Page images
PDF
EPUB

FED-DOCS

Y 4.G 74/7:H 75/23

HOMELAND SECURITY: MONITORING NUCLEAR

POWER PLANT SECURITY

HEARING

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY,
EMERGING THREATS AND INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON

GOVERNMENT REFORM

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

SEPTEMBER 14, 2004

Serial No. 108-265

Printed for the use of the Committee on Government Reform

[blocks in formation]

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800; DC area (202) 512-1800
Fax: (202) 512-2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-0001

COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM

DAN BURTON, Indiana

TOM DAVIS, Virginia, Chairman

CHRISTOPHER SHAYS, Connecticut
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida
JOHN M. MCHUGH, New York
JOHN L. MICA, Florida
MARK E. SOUDER, Indiana
STEVEN C. LATOURETTE, Ohio
DOUG OSE, California

RON LEWIS, Kentucky

TODD RUSSELL PLATTS, Pennsylvania
CHRIS CANNON, Utah

ADAM H. PUTNAM, Florida
EDWARD L. SCHROCK, Virginia

JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee
NATHAN DEAL, Georgia

CANDICE S. MILLER, Michigan
TIM MURPHY, Pennsylvania
MICHAEL R. TURNER, Ohio
JOHN R. CARTER, Texas

MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee
PATRICK J. TIBERI, Ohio
KATHERINE HARRIS, Florida

HENRY A. WAXMAN, California
TOM LANTOS, California
MAJOR R. OWENS, New York
EDOLPHUS TOWNS, New York
PAUL E. KANJORSKI, Pennsylvania
CAROLYN B. MALONEY, New York
ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland
DENNIS J. KUCINICH, Ohio
DANNY K. DAVIS, Illinois

JOHN F. TIERNEY, Massachusetts

WM. LACY CLAY, Missouri

DIANE E. WATSON, California

STEPHEN F. LYNCH, Massachusetts

CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, Maryland

LINDA T. SANCHEZ, California

C.A. "DUTCH" RUPPERSBERGER, Maryland ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of Columbia

JIM COOPER, Tennessee

BETTY MCCOLLUM, Minnesota

BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont (Independent)

MELISSA WOJCIAK, Staff Director

DAVID MARIN, Deputy Staff Director/Communications Director
ROB BORDEN, Parliamentarian
TERESA AUSTIN, Chief Clerk

PHIL BARNETT, Minority Chief of Staff/Chief Counsel

[blocks in formation]

CONTENTS

[blocks in formation]

Zimmerman, Roy P., Director, Office of Nuclear Security and Incidence
Response, Nuclear Regulatory Commission:

Information concerning force-on-force exercises

Information concerning licensee employees

[blocks in formation]

110

108

HOMELAND SECURITY: MONITORING
NUCLEAR POWER PLANT SECURITY

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2004

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY, EMERGING
THREATS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS,

COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM,

Washington, DC.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:05 a.m., in room 2247, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Christopher Shays (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Present: Representatives Shays, Platts, Duncan, Kucinich, Sanders, Maloney, Ruppersberger, Tierney, and Watson.

Staff present: Lawrence Halloran, staff director and counsel; J. Vincent Chase, chief investigator; Robert A. Briggs, clerk; Andrew Su, minority professional staff member; and Jean Gosa, minority assistant clerk.

Mr. SHAYS. A quorum being present, the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations entitled Homeland Security: Monitoring Nuclear Power Plant Security is called to order.

I have a statement. I am going to catch my breath, and I am going to ask the ranking member to start, and then I will make my opening statement.

Mr. KUCINICH. I want to thank the chairman, as always, for his diligence in matters of security in calling these hearings and indicate my appreciation for the attention that you pay to these matters.

Good morning to the Chair and members of the subcommittee and to our witnesses here today. I welcome this opportunity to discuss nuclear security in open session. As both Congress and the public have been stymied for far too long and getting truthful answers to many questions we have about nuclear safety and security.

Three years ago, two incidents shook the faith of the American people in our security. The first, of course, was the tragic attack on our country by terrorists on September 11.

The other less-known incident was the hidden problem going on at the Davis-Besse nuclear reactor in Ohio. These are the facts.

In February 2001 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission began investigating an aging mechanism that often caused cracking in reactors. As a result of these findings in late 2001, the NRC determined that the Davis-Besse plant was at risk and should shut down by December 31, 2001. FirstEnergy, the plant owner, resisted the

(1)

« PreviousContinue »