Focus on Focus Earth: Nuclear Power: Boost or Threat to National Security?

For some people, nuclear power is the answer to all our energy prayers. For others, it's a recipe for disaster, in more ways than one: it's not only less clean than its proponents make it out to be, but perhaps more urgently, it's also not nearly as safe.

Proponents point to France, the world's nuclear energy success story, saying if they can do it safely, why can't we. France gets 80 percent of its electricity from nuclear power and has so far had no accidents or issues with terrorism or nuclear weapons proliferation. But critics are more cautious, and point to studies showing the ill-preparedness of most nuclear reactors today to deal with any security threats that might arise.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Operational Safeguards Response Evaluation program was launched in 1991 and after testing only 57 of 68 sites before being discontinued (temporarily), 27 revealed weaknesses that indicated "a real attack would have put the nuclear reactor in jeopardy with the potential for core damage and a radiological release."

The industry claims that concerns about safety are unwarranted, and are only blocking progress within the industry that could help increase supplies of clean energy in the U.S. Part of the industry's reassurance to the public is that the nuclear industry is one of few whose security programs is regulated by the federal government.

But existing security measures are not exactly thorough, say critics. Yes, they protect against plots organized by someone on the inside, as well as against bombs carried by 4-wheel drive vehicles. But they allow for some serious loopholes, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists: protective measures that are not required, for example, include guarding against attacks by aircraft, boats, and trucks. Minor detail?

Regulations also do not account for the possibility of threats by a group working together from inside a site (only threats from a single insider). With all the concern about national security following September 11, you'd think that the possibility of group-organized plots would be a no-brainer.

There are even seemingly simple oversights within the regulations: during the security evaluation tests, intruders are assumed to be able to disconnect the plant from the electrical grid. But there is no back-up plan for how the security guards will navigate the lighting conditions that result, if such a situation were to actually occur. When security regulations leave on-duty security guards in the literal dark, something seems amiss.

Terrorist plots aside, public health is another security concern. If nuclear fuel is damaged in the reactor or even during waste storage, radioactive material that gets released can kill and injure tens of thousands of people for up to 500 miles