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More security violations confirmed at
Shearon Harris N-Plant
Supervisors
admit forcing guards to cheat on exams; feds earlier confirmed other charges by
guards
Statement by NC WARN
Executive Director Jim Warren:
Federal investigators have
confirmed the second set of charges made by whistle-blowing guards concerned
about security breaches at the Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant. A special unit of the US Nuclear Regulatory
Commission reported that three security supervisors admitted giving answer keys
or coaching guards during two different types of annual recertification exams over
an undetermined period of time.
In the first phase of its
report released in March 2006, the NRC confirmed seven charges, including one
that at least 14 doors to vital areas were left inoperable, possibly for
years. Both sets of charges were aired by
NC WARN and the Union of Concerned Scientists in December 2005 based on reports
from Harris guards frustrated that their complaints to the NRC were
ignored.
Both sets of qualification
tests are essential to the defense of nuclear power plants. Due to the willful
violations involving supervisor cheating, Progress and security contractor
Securitas could face enhanced sanctions or civil penalties. The
News & Observer reported today that Progress says all guards were
retested early last year; at that time, the Raleigh-based utility also said it
was fixing the broken equipment.
A number of guards have
talked privately with NC WARN, UCS and reporters, but
remain anonymous due to what they call a pattern of retaliation at Harris. The state labor department ordered several
guards reinstated last year after being fired for reporting injuries. But we continue hearing about reprisals, low
morale and very high turnover rates among Harris’ security force. In October a State licensing board cited
Securitas for various violations involving state-licensing requirements of
security guards.
We share the guards’ concern
that improvements won’t last unless Progress’ management
culture changes due to these and other revelations involving a variety of
safety problems: Harris is more
dangerous than necessary due to corporate management's top-down emphasis on
cost-cutting. And the NRC simply must
stop treating nuclear plant owners as clients.
As our colleague David
Lochbaum, director of the nuclear safety project at the Union of Concerned
Scientists, said, "Cheating on exams and not following fire protection rules seems
to be just fine with
the NRC.
But the NRC's indifference to the safety and
security shenanigans at Shearon Harris may someday harm thousands of innocent
Due to industry-wide
cost-cutting pressure, Harris guards say the force is not large enough to
defend against a realistic level of attack.
And Harris operated for an extended period with broken equipment and a
number of guards not having proven their ability to perform their duties – a
problem created by Securitas and Progress – not the guards. Several intrusions at the Harris site since
2005 remain unsolved by law enforcement – just one indication that defense at
nuclear plants falls far short of the level needed.
Harris guards insist Progress and NRC knew about the
broken equipment, forced cheating and other problems, but took no action until
it became a public scandal. As a senior
NRC official admitted when the March 2006 interim report was released, “It
was pretty clear that the licensee should have taken action long ago.”
The guards who talked with us
were clear that Progress managers were in control. Nevertheless, Progress
insisted for months following
the charges that it has full confidence in Securitas, while twisting the story
to make it appear the rank and file guards – not the security supervisors –
were the cheaters.
NC WARN and the Union of
Concerned Scientists applaud the Harris guards who risked their wellbeing to
expose serious problems to the media and public.
##
See the full set of security
charges and related documents: http://www.ncwarn.org/Programs/PlantSecurity/
NC WARN is a
grassroots non-profit using science and activism to tackle climate change and
reduce hazards to public health and the environment from nuclear power and
other polluting electricity production, and working for a transition to
safe, economical energy in North Carolina.