Editorial: Concerns about nuclear reactors

Wednesday, April 5, 2006 | 7:21 a.m.

A report released by government auditors Tuesday says the Nuclear Regulatory Commission - after consulting with those who work in the nuclear industry - diluted its revisions to anti-terrorism security measures for reactors.

The Government Accountability Office, which investigates federal programs for Congress, said the regulatory commission's staff made the changes "after obtaining feedback from stakeholders, including the nuclear industry, which objected to certain proposed changes such as the inclusion of certain weapons."

The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks had prompted the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to upgrade security measures at its 103 reactors in April 2003. Those revisions were made using a "generally logical and well-defined process" that drew recommendations from those who are trained in assessing terrorist threats. The resulting policy required nuclear power plants to plan for defending themselves against larger numbers of attackers, larger vehicle bombs and an expanded list of weapons.

The GAO says some security improvements were made, such as adding security officers and upgrading detection equipment. But other elements - such as the inclusion of certain weapons - were altered after consulting stakeholders that included nuclear industry officials. And that has "created the appearance that changes were made based on what the industry considered reasonable and feasible to defend against rather than on an assessment of the terrorist threat itself," the GAO says.

The GAO has recommended - correctly, in our view - that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission improve its process for revising security measures. Making it easier on the nuclear industry is not the objective. The primary goal should be taking all possible precautions to prevent terrorists from unleashing radioactive material into nearby communities.