Lockyer asks for Nuclear Plant Security Enhancements

Loss concerned about a possible accident at a Nuclear generating plant than with intentional sabotage, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer is calling for increased security at San Onofre and Diablo Canyon:

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer and the attorneys general from six other states, warning of possibly unimaginable nuclear catastrophes, have called on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to order action to protect nuclear power plants against terrorist attack by air and water.

Their seven-page petition, filed with the commission late Monday, says the federal agency should upgrade the plants' safety "to reflect the realities of 2005, beginning with an immediate recognition of what we all learned on September 11, 2001 ('9/11') and earlier -- terrorists may attack by air or water and in numbers greater than four."

"The United States has over 100 active and retired nuclear power plants containing thousands of tons of highly radioactive and toxic fuel, waste and equipment," their petition continues. "Some of these facilities are close to major population centers where tens of millions of people live. Any significant release of radiation from such nuclear power plants could cause unimaginable human injury and economic loss."