ML023500155

G20020697/LTR-02-0793 - Sen. Hillary Clinton Ltr Expresses Concern Over Adequacy of Guard Force at Nuclear Power Plants in & Near New York

ML023500155
Person / Time
Site:	Indian Point
Issue date:	12/10/2002
From:	Clinton H US SEN (Senate)
To:	Meserve R NRC/Chairman
References
FOIA/PA-2007-0014, FOIA/PA-2007-0093, FOIA/PA-2008-0157, FOIA/PA-2008-0174, G20020697, LTR-02-0793
Download: ML023500155 (3)

Text

EDO Principal Correspondence Control FROM: DUE: 12/23/02 EDO CONTROL: G20020697 DOC DT: 12/10/02 FINAL REPLY:

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton Chairman Meserve FOR SIGNATURE OF : ** PRI ** CRC NO: 02-0793 Chairman Meserve DESC: ROUTING:

Adequacy of Guard Forces at Nuclear Power Plants Travers in and Near New York Paperiello Kane Norry Craig Burns/Cyr DATE: 12/12/02 Collins, NRR Miller, RI ASSIGNED TO: CONTACT:

NSIR Zimmerman SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

cwo In EA- 110S: SEUYL(t

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET Date Printed:Dec 11, 2002 12:34 PAPER NUMBER: LTR-02-0793 LOGGING DATE: 12/11/2002 ACTION OFFICE: -EDO AUTHOR: Sen Hillary Clinton AFFILIATION: SEN ADDRESSEE: Richard Meserve

SUBJECT:

Express concern over the adequacy of guard force at nuclear power plants in and near New York ACTION: Signature of Chairman DISTRIBUTION: Chairman, Comrs, RF, OCA to Ack LETTER DATE: 12/10/2002 ACKNOWLEDGED No SPECIAL HANDLING:

NOTES: Commission Correspondence FILE LOCATION: Adams DATE DUE: 12/26/2002 DATE SIGNED:

EDO -- G20020697

12/10/2002 05:20 FAX 202 224 1560 SEN. CLINTON 0 02

.AIL LAfRYO DHAM CLINTON

- NEWYORK SENATOR RFIUtI I.%,NATEOFFICW E BUILDIfJ SSUrreoe, WMI11INGTON.CC 231W-aod WASHINGTON. DC 20510-3204 December 10, 2002 The Honorable Richard A. Meserve Chairnnan United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555

Dear Mr. Chairman:

I write to express my grave concern over the adequacy of guard forces at nuclear power plants in and near New York. I am troubled by several reports on this issue, including one by the Project on Government Oversight and a recently released confidential analysis that was commissioned last year by the Entergy Corporation. These reports suggest that guards at Indian Point and other United States nuclear power plant guards are routinely overworked, have become error-prone, lack adequate training, and are subject to intimidation when voicing their concerns.

The security guards who protect our nuclear facilities are the lynchpin in our nuclear security efforts. It is these guards who will be called upon to defend a plant if terrorists mount an attack. We cannot allow these guards to become so overworked or tinder trained that they cannot function properly. I know that the security guards want to do theirjob, but they need federal support to ensure that they can do it adequately.

Last month, I dispatched my own staff from both Washington and New York to meet with many of these guards and separately with plant officials. My staff has also discussed this issue with Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff over the past months. I am convinced that there is, in fact, a serious security issue that must be resolved immediately. Overwork and inadequate training lead to both lowered morale and potentially unsafe conditions at Indian Point. This is not acceptable. As you kmow, millions of New Yorkers live near the plant.

In order to ensure the health and safety of this region's residents and families, we need to be absolutely certain that we have the highest level of security in place.

1 would like an explanation from you on what NRC is doing to correct the security-guard related issues identified in the above-referenced reports and what NRC is doing to ensure that its security requirements are adequate. I would appreciate receiving your response as soon as possible, but no later than January 15, 2002.

Sincerely yours, Hillary Rodha Clinton