Guards at Nevada Test Site Facility Failed to Prevent Mock Terrorist Attack in August, Official Says

Guards at a facility storing weapon-grade nuclear materials at the Nevada Test Site failed an exercise last summer to stop a mock terrorist attack, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 20).

The exercise, held Aug. 12, revealed outdated training and tactics for defending the Device Assembly Facility, along with flaws in transfer-of-ownership paperwork for nuclear material, National Nuclear Security Administration spokesman Kevin Rohrer said yesterday. He refused to provide details on the exercise, such as the number of guards involved or whether the mock terrorists were able to enter the facility, AP reported.

In response, the agency has sought to increase security at the site, Rohrer said.

“We have changed procedures, added guards and augmented training,” he said. “We’ve taken corrective actions” (Ken Ritter, Associated Press, Feb. 3).

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