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National Guard Deploys To
More Nuclear Power Plants
By Steve Barnes
11-1-1

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Reuters) - U.S. National Guard troops have been deployed to boost security at nuclear power plants owned by Entergy Corp. in three southern states after the federal government issued a terrorism alert this week, the company said on Wednesday.
 
Entergy, the nation's third-largest power generator, said it had asked for the military back-up because of a generally heightened state of alert but added there was no specific threat against any U.S. nuclear power plants.
 
"This involves no specific threat but there is a general credible threat against nuclear facilities and we are taking what we believe are appropriate precautions," Entergy spokesman Phil Fisher said.
 
The deployments at four nuclear power stations in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi came after similar action earlier this month at three Entergy nuclear plants in New York and Massachusetts.
 
Entergy said the three southern governors acted after discussions with the company following a general alert on Monday by U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, who warned that terror attacks may be carried out in the next week against U.S. targets at home or overseas but said no specific targets were known.
 
"We have no reason to believe that any attack is planned against Arkansas Nuclear One or any other nuclear plant that we are aware of," Entergy's Fisher said.
 
Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said he deployed National Guard troops at Arkansas Nuclear One, a two-reactor plant in Dardanelle about 70 miles northwest of Little Rock.
 
"In response to concerns about terrorist threats, Entergy has requested assistance from Gov. Huckabee and the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management to increase security at Arkansas Nuclear One," the governor's office said in statement.
 
Officials in the governor's office did not elaborate on the reasons for Entergy's request and declined to say how many troops were deployed or how long they would remain on duty.

 
 
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