TVA Nuclear Security Agents Disarmed; Will No Longer Carry Guns

When you think of things that need to be carefully guarded, valuables like jewels come to mind. Nuclear fuel would seem a natural to receive the highest level of security. Apparently that is not a concern of the Tennessee Valley Authority as it plans to disarm the security guards who protect nuclear power plants.

Channel 3 has learned Tennessee Valley Authority security officers will soon no longer be allowed to carry handguns.

It’s a change that one employee calls dangerous.

He believes he may be risking his job to talk about the change but wants the public to be aware.

He shouldn’t be risking his job. He should get a commendation for looking after himself, his fellow security officers, those who work at the plant, and the American people.

Tackett understands something that it would appear his superiors either do not, or don’t see as a concern.

Paul Tackett says nuclear power plants are considered high value targets to terrorists and it’s the job of security officers to keep everyone safe.

“Radiological release, that’s what they’re after. Terrorists are after to kill as many as they can in the quickest way,” he said.

Tackett has worked as a Senior Nuclear Security Officer at TVA’s Watts Bar Nuclear Plant for seven years.

If these security officers are properly trained, something that is probably already the case or which could be accomplished easily, why would you even consider such an absurd move?

This is a dangerous move on the part of leadership. And not just for the security of the nuclear power plant and its fuel, but for the security of the guards themselves.

“Anything is possible to happen at anytime. It was just a few years ago when we had an officer shot at out here,” he added.

He remembers when someone shot at a TVA officer four years ago. That officer wasn’t hurt, but Tackett fears a change in policy could put officers and the public at risk.

“They’re talking about taking away our handguns. I mean, if we’re utilities at night, we have no way of protecting ourselves,” he said.

The TVA offered some boilerplate — a carefully rehearsed response to questions as to the reason for this change.

Because other protective measures are in place to ensure the security of nuclear sites, the nuclear industry is in the process of eliminating handguns that are not required for the protective strategy of nuclear power plants. These changes have been successfully implemented by other utilities. We will only take actions that improve our ability to protect our nuclear plants after following the regulatory review process.

Security protocols prevent us from providing any additional details on our plant’s protective strategy.” – Scott Fiedler, TVA Spokesman.

It doesn’t matter what “other” utilities are doing. While the plants themselves could be targets of terrorist attacks, no one is going to break into a hydroelectric plant to steal the water or a coal fired plant to steal the coal. But you can guarantee that there are those in our country now would would certainly steal the fuel, spent or otherwise, from a nuclear power plant.

To the TVA: Stop this stupidity and let your guards keep their guns.

Source: WRCB TV News