FBI Warns Of Nuke Plant Danger

(CBS)  Operators of the nation's nuclear power plants should remain vigilant about suspicious activity that could signal a potential terrorist attack, the FBI says in its latest terrorism bulletin.

Things to watch out for include people who are seen photographing the plants or aircraft that fly too close to them, says the bulletin circulated Wednesday to about 18,000 state and local law enforcement agencies.

The FBI has no specific intelligence that an attack is planned against any of the nation's 103 nuclear power plants. But a senior FBI official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the bulletin is meant to ensure that plant operators and local law enforcement personnel remain alert to the possibility.

The FBI's message follows the release Tuesday of new Nuclear Regulatory Commission security rules requiring more training for guards, placing limits on how many hours they can work and mandating additional, classified protective measures to defend against sabotage or terrorist attacks.

Nuclear plants have 35 days to tell the NRC if they are unable to comply with that order for logistical or safety reasons.

The FBI bulletin spells out the actions nuclear plant officials should take if they see suspicious activity around a plant, such as reporting to the Federal Aviation Administration the tail number of any plane spotted flying too close.

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, nuclear plants have been at the top of U.S. lists of vulnerable sites. When the nation's terror alert status was raised to high earlier this month, National Guard troops were dispatched to many plants as an extra precaution.

A "no-fly" zone was established over all U.S. nuclear plants shortly after the terrorist attacks, but it elapsed soon afterward. Officials in New York State have asked the federal government to re-establish such a zone over the Indian Point power plants, located about 35 miles north of New York City.

The notice from the FBI is the third terrorism-related bulletin released since early April. The bureau previously warned about female al Qaeda operatives and the threat of homemade toxins being used in terror attacks.