Posted on 03/20/2003 10:51:35 AM PST by adam_az
Also being reported by the Arizona Republic...
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0320paloverde20-ON.html
PNM is proud to be one of several owners of Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, the most productive nuclear power plant in the United States. Located about 50 miles west of Phoenix in Tonopah, Ariz., Palo Verde generates 3,810 megawatts of energy. The plant, which has been online since 1986, services homes throughout the Southwest and meets 30 percent of the power needs of PNM customers.
Palo Verde generated nearly 30.4 million megawatts of power in 2000, more than any other U.S. power plant. From 1997 to 1999, it had the second-lowest three-year average production costs of the 68 nuclear utilities in the United States at 1.29 cents per kilowatt-hour. That's almost a half cent lower than the national average for nuclear power plants.
Now for the tin foil hat stuff - Fort Huachuca, Arizona - on the Mexican border in the SE corner of the state - has one of a few radar-equipped AeroStat blimps that constantly scan the skies for aircraft coming from Mexico. The blimp raises the radar package above the mountains to eliminate the blind spots that mountains cause with ground-based radar. However, the AeroStat at Fort Huachuca mysteriously ruptured earlier this month and was basically destroyed. It was moored to the ground at the time when it just blew up. They attribute the rupture to high winds - but that's why the moored the thing - to protect it from high winds. And the winds weren't really that high that day anyway.
I'd post a picture of the destroyed blimp here if I could. The story was in the Huachuca Scout - the official Fort Huachuca Army-printed newspaper - with a few photos. However, the Huachuca Scout did not publish that weekly issue online. They've got every other weekly issues, including the 12 March issue, but they do NOT have the 6 March issue.
Hmmmmmm....
Now, you can take your tin foil hats off. I'm sure that all of this is unrelated to a specific threat to the Palo Verde facility and is simply a product of an overactive imagination.
The Governor's Office of the State of Arizona issued a press release regarding National Guard deployment at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station (PVNGS). The press release was issued at approximately 10:00 MST 03/18/03. The Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station has no plans to issue a press release at this time.[Search for "AZ" if you have trouble finding quote]
"However, another U.S. government source said the intelligence is uncorroborated and has not been deemed credible. But officials are taking any such threat seriously, according to the source."
Could it be peaceniks messing with us?
I have to leave soon. Can you ping me if there is any more info on this? Thanks.
GWfan
Virginia governor, Portland, D.C. mayors cancel Ariz. trips
Mike Sunnucks The Business Journal
The start of the Iraq war and concerns about terrorism have resulted in the governor of Virginia and the mayors of Washington, D.C., and Portland, Ore. canceling trips to Phoenix.
Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, Portland Mayor Vera Katz and D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams were scheduled to be in Arizona today and tomorrow to meet with Major League Baseball officials about bringing a team to their respective jurisdictions.
But the elected officials scuttled their travel plans amidst worries about terrorism on U.S. soil and the need to take care of homeland security needs in their respective jurisdictions.
Warner spokeswoman Ellen Qualls said the decision not to travel to Arizona was made yesterday after consulting with federal Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.
Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Portland are in the running for a baseball team if baseball owners opt to relocate and sell the financially struggling Montreal Expos. Other representatives of those jurisdictions did make the trip to Phoenix to meet with league officials.
© 2003 American City Business Journals Inc.
If they are cancelling their trip, what could it mean?
5:31 PM Eastern Time
Security tight at Palo Verde; U.S. energy secretary says plant might have been target
By LYNN DUCEY, Associated Press Writer
WINTERSBURG, Ariz.
A pair of National Guard soldiers carrying M-16 rifles stood guard at the entrance to Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station. A military jet circled above.
After the U.S. energy secretary said Thursday that terrorists might have targeted Palo Verde, the nation's largest nuclear power plant, the state's homeland security chief called this "probably the safest place today in Arizona."
The Washington Times reported that terrorists have targeted Palo Verde, which is about 50 miles west of downtown Phoenix. The newspaper said the government was seeking Iraqi "sleeper cells" that might carry out the attack.
El Paso Electric, with about 314,000 customers in West Texas and southern New Mexico, gets 49 percent of its power from Palo Verde.
Responding to a question on that report by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham told the Senate Armed Services Committee that terrorists might have targeted Palo Verde. He said he couldn't go into details about intelligence reports concerning the plant.
"Actions are being taken by all the appropriate agencies to address the concerns that have been raised," Abraham said.
Congressional and administration sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that the initial concern about Palo Verde now is being largely discounted.
"There's no reason to believe that based on what we know right now that there is any matter to worry about," said Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. He said the intelligence report has been "thoroughly investigated ... and nothing has been found."
Gov. Janet Napolitano sent National Guard troops here Tuesday to provide additional security.
"We are not in a position to comment on any specific threats that may have been made against the power plant," Napolitano said Thursday in a news release. "My decision to send troops was a direct result of a U.S. Department of Homeland Security request relative to nuclear power plants."
Chuck Blanchard, Arizona's homeland security director, said National Guard units were ordered to the plant because Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge asked all the governors who have nuclear power plants in their state to beef up security.
"The physical layout of the facility with concrete and steel would make it a very poor target for a terrorist," Blanchard said, calling Palo Verde "probably the safest place today in Arizona."
Residents of Wintersburg have seen and heard military helicopters almost constantly and some jets since Tuesday, said Sherry Fredrickson, a housewife.
"We're probably safer here than anywhere in the world," Fredrickson said.
"I actually feel safer knowing that there's people down there watching," said Tracy Hodges, a teacher.
Palo Verde provides electricity to 4 million customers in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. Arizona Public Service Co. operates the plant for a consortium of six other utilities.
Palo Verde's three domed reactors produced 30 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2002, more than any other U.S. power plant, according to plant statistics.
Arizona Public Service spokesman Jim McDonald said he couldn't comment on any intelligence reports the utility might have received.
"Security is elevated. No question about that," McDonald said.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Event Notification Report for March 21, 2003
MEDIA COVERAGE OF TERRORIST TARGET(Paragraph is at bottom of page.)"The following event description is based on information currently available. If through subsequent reviews of this event, additional information is identified that is pertinent to this event or alters the information being provided at this time, a follow-up notification will be made via the ENS or under the reporting requirements of 10CFR50.73. "This ENS notification is to inform the agency of an issue within the NRC's purview that may affect or raise a concern about the public health and safety.
"It has been reported in two news articles that the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station has been identified as a terrorist target.
These two articles have been copied from the internet www.cnn.com/2003/US/Southwest/03/20/nuclear.plant.threat/index.html and www.washtimes.com/national/20030320-43174000.htm and attached to this notification. We have also been informed of television coverage on the same subject on CNN and local networks.
"The Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station is prepared to respond to media questions, but has no plans to issue a press release. "The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified of this ENS call."
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