Anti-nuke protestors, including an 82-year-old nun, break into nuclear bomb facility; security breach called "worst we've ever seen"

**Jenna** · 08-03-12, 10:31 AM

The U.S. government's only facility for handling, processing and storing weapons-grade uranium has been temporarily shut after anti-nuclear activists, including an 82-year-old nun, breached security fences, government officials said on Thursday.

Barfield forwarded a statement from the group in which it said the activists had passed through four fences and walked for "over two hours" before reaching the uranium storage building, on which they hung banners and strung crime-scene tape.
Ralph Hutchinson, coordinator for the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, said the group's intention was not to demonstrate the lack of security at the plant, but to take a stance against the making of nuclear weapons.

"It wasn't so they could show how easy it was to bust into this bomb plant, it was because the production of nuclear weapons violates everything that is moral and good," Hutchinson said. "It is a war crime."

Peter Stockton, a former congressional investigator and security consultant to the Energy Department, expressed skepticism at government assertions the nuclear material was not at risk.

"It is unbelievable this could happen," Stockton said. "The significance is outrageous. If they were terrorists, they could have blown open the door and got inside."
Stockton said the security breach was the "worst we've ever seen."

More here: U.S. nuclear bomb facility shut after security breach | Reuters

**Ducky** · 08-03-12, 11:07 AM

Oak Ridge is a neat place. Not, however, neat enough that I would go for an unauthorized, self guided night tour.

**Aegis** · 08-03-12, 05:12 PM

I grew up in Oak Ridge. My dad and great uncle worked at the facility when it was owned by Union Carbide. Heck, almost everybody in Anderson County TN worked at the plant in some capacity.

The history of Oak Ridge is fascinating stuff. The town was built to support the workers for the facilities dedicated to the Manhattan Project. Oak Ridge didn't exist prior to the atomic weapons program. FYI it was almost named Valhalla, but there was concern that the name would draw the attention of the Axis powers and reveal the work done there on the first atomic weapons.

I went back a couple years ago and toured the portion of the reservation open to the public. We took a train ride/guided tour through the area. There is security in place, but its no Fort Knox.

Also spent a day at the Oak Ridge Museum of Science and Energy. A great place I remembered fondly from my youth. My young son had a blast both places.

**Ducky** · 08-04-12, 09:58 AM

Aegis, I almost moved there when I was 16. Did the guided tour inside the facility, tripped a full body radiation alarm scanner, went to the museum, the works. Wound up moving near Savannah River Site instead. I think I would have preferred Oak Ridge as winter actually exists there.