WASHINGTON — Guards at a riverfront Army ammunition plant in Tennessee report that boaters have entered restricted areas, holes are often found in a perimeter fence, and a government contractor steps up security to impress inspectors.
One time, the guards say, two teenage runaways were found wandering around the 6,000-acre property.
The Army says the plant is meeting Defense Department security standards.
In written statements to lawmakers and in interviews with The Associated Press, about half a dozen security officers discussed alleged problems at the Holston Army Ammunition Plant. The facility in Kingsport, near the Virginia border in northeastern Tennessee about 100 miles from Knoxville, has been a major supplier of explosives to the military since World War II.
"We're really not prepared," Ron Nitrio, a security officer at the plant for 15 years, said in an interview. "If somebody wants to get in the base — they can get in almost anytime, almost anywhere."
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The company hired to provide security, Wackenhut Services Inc., said it was not aware of security lapses and contends the charges may be tied to wage and labor disputes at the plant. One disagreement involves a complaint by the guards that they are not paid as much as guards working for some other contractors at similar federal facilities.
"There are no serious security problems at Holston, not that I'm aware of," said James Long III, Wackenhut's chief executive.
The guards brought their allegations to Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who plan to ask the Army's inspector general this week for a formal inquiry.
The guards at the Holston plant say they routinely report problems such as holes in a perimeter fence, but that their concerns often are ignored.
"We have to write incident reports," guard Brian Darnell said. "It just got to be where nobody wants to write them anymore because nobody does anything about them."
The guards also allege the company cut back on patrols about a year ago in response to higher gasoline prices, and they say Wackenhut puts extra equipment and people on duty to ensure good marks when federal inspectors are around.
"We put on a facade for the right people," said Gerhard Marburger Jr., who has worked at the plant for about four years.
Marburger said hydraulic barriers generally are brought out only for inspections. In one instance, a plant mailman was asked to patrol the perimeter as if he were a security guard to help boost Wackenhut's marks during an inspection, he said.
Long, the Wackenhut executive, said there are two kinds of inspections — planned ones and surprise visits. He said Wackenhut does step up security during planned inspections, in which the Army might say it wants to see the site as it would appear under a threat.
The guards also say boaters are supposed to stay out of the part of the Holston River adjacent to the plant. But, they say, Wackenhut does not regularly patrol this area or take it seriously when boaters enter the restricted space or climb on the riverbanks.
In one instance, two teenage runaways were found wandering around the property. The two girls said they got there from the river. "At any point in time, they were probably within 100 yards of thousands of pounds of explosives," Marburger said.
