Legislation to federalise security guards at US nuclear plants has been introduced by Democratic Senators Harry Reid (Nevada), Joe Lieberman (Connecticut), Hillary Rodham (New York) and James Jeffords (Vermont).
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) opposes federalisation, as does the Nuclear Energy Institute (see NEI February 2002, p11 and 48). The NRC said the proposed plans do not add much to existing measures, which include imposed off-limit zones by boats and planes, armed guards, razor wire fences and other monitoring devices. Before being assigned, security guards must undergo rigorous screening, including FBI background checks, psychological tests, and over 300 hours of training as well as annual training.
