[Guest post by DRJ]

Phoenix’s Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, the largest power plant in the US, was locked down today after a pipe bomb was found in the truck of a contract worker:

“A suspicious item seized Friday morning from the truck of a contract worker at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station turned out to be an apparent pipe bomb, plant operator Arizona Public Service Co. said. The plant declared an “unusual event” and locked down the facility in response. The plant has several hundred contract workers on site working on upgrades.

APS said in a press release that the vehicle was removed from the security checkpoint, which is at least a quarter of a mile from the parking lot. APS security, who check identification and search vehicles at the checkpoint, did not detect explosive material on the small, capped pipe, the company said. But the bomb squad from Maricopa County Sheriffs Office confirmed it was a “credible explosive device,” APS said.

Two elementary schools and a high school in the area were locked down briefly when a plant employee notified the district, Superintendent Robin Berry said.

“This is not a threat to the public,” said Jim McDonald, a spokesman for plant operator Arizona Public Service Co. earlier Friday. “If it had the potential to be, the security guards stopped it.”

The plant has returned to normal operations and the worker is being questioned by law enforcement. The odds are it’s an explainable, low-threat event but it’s good news the facility handled things well.

There’s no harm in good news every now and then.

— DRJ