FBI investigates hole drilled in .. pipe for Turkey Point nuclear reactor

[struggle4progress]

FBI investigates hole drilled in cooling pipe for Turkey Point nuclear reactor

By Sean Gardiner
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted April 4 2006

FBI agents are interviewing workers and contractors at the Turkey Point power plant this week to figure out who drilled a small hole in a pipe that's part of the cooling system of a nuclear reactor.

On Thursday, while testing the system before fully restoring power in the reactor known as Unit 3, workers discovered a hole about an eighth of an inch in diameter had been drilled in a stainless steel pipe connected to the "pressurizer," a tank responsible for ensuring the water used to cool the reactor does not turn to steam, said Rachel Scott, a spokeswoman for Florida Power & Light Co. The reactor, in the plant about 30 miles southeast of Miami, had been shut down since March 5 and was nearing the end of a scheduled replacement of uranium fuel rods and general maintenance upgrades when workers found the hole, Scott said.

"Being that it was a drilled hole, obviously it was done intentionally," Scott said. "But we don't know if it was human error, somebody just drilling in the wrong place, or if it was a deliberate act." <snip>

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-cnuke04apr04,0,3132197.story?coll=sfla-news-broward

[Dunvegan]

1. *what?!?*

"But we don't know if it was human error, somebody just drilling in the wrong place, or if it was a deliberate act."

You know...ANY one of the above is cause for alarm. Literally...alarms should be going off on the grounds and in everyone's heads.

American infrastructure, wherefore art thou, American infrastructure?

[JohnWxy]

2. I wonder how good perimeter security is on this site.

The terrorists are always testing ... to find the soft targets.