Fission Stories #124: Don’t Blow It Out of Proportion

January 8, 2013 | 6:00 am
Dave Lochbaum
Former Contributor

In February 1997, security guards at the Waterford nuclear plant outside New Orleans, Louisiana made an unusual (hopefully) discovery:

The licensee notified two local sheriff’s departments that site security found a box labeled “explosives” in a building located outside the protected area but on licensee controlled property. The explosives may have been used to test an explosive detector at the protected area entrance. The building has been secured awaiting the arrival of the Jefferson Parish sheriff’s office personnel.

Our Takeaway

Does this make you wonder how they test the bulletproof glass used at Waterford?

On second thought, I withdraw the question. They don’t need any more bad security ideas.

 

“Fission Stories” is a weekly feature by Dave Lochbaum. For more information on nuclear power safety, see the nuclear safety section of UCS’s website and our interactive map, the Nuclear Power Information Tracker.