"For the administration and their close friends in the nuclear industry, the concern that increased security expenses could drive up the cost of nuclear power — and threaten industry profits — apparently trumps national security," it adds.

Not so, the industry responds.

"U.S. nuclear power plants are widely acknowledged by independent experts as the most secure facilities in the nation's industrial infrastructure," according to a Nuclear Energy Institute statement.

And the casks used to store the waste are concrete and rebar that have been tested "time and again" to withstand explosives and airplane crashes.

"Given the tight security around nuclear power plants and the technology of the safety measures, terrorists are going to go after an easier target," Singer said.

The Public Citizen report is available at www.homelandunsecured.org.

---

E-mail: donna@desnews.com; spang@desnews.com