Members of the Savannah River Site Citizens Advisory Board are worried about recent drone sightings over the Department of Energy facility in South Carolina because no one knows who’s flying them or why. As of Thursday, site employees have documented 12 drone sightings above SRS, though the number of drones involved is unclear. The sightings date back to June 19 and the most recent occurred on July 22.
CAB member Nina Spinelli said Thursday that the drone sightings were a topic of concern during a committee meeting earlier this month. The CAB has not made a recommendation or taken any other formal action regarding the drone sightings. “There is definitely a safety concern and I know people are worried,” Spinelli said. “It’s an issue because we just don’t know who’s behind this.”
On July 15, the Savannah River Site reported that the facility was going through the process of establishing a no-fly zone over the site. SRS spokesperson Monte Volk said Thursday that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is leading the efforts to restrict the airspace over all DOE sites, including NNSA facilities such as Savannah River. “NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile and works to reduce the global danger from weapons of mass destruction. Unfettered UAS (unmanned aerial system) flights over NNSA facilities counteract those efforts,” he said by email.
The request must be filed with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). There has been no reported projection for when that will happen. FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said previously that approval of such a restriction can take anywhere from 20 months to two years,“ depending on environmental and aeronautical analysis that is required.”
Though no laws are being broken, SRS officials have said the drones present a security risk because no one knows who is responsible for them. Nuclear watchdog SRS Watch has taken manned flights over the site multiple times in the past to capture pictures for public consumption. Tom Clements, the organization’s director, said he was approached by the FBI in June, but that he is not involved in the recent drone flights.
SRS won’t provide more details on its process to request a no-fly zone due to the sensitivity of the matter. Drones have been seen flying over the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF), which is being constructed to convert 34 metric tons of weapon-usable plutonium into commercial nuclear fuel; over H Area, where nuclear materials are processed; and over E Area, where low-level waste and transuranic waste is stored.
“All UAS sightings over the Savannah River Site are taken seriously,” Volk said. “When a UAS sighting is reported, a site-wide security alert is initiated notifying site employees to observe and report anything they may see.”
