ML20070U030

Forwards Ltr from Constituent Je Loder,Requesting Info as to Tightened Security at Nuclear Power Plants,Particularly at Seabrook Station in Light of Middle East Crisis & Accompanying Threats of Terrorism

ML20070U030
Person / Time
Site:	Seabrook, 05000433
Issue date:	03/06/1991
From:	Murphy P HOUSE OF REP.
To:	Rathbun D NRC OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL & PUBLIC AFFAIRS (GPA)
Shared Package
ML20070U023	List: ML20070U030
References
NUDOCS 9104080071
Download: ML20070U030 (4)

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. C011gregg of tIje 1Militeb Stated 3l)ottge of Repic#entatibeg Elashington, DC 20515 March 6, 1901 Mr. Dennis Rathburn Director Congressional Affairs office of Government ard Public Affairs

' U.S.~ Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20535

Dear Mr. Rathburn:

Last month Congressman Zeliff received the enclosed correspondence from his constitutent, John E. Loder of Rollinsford, New Hampshire. As you will note, Mr. Loder is requesting information as to tightened security at nuclear power plants, particularly at the Seabrook Station, in light of the Middle East crisis and the accompanying threats of tecrorism.

Also enclosed is a letter from New Hampshire Yankee, operator of Seabrook Station, sent in response to our inquiry regarding this subject.

Mr. Loder. feels the reply from New P.ampshire Yankee is not adequate as

, it fails to discuss security against attacks from land, sea and air and has asked the Congressman to pursue his inquiry with your agency.

Congressman Zeliff would appreciate your comments concerning this matter to enable him to respond to Mr. Loder. Please direct your reply to the Congressman at his office at 340 Commercial Street, Manchester, New Hampshire 03101.

Sincerely, Pamela Murphy v Senior Assistant for Intergovernmental Affairs PM/m Enclosures 2 9104080071 910402 PDR ADOCK 05000443 F PDR

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V1111wn teliff, MC f Q f Q $j S40 Comunercial Strkat

• Wanchestar NH 03101

Dear Congressman Zeliff W At the suggestion of Ms Murphy ofi your Manchester offiee, I as wrJting, you about a concern I have about plant security at Seabrook nuclear power plant.

With the. r.ise in worldwide terrorism, today espeolally from Saddam 11ussein of' Ira,q, the NRC recently directed all acomeraial nuolwar plants. to tighten security l against possible atts,ck. Having heard on the re,dio the predictable happy tc1R frem plant publicity flacks aboutt increased internal and perimeter security l measures meeting all challenges, I realised they said nothing about af, tack ouming '

from a distance, say, one to five miles out.

, Saturday week, I drove a complete circuit around tht Hamptons and Seabrook town itself, poking into every lane and o.orner, all within sight of the reachr docne, to see if I could' find any eign of govern:nont, state or local auraillance against sources of' surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic rounds or' ship-mounted vonpons potentially to be fired at the plant by operatives fJnding concealment in a thousand hiding places in woods, buildings or in the open, next to roada along which escape and disappearance would be simplicity itself'.

I concluded the plant appears wholly vulnerabic to attack om land, sea and the air, no matter how tightly secure it may be within. I told this to hT Civil Defense, Dt.na Bisbee at the state AO's office, my rep, a local senator and the Concord IFLI office who told me this is not their jurisdiction.

Ify question is, Who's minding the store? One pop down there at the devil's kettle by the sea, and there go NH's dreams of a prosperous future: or anything else, Dr the next aeon. Who's on first, and how db we get them to do their jobY If the IRA can mortar Whitehall, Hussein's crasies can take on Seabrook Station, where two men can haft a round evidently.onpable of boling the renotor, jumping back into a pissa truck and disappearing in traffic. If the plant can% bo defended and our safety assured, then it ought to be shut down and the roda pu116d. My guess is that state government doesn't want to handle this messy situation with a ton-foot pole. Will you? I am Sincerely Yours,

. lAh wW J)hnE.Loder Hox 666 Rollinsf.ord NH 03869 603-749-3558 I

8 February 1991 i

C Mw Hampshiro

'Y.ankee February 11, 1991 Ms. Pam Hurph CongressP n Zellif's Office 340 Commercid Street Manchester, NH 03101

Dear Ms. Murphy:

New Hampshire Yankee's Director of Government Affairs, Liz Murphy, asked :

that I provide you with some informatit,n concerninr security at the Seabrook .

Station nuclear plant (o light of the con)1ict in .he Middle East.

Let me assure you that safety at Seabrook Station is our number one l r

priority. An important compo.tane of safety is the ability to maintain a 1 secure working environment for the men and woman at the plant. We have an outstanding security program at Seabrook Station and are prepared for any security situation that could uccur.

As evidence of our secdrity readiness, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently gave Seabrook Station's security program a superior rating -- the NRC's highest -- in its comprehensive report on the plant during the previous 16 months.

We take security at Seabrook Station very seriously. . A comt'ination of state-of-the-art detection equipment and arned security guards form a 24-hour-a-day security capability.

Entry into the plant itself involves very thorough security checks.

Everyone must pu through metal and explosive detectors. Special )icture identification cards allow employees to entsr only those areas of t e plant where they need to work. -

On January 9, 1991, the NRC recommended to all nuclear plants in the country that plants heighten their security awareness in view of the situation in the Middle East. As a result of this advisory, we have taken a number of steps to augment our already outstanding security program.

These measures include even more thorough checks of all individuals --

includin; employees -- entering the plant site at our Rt.1 gates -- fully one mile from the plant. Every employee is now required to hand their picture badge to a guard who verifies the picture matches the person. In addition our Science & Nature Center has been closed to the public for the time bein;g.

We have also stepped up patrols and have publicized our increased security :o make our employees more vigilant in their daily work.

- continued -

New Hampshire Yankoo Divtsion of Public Service of Now Hamhire P.C. Box 700

• Seabrook, NH 03874 . Telephono (603) 474 9521

'. Pago 2 Other security measures we have taken I am not at liberty to discuss, because these steps are considered " safeguarded" information by the Nuclear Regulatory Comission.

Once again, I can assure you that we have en outstanding security program at Seabrook Stttion. Safety has always been our r. umber one priority.

If I can provide additional information, please feel free to call on me.

Sincerely, N WG Robert O. Williams Senior News Services Reoresentative i

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TOTfL P.03

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