After a stunning security breach, the Department of Energy announced Friday they have requested that the security contract with WSI be terminated.
In July, the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge was the site of a break-in by three protesters that led federal officials to stop all nuclear activities there. Officials cited a list of security violations that allowed the break-in to take place.
In a statement, Josh McConaha, spokesman for the National Nuclear Security Administration, said that "the incident at Y-12 was a completely unacceptable breach of security and an important wake up call for our entire complex. The security of our nation's nuclear material is the Department's most important responsibility, and we have no tolerance for federal or contractor personnel who cannot or will not do their jobs."
McConaha outlines the steps already taken, including terminating the top leadership of WSI at Y-12 and the officers involved. In addition, three federal officials with security oversight responsibilities were reassigned.
In addition, the release states, "NNSA and DOE are also engaging in reviews of security operations at every level - from the contractor, to the federal management up the chain, to the security model itself. The final review in that series will begin shortly when the Secretary asks observers outside the Department to analyze the current model for protection of nuclear materials and explore additional options for protecting these sites."