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Show The Salt Lake Tribune UTAH BS Sunday. February16, 2003 Some Utah Chemical Facilities Lacking Expected Security After 9-11 BY JUDY FAHYS state governmentofficials have misgivings. ‘THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Beefed up security at Utah military facilities is unmistak- It may be that government has largely opted to let companies decide for themselves what safeguards are needed. Verdi White, Utah’s new homeland security aeputy, said the state has an inventory of plants with “potential vulnera- In December, for the third time, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission rejected a rejuest by the state’s lawyers for full-blown review of the terrorist threat that might be posed by a spent-fuel storage facility proposed by the Skull Valley Goshute Indians and the nuclear-plant consortium Private Fuel Storage (PFS). Containers of depleted nuclear-plant fuel, set on a 100acre slab on the desert floor like giant pop cans on a picnic table, have long struck state aemakers as a terrorist bilities” and assists companies case”for a catastrophe that had so minuscule a probability. “It exaggerates a project's risks,” said the NRC ruling, “and might unduly alarm the public.” Lisa Gue, a nuclear-waste watchdog for Ralph Nader’s regulators nor Congress has forced the issue. “The NRC,” she said, “is certainly draggingits feet.” ‘The NRC's Philip Brochman noted that his agency is making “vulnerability assessments” of the commercial nuclear industry, gets far more inviting than the proposed PFS facility.” The NRC, which relies on plants, storage and transportation that maylead to additional @ Continued from B-1 Depot. “It is dangerous not to think of these stockpiles as potential To free up the Utah National orks fn fornia took over security duties at the Utah installations shortly after the attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. Last August, the California unit turned over its authority to the Utah National Guard’s ist Battalion, 145th Field Artillery. “After the events of September 11, our country called us to serve in its defense,” said Lt. Col. Bernd Willand, California’s 3rd Battalion commander, “In many ways it has not been an easy mission, but we are proud to have done our duty guarding this vital federal installation.” The 145th Field Artillery is the second-largest unit KEVIN SPACEY KATE imposed new requirements on tainly comply with them.” struction would find many tar- Utah Security Augmented by Guard Units Martin said the NRC has not sisted tougher measures because of the cost and neither “Wehavegreat sharing with these people,” he said. “Butit is not a thing — ‘you must do this, you must do that.’” The hands-off approach has drawn criticism. Even some ment tracking, escort requirements and emergency protocois. PFS spokeswoman Sue facilities like the above-ground storage site planned for Skull Valley. But she added: “If the NRC decides to change those regulations, then we will cer- seeking to cause havoc and de- in a ruling that “terrorists security plans that detail ship- consumer-interest group Public Citizen, said the security inadequacies at nuclear facilities have come into sharp focus since 9-11, but industry has re- that ask for help. However, the state has no post-9-11 security regulations for them. vithe NRCdisagreed, saying alarms and guards, as well as a thorough review of mathematical probability for its regulatory standards, re- security measures. Already, he said, spent-fuel storage facilities must have fused to examine the “worst NRC-approved fences, locks, activated so far in the nation’s war on terrorism, said Utah Guard spokesman Brad Blackner. Still, the more than 450 Utahns from batteries in Camp Williams, Ogden, Spanish Fork, Manti and Fillmore needed 245 additional soldiers from California’s 132nd Engineer Battalion to round out their ranks. The California battalion’s A and B companies from the towns of Redding and Mount Shasta, in turn, took volunteers from across the Golden State to fill its portion of the defense mission. Mobilization orders for the Utah and California units are for up to a year, which ends in July. Additional Guard units chemical agents. A full-scale disposal plant has been built next to the storage area to dispose of the chemical munitions. Dugway is byfar the largest installation. Its 798,855 acres make it slightly larger than Rhode Island. In addition to Meanwhile, Utah Assistant Attorney General Connie Nakahara said the state is hardpressed to expose weaknesses in the PFS-Goshute security plan because it is out of the loop. “Based on the information wehave,the state is not satis- One nuclear facility un. touched by post11 restric. tions is the uranium reprocessing facility in White Mesa. Harold R. Roberts, vice president of corporate development for International Uranium Corp., which owns the mill, said there is little reason for tougher controls at White Mesa. The cost, the complexity and the inaccessibility of nuclear- enrichment facilities would make White Mesa’s radioactive product an unattractive target for terrorists, he said. The radioactive U235 that comes out of the Blanding Mill has a 0.7 per- cent concentration. Reactor fuel has a concentration of about 4 percent, while weapons-grade materials have fied” with the high-level waste security plans, said Nakahara. about 90 percent. “But we havenot been able to four more steps before it can be have the opportunity to review any requirements NRC has imposed on storage facilities subsequentto9-11.” madeinto reactorfuel,”hesaid “Andit would take a couple of more steps before it would be usable for, say, any kind of “It has to go through three or ‘Helping life Happen” chemical andbiological defensive testing, the facility tests Not to mention it would be drums of the stuff off White Mesa withoutdetection. The U.S. Magnesium plant on the western edge of the Great Salt Lake is among the Utah companies that have taken the threat seriously. As part of its day-to-day process, the company has on site millions of gallons of chlorine. “Before 9-11, 1 don’t think the issue of chemical terrorism: was widely discussed,” said U.S. Magnesium’s Tom Tripp. “Nowit’s routine.” Aided by detailed directives from chemical-industry trade groups, the magnesium plant has implemented added secu- rity measures, including” tougher shipping controls and driver checks. “What's been done with oe said Tripp, “is common sen ‘fahys@slertb. com www.cu-one.com Credit battlefield smokes and obscurants. Testers also rate the reliability and survivability ofall One THE Beauty OF OUR NEW & USED VEHICLE FINANCING types of military equipmentin chemical or environments. weapon.” tough to move the half-ton biological IS IN THE Numbers! Donate Your Car! 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