Texas nuclear weapons plant shut down by duck hunters

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A pair of duck hunters prompted a lock-down in Texas at America's only nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly plant, officials said on Friday. but there was no security threat, officials said.

Published: 10:23PM GMT 15 Jan 2010

The plant was locked down after two people in green camouflage carrying rifles were spotted on property adjacent to it, said Carson County Sheriff Tam Terry.

"Somebody saw some armed individuals dressed in camouflage clothing exiting the vicinity of the plant," the sheriff said

Officials at the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, which maintains the safety, security and reliability of the US nuclear weapons stockpile, ordered a lock-down at about 8 am CST (1400 GMT), plant officials said in a statement.

Police found the pair of hunters setting out duck decoys and building a blind on property near the plant.

"They were very co-operative and compliant," Sheriff Terry said. "We identified them. We checked their criminal history."

The plant is operated by Babcock and Wilcox for the US Department of Energy, which oversees the US nuclear weapons stockpile.

Its nuclear stockpile was in no danger during the lock-down, which was purely precautionary, a state safety official said.

"There was not a threat to the Pantex plant assets, workers, or the public, and the plant is now returning to normal operations," the company said in a statement.

Source : Texas nuclear weapons plant shut down by duck hunters - Telegraph