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U.S. Response: Bills Would Federalize Nuclear Plant Guards Democrats last week proposed new legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate that would federalize nuclear power plant security guards, Reuters reported today. The bills would require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to enact new safety measures (see GSN, Nov. 30), such as thorough background checks for plant security guards and preparations for responding to a military-style assault, according to Reuters. The bill’s supporters did not say how much it would cost to convert guards into federal workers at all 103 U.S. nuclear plants. The Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry lobbying group, said nuclear plants have enough safeguards and that they are already guarded by “paramilitary” employees. The new bills are a “political response to a problem that does not exist,” the NEI said. “Congress must act to protect the American people from a potential nuclear disaster that could be more devastating than Chernobyl,” said Representative Edward Markey (D-Mass.), a strong supporter of the new bills (Chris Baltimore, Reuters/Planet Ark, Dec. 3).
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