Speaking for myself.

You can’t make this stuff up, but it appears Vermont Yankee is “melting down” in more ways than one.

Two weeks ago, an ice truck made a delivery to the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant without being searched. Now we’re learning about the incident.

Bob Audette of The Brattleboro Reformer has the story.

Though spokesmen from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon said there was no danger to the plant’s reactor building, a man who delivered a truckload of ice to the plant said he was astounded when he was waved through the front gate two weeks ago without being searched.

“It struck me as weird to be able to drive through the first gate,” said Peter Caloon, Rice’s Ice plant manager, in Greenfield, Mass. “Why do they have a guy with an automatic rifle at the gate if they’re not worried about checking vehicles there?”

Caloon was delivering $68 dollars worth of ice — 360 pounds – -for an employee meeting.

“If I had gotten through the second gate and my truck was filled with explosives like Timothy McVeigh and I pushed a button, everyone would have been gone,” said Caloon.

Caloon used to drive for a local beverage dealer and whenever he delivered spring water to the plant, his truck was searched. But not now.

Neil Shehan, of the NRC, gives the usual “nothing to see here, keep moving” excuse. Audette continues.

Under NRC regulations, plants are required to ensure that only authorized vehicles are granted access through vehicle barrier portals, he said, which might consist of obstacles such as Jersey barriers or large concrete blocks.

“Vehicles and materials that will be going through the vehicle barrier portals are searched for contraband or other items that could be used to commit radiological sabotage,” said Sheehan. “The ice truck was not granted access past those vehicle barriers and therefore did not have to be searched. There was no requirement that the truck be searched.”

But Caloon comes up with the money quote.

“Shouldn’t that be your first line of defense?” asked Caloon, about the main gate. Caloon was so concerned that he contacted the NRC’s Allegations Division, which told him no security measures were violated. Caloon said he begged to differ with its conclusion.

“I was delivering ice to the Keystone Cops,” he said.

To read the article in full click here.