A “potential security event” was declared after electronic scans and detection dogs discovered a “possibility of explosive residue” on a delivery truck, the Energy Department said in a press release.
“Law enforcement agencies from South Carolina and Georgia were called and are on the scene to assist Centerra, the site security contractor,” the agency stated.
A US official told Reuters that the detection dog on duty had overreacted when it started barking at the delivery truck.
Bomb-detection units were also brought into the facility as a precaution, WJBF reported.
“Site barricades are currently closed to incoming traffic. There is no indication of a consequence beyond the Savannah River Site boundaries,” the Energy Department’s press release stated.
First constructed in the 1950s, the Savannah River Site is a facility that was used to refine nuclear material that was to be used in nuclear weapons. It now purifies highly enriched uranium for commercial purposes, Reuters stated.
The facility is home to five nuclear reactors. Two of the reactor buildings are being used to store nuclear material.
