Oregon State University
— -- Ten students, working for ABC News, visited nuclear reactors on 25 college campuses and found many gaping security holes, prompting a federal investigation. Here's what the team found at Oregon State University.
Reactor Name: OSU Radiation Center
Began Operating: 1967
Fuel: Highly enriched uranium, possession limit 13 kg.
Power Level: 1.1 MW
Location: The Radiation Center is located on the western edge of campus, across the street from EPA offices and labs, near a playing field used for intramural sports. Reser Stadium, which seats 43,000, is about a half-mile from the reactor.
Security Observations: A police cruiser in the adjacent parking lot. Building doors locked after hours. No armed guards.
What We Found: A previously scheduled tour of the reactor was canceled by the facility's director one day before the Fellows arrived. No details were provided on why the tour had been canceled. The Fellows did not attempt to enter the building.
University Reaction: Radiation Center Director Steven Reese would not provide further details about why the tour was canceled, but did say that tours are now back on at OSU. He said weapons are not allowed in the facility and all bags and people are "subject to search" by an unarmed security officer -- "who is me," said Reese.
Reese said a receptionist at the building during the day checks IDs and people have to log in. He would not comment further about security.
Additional Comment: Although Oregon State University does not have enough highly enriched uranium to build a nuclear bomb, some question why universities need HEU at all.
"What they should do is get the highly enriched uranium out of these places immediately," said professor Graham T. Allison of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. "That is, there should not be highly enriched uranium there."