Kansas to let nuclear plant guards "shoot to kill"

[deadparrot]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius signed a bill on Wednesday authorizing security guards to shoot to kill to protect the state's lone nuclear power plant.

"There's no doubt that nuclear facilities are a potential target for terrorists," said Sebelius in a press statement. "Kansas has one nuclear plant, Wolf Creek, and we must make sure it's properly protected. Allowing guards to use deadly force in certain circumstances increases the security of the plant, and of our state," said Sebelius.

The law is called the "Nuclear Generating Facility Security Guard Act."

Texas and Arizona have similar laws and the Kansas measure grew out of the legislature's joint committee on campus security, according to the Kansas governor's office.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060322/us_nm/utilities_security_kansas_dc

[pinniped]

1. All they have to do is lay a mine field around the perimeter.

Watch your step.

[shance]

2. What about Nuclear plants being terrorism sites in and of themselves?

Does anyone remember Karen Silkwood?

I wonder what has now just happened to the rights of protestors at such planet/life -threatening facilities? Will guards shoot and claim that their shooting was in self-defense or that a protestor was supposedly climbing the fence.

Americans and citizens worldwide need to look at the cancer these facilities are on our planet.

There are other ways, more logical, more sane ways to create energy.

We don't have to be held hostage by the Nuclear industry because every person on this planet is while they are still being used. Everybody loses and there is essentially no reason for such production, other than to totally destroy, perpetuate cancer and death and kill all living organisms en masse.

[megatherium]

10. Coal is more frightening than nuclear, when you learn the true dimensions

of the threat of global warming. Coal is a lot cheaper than renewables, so if we decide to shut down the 20% of our energy production that is from nuclear, it will get replaced by coal not solar or wind. So coal would produce 70% of our energy not 50%.

[longship]

3. Sebelius is a good person.

I know Sebelius. If she signed the bill, it was because there was some sense to it.

"...in certain circumstances..."

There will be rules of engagement. I see nothing wrong with this in principle.

On edit: However, I would presume that they would not use that force politically. With a very good Democrat in the state house I wouldn't be worried. However, one does not know who's coming after Sebelius.

[jobycom]

4. Why does this remind me of a Southpark episode?

"Look at the cute little protestor. Hey, she's coming right at us!" BLAM!!

Okay, probably too obscure.

[davepc]

5. yeah and?

If we don't want armed guards to have the ability to use their arms, might as well just give them whistles and BB guns.

[fujiyama]

6. As long

as there are clear terms when this policy is in effect, that's fine.

The problem is when something like that which happened in London occurs. Hopefully this won't just end up being racial profiling, where some brown guy ends up dead.

[ChristianLibrul]

7. shoot

Protestors accomplish nothing at nuke plants besides getting a little airtime. They can do that easily enough without offering themselves up for target practice. In fact, huffing and puffing far away from the fence is the best way to thumb one's nose at guards who just want to shoot someone.

[Voltaire99]

8. Protect it from what?

The tidal wave of terrorism that's sweeping across our, er, um...TV shows, video games, and politicians' speeches?

[Ian David]

9. This would protect it from DOMESTIC terrorists

Islamic terrorists wouldn't bother with a nuclear reactor in Kansas.

This would be to protect it from the next Timothy McVeigh.

Although I do suppose it could be used to "protect" it from protesters.

[sarcasmo]

11. I wonder if this includes protesters.

[benEzra]

12. WTF?

Did they NOT EVEN HAVE ARMED GUARDS before?

Or the guards just not allowed to actually USE their guns, and instead confront people breaking into the plant with Harsh Language?

Or maybe they previously issued the guards with Magic Silver Homing Bullets like the Lone Ranger used, so they could shoot the weapons out of other people's hands like in the movies, and are now switching to real guns and bullets due to the increasing price of silver?

:wtf:

[KansDem]

13. Can't the cops just take their fingerprints?

Guess we'd better be careful where we go picnicking around Wolf Creek...

[noonwitch]

14. Yeah, but can they shoot a plane down before it hits the plant?

I thought Homeland Security was supposed to be making us more secure. Wouldn't our power plants be among the first things the federal government would want to secure? We have a few in Michigan, and most are right on the lakes, which makes them easier targets to approach by air. There's also one on Lake Erie in Ohio, not that far from the Fermi plant in Michigan. Terrorists could majorly affect 3 metropolitan areas (Detroit, Toledo and Cleveland) by attacking those two plants at the same time.