Does the discovery of a pipe bomb at Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant indicate the need for enhanced security at power plants?

Yes

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by Robert C. Sage

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An explosive device was discovered by an alert guard on November 2, 2007 at the Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant in Arizona, the nation's largest. Although the pipe-bomb was found during visual inspection of the back of a contractor's pick up, it raises concerns about the sufficiency of security measures for American power plants. Terrorists have long been speculated to be interested in attacking the power generation system of America and the potential environmental catastrophe by causing an explosion of a nuclear power plant. They don't need to attack the reactor itself directly, since failure of the cooling system could have the same net effect and that is what the terrorists want.

Millions of Americans could be poisoned by a successful attack on the control building or cooling system of a nuclear power plant such as at Palo Verde. The contractor in the 11/2/07 case had authorization to enter many vulnerable areas of the plant and if the pipe-bomb had been hidden, rather than out in plain sight, it could easily have been smuggled in. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS)have warned about this and other scenarios for years. However, American authorities have "glad-handed" the concerns. Homeland Security, wake up!

If the War on Terror is a genuine threat, the best way to defend America is to think from the perspective of terrorists and examine if the precautions taken are reasonable and sufficient. In other words, what are the most vulnerable points with major impact that terrorists could potentially hit? From the history of 9-11 and the fact that a small private plane was flown into a NYC high-rise again 5 years later, shows that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is remiss in proactively ensuring America's safety. The detection of the Palo Verde pipe-bomb was a good thing and it should serve as a wake up call on the security of all American power plants, particularly nuclear plants. UCS has publicly called for enhanced redundancies for cooling systems, broadened threat scenarios and air and ground defenses for suicide attacks.

Why should America wait until a crazed pilot or suicide truck bomber successfully eludes the nominal security measures currently implemented at nuclear power plants and causes a Chernoble in America? You say it couldn't happen here? Think again. Determined terrorists could easily dream up various scenarios for attacking the most vulnerable area of a nuclear power plant, the control station. Lack of sufficient cooling capacity would result in a meltdown inside nuclear reactor and the terrorists would not even need to pierce the huge concrete structures. Again, the weakest link is what is most vulnerable. The UCS clearly indicates that lack of cooling system redundancies, insufficient security for nuclear waste material, lack of training for infiltration by multiple rogue elements and inadequate defenses for air, land and water attacks need strengthening. Why won't US Homeland Security to wake up?

Just as for 9-11, where the risk elements should have been clear, America's nuclear power plants are extremely vulnerable to determined terrorists. Save WMD scenarios, nothing has the risk potential of nuclear power plants. A single crazed terrorist or a small cadre of suicide attackers could change history relatively easily. All it would take is destroying either the control building or the cooling capacity for a nuclear power plant. That could be done by adroit placement of a pipe-bomb like the one discovered at Palo Verde. Or it could be done by flying a Cesna laden with explosives or driving earthmoving equipment through fencing or hiding a pipe-bomb until it is placed in a location vulnerable to small explosions. Minimal security measures have long been in place, but what of defenses against determined terrorists?

Please do not make me prophetic! I am merely a concerned and patriotic American who can think independently. It does not take much imagination to conjure up scenarios much worse than 9-11 that could take much less coordination than 9-11 took. Remember, nuclear power plants and nuclear waste storage locations are massive nuclear bombs waiting for detonation to terrorists! You may not like to admit our vulnerabilities, but dedicated terrorists have the time and resources to prepare and take their best shot.

America must be prepared for the worst and it is clearly evident that defense of our power plants remains stuck in pre 9-11 nirvana. As long as America chooses to utilize nuclear power and to possess nuclear weapons, we are fools to think that terrorists don't know their destructive potential and would not target them. The most vulnerable areas require defensible perimeters, including air space. We must not await an American holocaust for implementation!

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