Federal regulators have proposed a $65,000 fine against the owner of a Pennsylvania nuclear plant where security guards routinely napped on the job. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced the fine against Chicago-based Exelon Nuclear after completing a special investigation of the Peach Bottom plant in south-central Pennsylvania.
Multiple guards were “deliberately inattentive” on more than one occasion in a plant “ready room” that serves as a break room, and the incidents were not reported to plant supervisors, the NRC said.
The NRC announced its investigation in September 2007, after a videotape recorded earlier in the year of sleeping guards surfaced. The NRC issued a “white” finding — a low-to-moderate threat — for the incident in February based on the agency’s color-coded threat analysis.
Exelon plans to pay the fine, and its monitoring of plant security has improved since the incidents became known. Exelon ended its security contract with Wackenhut Corp. at Peach Bottom after the videotape surfaced and later replaced that company with an in-house security force at all 10 of its nuclear power plants.
At a congressional hearing in February, NRC chairman Dale Klein acknowledged that the agency should have done more to investigate a tip about the sleeping guards. “These were the traffic cops on the beat who were also asleep at the switch.”
“Deliberately unattentive”. Does that include snoring aids?
http://www.helenjay.co.uk/hssleeping.jpg
Now we can’t even sleep in break rooms?
That’s what I was wondering, if they’re in the break room, and asleep, who cares unless they’re suppose to be on duty? Even if they are on duty, if someone is taking care of their stuff, what’s it matter?
Typical Bush appointees did not even investigate the incident until after they were asked by Congress. They then contacted the whistle blower even though he had expressly said he did not want to be contacted.
This fine is less than what the investigation cost.
Why did you not put a picture of Homer Simpson up for this one???