Plans to federalise nuclear facility security forces would bring no advantages, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute.
In a statement, the institute concluded: "Because of the high calibre of existing security forces and because a power plant's management should be unified across operational and security functions, legislative proposals to federalise nuclear security forces offer no advantages. In contrast, federalisation of security officers could complicate responses to acts of terrorism or sabotage." Meanwhile, Senator Bob Graham (D-FL) and Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL) made separate statements to express their opposition to the proposed legislation.
During a visit to the St Lucie plant, Graham, who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee, called on his colleagues in Congress "not to overreact", adding: "Don't adopt a one-size-fits-all mentality for nuclear power plants." Foley, who represents the congressional district in which St Lucie is located stated: "Turning a private worker into a federal bureaucrat has nothing to do with protecting us from terrorism."
