How's that TSA-grade security doing?

[vaskidmark]

Not as well as some folks might like to admit.

http://blogs.knoxnews.com/munger/2012/07/wrap-up-on-y-12.html

Three peace activists -- including an 82-year-old nun -- infiltrated the highest-security area of the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in a predawn protest Saturday, reportedly evading guards and cutting through three or four fences in order to spray-paint messages, hang banners and pour human blood at the site where warhead parts are manufactured and the nation's stockpile of bomb-grade uranium is stored.

It was an unprecedented security breach at the Oak Ridge plant, which enriched the uranium for the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II and continues to be a mainstay of the U.S. nuclear defense program.

The protesters, who called themselves, "Transform Now Plowshares," were identified as Michael R. Walli, 63, Washington, D.C.; Sister Megan Rice, 82, of Nevada; and Greg Boertje-Obed, 57, of Duluth, Minn. They were apprehended inside the plant around 4:30 a.m. Saturday, interviewed later by members of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Inspector General, and then transported to the Blount County Correction Center, where they reportedly face conditional federal charges of vandalism and trespassing.

A friend works as security at the nearby nuclear power plant.  They have all sorts of electrical and mechanical stuff in place, as well as the human element.  (He says there are no mines, but I tend to disbelieve him.)  They get tested with everything from a tourist wandering away from the guided tour to some freak in a tractor-trailer crashing the gates.  (Yes, they have actually tried to get a truck through the barrier system to see if/how well it works.  It works "real good".)

But three AARP-eligible folks from different parts of the country (mentioned to stimulate discussion on how they might not have met previously to plan/practice this) walk into the sanctum sanctorum and trash it before someone looks up from eating donuts and trying to use the CCTV to get internet porn?

Back in the 60's there used to be a billboard PSA campaign for the National Guard.  It read:  "Sleep well tonight.  Your National Guard is on duty."  I would stay up several nights in a row after passing one of those billboards.  This gives me worse heebie-jeebies.

stay safe.

[HankB]

Friend had a son in the Marines, assigned to guard a nuclear weapons depot. One day they had an alert - a bunch of protesters has gotten on base and were in the process of climbing one of the two last fences before the bunkers.

The CO told his Marines that as soon as one of them tried to scale the last fence, he wanted him blown off it.

This was no bluff; these guards had live ammo.

Good discipline on the part of the Marines - none of the protesters tried to scale the last fence, and none of the Marines fired.

Eventually "regular" MPs showed up and hauled the protesters away. But they still got way too close.

[Ron]

The only rational response is to make us all take our pants off at the airport while we're waiting in line to be scanned.

[Fly320s]

I lived near Knoxville and shot in USPSA matches with some of the guards. I'm not too surprised that someone could get through the fences and up to a building undetected.  I am surprisednthat the old-farts were caught by the young-farts. I guess there wasn't a foot chase (the old guys would have won).

That plant/compound is huge. There are miles and miles of fence line to guard and a limited number of people to guard it.

[Hutch]

I am glad they (the geriatric 3) did it.  Not because of their views, which I strenuously disagree with, but because heads will roll and process/procedures will be made more effective.  Better them than someone who wants to make a more... forceful political statement.

[French G.]

Well, I read an article in the WP(mistake I know) about turning Oak Ridge and Hanford into national parks. Cool idea. I stopped reading in a bit of vision blurring rage when they gave significant page space to some Japanese American group fellow who insisted there be an interpretation of the suffering the bomb caused Japan.  Yeah. I'm sure we'd get a good interpretation of why those evil Americans built a bomb and molested the poor peaceful island nation.

[RevDisk]

Well, I read an article in the WP(mistake I know) about turning Oak Ridge and Hanford into national parks. Cool idea. I stopped reading in a bit of vision blurring rage when they gave significant page space to some Japanese American group fellow who insisted there be an interpretation of the suffering the bomb caused Japan.  Yeah. I'm sure we'd get a good interpretation of why those evil Americans built a bomb and molested the poor peaceful island nation.

I have no problem with listing the suffering.  In graphic detail.  And end it with "Don't **** with us on this level, or we'll repeat it."

[TechMan]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/02/us-usa-securtity-nuclear-idUSBRE8711LG20120802?

Well they shutdown Y-12 on Wednesday and it will be shutdown for about a week.  The security contractor is owned by the security firm G4S, which is at the center of a dispute over security at the Olympic games.