S. nuclear plants? -- in our Main Dish section

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only in Grist: Help wanted -- could the Sept. 11 terrorists have

gotten jobs at U.S. nuclear power plants? -- in our Main Dish section

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