As officials try to pinpoint potential targets in the United States for future attacks, some North Carolinians say they fear one of the state's five nuclear power plants could be next.
In a recent letter to the Carolina Power & Light Company, several local leaders called for increased security measures at the Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant in Wake County. Company officials say they are already taking such steps.
The letter argues for the cessation of all nuclear waste transportation to the site as one of its three steps to minimize overall risk.
Jim Warren, director of the environmental watchdog group North Carolina Waste Awareness and Reduction Network, said he fears that trains transporting nuclear waste to the plant could be easy targets for terrorists.
The letter writers also call for a phaseout of "wet storage," the process of storing old nuclear fuel rods. Finally, they pushed for a new evacuation and response plan for the local area in case of an emergency.
Warren said accidental or malicious actions to the discarded fuel rods in wet storage could expose the whole region to excessive amounts of radiation.
"We wanted to make sure all precautions were being taken for the safety of the area," said Durham County Commissioner Becky Heron, who signed the letter. Heron, who says she can see the plant's tower from her own neighborhood, stated that a proposal calling for increased security at the plant will be presented to the Durham Board of County Commissioners.
Keith Poston, a spokesperson for CP&L, says the company is already taking precautions to limit the threat of a security breach at the plant.
"We have been on highest security status since Sept. 11, which involves additional restrictions on access to the plant and an increased security presence," Poston said. In addition, Poston noted the plant already goes to great lengths to make sure accidents do not happen, as the facility's reactor and waste units are surrounded by several feet of concrete and steel liner.
"It is a very secure facility, built to withstand a severe amount of damage," Poston said.
Though several groups have protested activities at the Shearon Harris plant in the past, the recent attacks have drawn new attention to the storage of nuclear waste there.
In 1999, Orange County filed a lawsuit to halt the storage of any more waste at the plant. Poston said CP&L won the case, although it is being appealed.
State Rep. Paul Luebke, D-Durham, supports more action to protect nuclear facilities. "[The letter signers] raise a very important point about security at nuclear power plants," Luebke said. He added that regulation of nuclear facilities is a priority for the federal government as well, and both state and local leaders should work to ensure the safety of the public.
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