One might think the NRC would be concerned about this. It's not.
Is Constellation Energy Group, which runs the place? Not really.
And why not?
Granted, it would take a lot more than a few bullets to knock over a reactor…
Well, there’s that. So what happened?
Apparently [actually, no “apparently” about it] officials created a firing range on the secured grounds of the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant in Lusby, Md., and use it about 200 days a year.
But the shooting was halted earlier this month after someone's off-target shots during SWAT exercises shattered glass and struck a command center near the reactors.
Just think! If the bullets had got any nearer to the reactors, they would have – well, gotten nearer to the reactors. And not only at Calvert Cliffs:
Firing ranges are common on the sprawling grounds of the nation's nuclear facilities, [NRC spokeswoman Holly] Harrington said. At Calvert Cliffs, the range is used about 200 days a year by plant security officers, who are tested regularly by commission auditors.
Should Constellation be careful it doesn’t recur? Sure – an investigation is why the shooting range is shut down for now. Maybe they’ll move it further out – maybe they’ll put up some kind of barrier between range and plant. We’ll see.
But in any event:
"Heck, you could take a gun and shoot right at the reactor from the outside" and still not cause significant damage, [Lt. Steve Jones, commander of criminal investigations for the sheriff's office] said.
He called the incident a "training accident" and said a combination of "target placement [and] shooter error" probably was to blame. Investigators are conducting ballistics tests to determine which officer fired the stray shots.
Regardless, hate to be that officer.
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Gotta love cable news.
Bullets flying around some of most toxic materials known to man?
Brilliant!
Sheesh!
Calvert Cliffs – pocked with bullets but standing tall.
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