Insisting Pennsylvania can protect its nuclear power stations, Gov. Edward Rendell on Thursday pulled National Guard troops and State Police from around-the-clock guard duty at five atomic reactors. The governor’s order is one of the first signs that public officials are growing more confident they can protect the public from attacks on nuclear facilities, though critics claim the cutbacks are motivated by money. Rendell defended his order, saying, “I want to make it clear the decision to discontinue the current deployment does not signal that the Commonwealth will no longer be actively involved in monitoring and contributing to the safety and security of these facilities.” “The National Guard and State Police will continue to contribute personnel and assets to ensure these facilities are safe and secure,” the governor said, but no guard schedules were disclosed. The governor acknowledged that some state lawmakers and residents living near the plants feared Pennsylvania was compromising safety to save money and had complained they were not consulted before the pullback went into effect Thursday. Full Story
About OODA Analyst
OODA is comprised of a unique team of international experts capable of providing advanced intelligence and analysis, strategy and planning support, risk and threat management, training, decision support, crisis response, and security services to global corporations and governments.