FBI: Hole in Pipe at Florida Nuclear Plant was Vandalism, Not Terrorism

A tiny hole, intentionally drilled into a pipe at a nuclear power plant in Florida led to an extensive investigation by the FBI,  but authorities have now closed the case as an unsolved act of vandalism…not sabotage or terrorism.

An eighth-of-an-inch hole was discovered in March 2006 in a pipe that is part of the cooling system at the Turkey Point power plant, operated by Florida Power & Light. The FBI dispatched 50 agents to the sprawling plant to interview more than 700 utility workers. Florida Power offered a $100,000 reward for information about the culprit.

An out-of-state contractor hired to do routine maintenance is suspected of drilling the hole, Orihuela said. Agents found no evidence to indicate sabotage, though they called it vandalism.

The public’s health and safety were not at risk, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said.

A Florida Power spokeswoman declined to comment.