UW-Madison representatives met the press Thursday to respond to allegations of a security breach at the nuclear reactor laboratory in the Engineering Research Building this summer by two interns posing as prospective students. ABC News sent the interns as part of an investigation into the safety of the nation's research reactors, and the report concluded there existed a tremendous threat of possible terrorist attacks.
Compounding the allegations already leveled by ABC News, reporters providing photo identification were led Thursday on a tour of the nuclear reactor without reactor employees searching their bags.
According to Mike Corradini, chair of engineering physics, the two ABC interns asking for a tour were turned away and told to set up a formal tour, which the facility regularly gives. But ABC reports the two interns returned later that afternoon and entered through the door of the facility, which is within 15 feet of the reactor. They were then permitted to take a photograph before being denied access by a student worker, according to ABC.
\Administratively the procedure should have been: The student should have told them they couldn't have a tour, thanked them, closed the door and had them go upstairs,"" Corradini said.
Following the incident Corradini informed the other research labs and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which conducted an independent investigation of security measures at UW-Madison in August.
Corradini said the reactor's design makes it inherently safe. He said it is the size of a student refrigerator and sits at the bottom of a pool 30 feet deep and 20 feet wide, with 12 feet of high-density concrete surrounding it.
""It's walkway-safe, so if the situation arose that these interns were actually not who they said they were and had malicious intent, they would essentially kill themselves with an explosive device and the reactor would be there afterwards,"" Corradini said.
""We have good confidence in the safety and security protocols that are in place. They are regularly reviewed, updated and tested, and we take issue with ABC's assertion that interns had any kind of meaningful access or that it posed any kind of security threat,"" Director of Research Communications Terry Devitt said.
""The Police Department is located a block away. If I didn't believe this was safe I would be concerned as anyone else,"" UW Assistant Police Chief Dale Burke said. ""I'm very confident that this university is at no increased risk today than it was five or even 30 years ago.""
Corradini said he considered the reports spurious.
""I would characterize these reports as overblown and sensational, and I find that very distressing,"" he said.
