MOTORIST ALLOWED ACCESS TO Y-12 IN ANOTHER EMBARRASSING INCIDENT

In another embarrassing security incident at the Y-12 National Security Complex, Y-12 guards last week allowed an unauthorized driver through the plant’s main entrance, the National Nuclear Security Administration confirmed. The incident came less than a year after elderly peace activists penetrated the most secure portions of the Y-12 National Security Complex, which led to the termination of protective force contractor WSI-Oak Ridge’s contract at the site and significant contractor and federal leadership to be removed, and is certain to bring added scrutiny to the beleaguered site. NNSA spokesman Steven Wyatt said the driver—reported to be a 62-year-old woman that inadvertently drove through the entrance looking for an affordable apartment—was detained after a few minutes and turned over to the Oak Ridge Police Department, did not get out of her car, and did not reach Y-12’s high security areas.

He said the guards involved in the incident have been removed from duty pending an investigation, gate procedures are being reviewed, and supervisors have been added to each of Y-12’s entrances until further notice. “We have zero tolerance for security lapses and we are ensuring there is full accountability for this unacceptable incident,” Wyatt said. “Safety and security are NNSA’s top priorities, and the causes of this failure will be reviewed aggressively and corrected quickly.”