March 17, 2014

CHU CALLS Y-12 SECURITY BREACH ‘IMPORTANT WAKE UP CALL’

By ExchangeMonitor

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu called the July 28 security breach at the Y-12 National Security Complex an “important wake up call” for the weapons complex during a speech at the International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference in Vienna Monday, suggesting that the incident should serve as a lesson for the rest of the world. “Last month, when protestors breached the security perimeter of one of our most important nuclear security facilities, we took swift and strong action to redouble security at all of our nuclear sites,” Chu said, according to his prepared remarks. “While they never posed a threat to any sensitive materials, this unfortunate incident was an important wake up call for our entire complex, and an important reminder that none of us can afford anything but the highest level of vigilance.”

In a wide-ranging speech, Chu also reemphasized the Obama Administration’s nuclear security agenda, saying the Administration was still committed to pursuing Senate ratification of the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty, pushing for a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty, and seeking to further reduce the size of its nuclear stockpile through a future agreement with Russia. “To continue future arms reduction initiatives, the United States will continue researching advanced monitoring and verification capabilities that can provide confidence in a range of verification initiatives,” Chu said.

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