Security for Plymouth nuclear plant to be brought in-house

The owner of Pilgrim Nuclear Station and an employee union have agreed to cancel Wackenhut Corp.'s contract for security at the plant and bring the site's more than 100 security officers in-house.

An Entergy Corp. spokesman said that the decision was a move to reduce costs, improve employee morale, and eliminate an administrative layer -- and not a reflection of dissatisfaction with Wackenhut's performance overseeing security at the Plymouth power plant for the past six years.

Critics including the nonprofit group Project on Government Oversight have accused Wackenhut of providing inadequate security at several US nuclear sites where the company is a contractor, including Pilgrim.

The 34-year-old plant provides electricity for about 670,000 homes. (AP)