Markey blasts safety of nuke plants

NEW ENGLAND - Despite assurances that the nation's nuclear power plants are safe from terrorist attacks, Bay State congressmen continued their call on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to make massive security improvements.

Reacting to a Time magazine report highlighting deficiencies in security at nuclear power plants - including a slap at the Pilgrim plant in Plymouth - U.S. Rep. Edward Markey (D-Malden), the senior Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, urged the NRC to make drastic improvements.

"The reality is that the NRC is living in a dream world when it comes to nuclear reactor security," said Markey. "While the Department of Energy has taken a long hard look at the terrorist risk to its nuclear facilities and then followed up with appropriate security upgrades, the NRC has only taken baby steps."

The Time report slammed the NRC and nuclear power industry for not fully preparing for full-scale terrorist attacks and for conducting test exercises far below what an actual attack might bring.

The report quoted Kathy Davidson, a former security mangager for the Wackenhut Corp., saying security at the Pilgrim plant is "pathetic."

Wackenhut, which provides security at the Plymouth plant and others around the country, said Davidson is a disgruntled former employee who was fired for poor job performance.

David Tarantino, a spokesman for the Plymouth plant, said the industry has spent $1 billion upgrading security since 9/11 and no one has breached the protected areas of the Pilgrim plant since it went on line in 1972.