SCHUMER CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE FEDERAL PROBE OF BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEM FOR EMPLOYEES AT NUCLEAR PLANTS AFTER REPORTS OF A MAN WITH SUSPECTED AL QAEDA TIES WORKED AT NJ PLANT
Reports Say Sharif Mobley was Radicalized As Early as 2006 but Maintained His Job at Various New Jersey Nuclear Plants Until 2008 Before Moving to Yemen
Schumer Calls for Immediate Investigation by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission into Background Check Process for New and Transferred Employees and Procedures for Improved Monitoring of Current Employees At All U.S. Nuclear Plants
Recent Federal Report Found that Background Checks for NRC's Own Employees Had Major Flaws
On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called for an immediate federal probe by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Inspector General into the background checks conducted on new and transferred employees at U.S. nuclear plants and the commission's procedures for monitoring current employees. Schumer's call comes on the heels of new reports that a man, Sharif Mobley, found to have ties to al-Qaeda, worked at a number of different New Jersey nuclear plants after becoming radicalized.
"This case clearly shows that we need a thorough review of the NRC's background check procedures and better monitoring of employees at nuclear plants. We simply cannot tolerate at any time having someone with terrorist ties working at a nuclear plant, period. It seems like common sense but clearly we need to tighten up the system."
Schumer pointed to reports that Sharif Mobley, an American who is being held in Yemen as a suspected militant with an al-Qaeda affiliated group, worked at the Salem and Hope Creek nuclear reactors in New Jersey and other reactors in the area. The company, Public Service Enterprise Group Inc., said in a report to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission that Mobley worked as a laborer from 2002 to 2008, mainly during refueling outages for several weeks at a time. He did routine labor work carrying supplies and assisting maintenance activities.
Mobley worked for several contractors at three nuclear power plants in New Jersey from 2002 to 2008. Mobley carried supplies and did maintenance work at the plants on Artificial Island in Lower Alloways Creek, and worked at other plants in the region as well. He satisfied federal background checks as recently as 2008.
Schumer today called for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Inspector General to conduct an immediate and thorough review of the Commission's procedures for background checks on new and transfer employees and for improved monitoring of current employees at all U.S. nuclear plants. The current background check examines, among other things, criminal history, employment history, a psychological assessment and behavioral observation. However, the NRC delegates the authority to complete background checks, which results in a certain degree of disparity in how checks are carried out, and what information is ultimately covered. Also, the checks are not required to cover such information as past travel, and ties with other countries.
Schumer said there have been problems reported in the past with the background check procedures at the NRC. In February, the Inspector General released a report critical of the NRC's personnel security clearance program for the agency's employees. The report actually found that the "NRC's personnel security clearance program lacks sufficient management controls and oversight to measure the program's efficiency and assign accountability for the program's performance."
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