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Burlington — Razor wire, surveillance cameras and guards armed with M-16 machine guns give the site the look of a prison or military installation.

The protections aren't there for hardened criminals or military personnel, but to safeguard the nuclear fuel inside the Wolf Creek Nuclear Generating Station, 60 miles south of Topeka. Such security measures have taken on greater importance, officials said Wednesday, since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

And, they said, those measures are constantly changing in response to threats facing the nation's 103 nuclear plants.

"We feel like our security has always been good," said Rick Muench, president of Wolf Creek.

Muench said since the 2001 attacks Wolf Creek had increased security officers by a third, increased patrols and installed new and additional high-tech surveillance equipment. He and others hear fewer questions about Wolf Creek's security than they did immediately after the attacks, but the issue remains at the forefront.

In October, the plant built a vehicle checkpoint. On Wednesday, a guard armed with a machine gun stood aside as another checked under hoods and beneath cars with a mirror.

Last month, congressional investigators raised questions about security at the national's commercial nuclear plants and the effectiveness of security exercises. But Loren Cox, security investigator at the plant, said the average nuclear plant spent about $7.3 million on security. Training is a major component, including force-on-force exercises within the plant.

"We focus on what is going on in the real world," Cox said.

Spokeswoman Susan Maycock said checks were random for badged employees, but all deliveries are stopped and examined.

"Everybody's checked. Even Rick, our UPS guy, and he comes in twice a day," Maycock said.

Inside the plant, workers are screened, including extensive background and psychological tests, before being hired. Employees must show identification badges, pass through metal detectors and be identified by electronic devices that recognize hand prints.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission also issues orders for plants to improve security. Wolf Creek officials said they expected to beat an October 2004 deadline for making improvements required by that agency.

When federal officials raise the national terrorist threat level, Maycock said, the plant closes its learning center to visitors, takes its Web site offline and keeps fishermen off Coffey County Lake, which Wolf Creek uses to cool the steam that turns its generating turbines.

As for the plant's location in rural Coffey County, Vice President Britt McKinney says, "From a common-sense standpoint, I think it's a benefit. But from a practical standpoint, you can't take the threats any less seriously."

Officials won't say much about how Wolf Creek would respond to an attack, citing security concerns.

Wolf Creek is owned by Westar Energy Inc., Kansas' largest electric utility; Kansas City Power & Light Co. in Missouri, and the Kansas Electric Power Cooperative. The plant produces about 1.2 million kilowatts of electricity for 800,000 customers in Kansas and western Missouri.