FirstEnergy's nuclear security an issue in an NRC closed-door meeting

[bananas]

Source: The Plain Dealer

FirstEnergy Corp.'s nuclear operating company has asked for a closed-door meeting with top federal regulators about security issues at the company's nuclear reactor near Pittsburgh.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said on Monday that it would meet with company representatives on Sept. 5 at an NRC regional headquarters near Philadelphia.

Security forces at FirstEnergy's Beaver Valley power plant apparently failed part of a routine "force-on-force" exercise in April. Beaver Valley contains two reactors.

The details of the force-on-force exercise are classified and may never be made public, but the NRC earlier this month warned the company in a public letter that it was considering a citation against the company because the security failure looked significant.

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Read more: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/08/firstenergys_nuclear_security.html#incart_river

[Divernan]

1. As if we don't have enough crap raining down on us in PA from Big Fracking operators.

The company has already said it does not believe the force-on-force exercise results revealed any weaknesses in Beaver Valley's security strategies but more reflected how the exercise was controlled.

During federal force-on-force drills, paramilitary squads, typically consisting of former military people, try to breach plant security and sabotage the reactor.

Armed with laser-type weapons, they attack at night, try to defeat plant security teams, breach walls and other barriers to invade the most protected areas of the plant, which contain the reactor, spent fuel storage and other critical equipment.

The NRC is currently conducting its mid-cycle assessments of safety and security at all of the nation's nuclear power plants and expects to issue reports, beginning in late September.