Tennessee Valley Authority security officers at nuclear power plants will soon be prohibited from carrying handguns.

WRCB-TV reports that the measure will be in place throughout the system by the end of the year.

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TVA Spokesman Scott Fiedler says in a statement that the implementation of other protective measures securing nuclear sites has rendered handguns obsolete when it comes to protecting the power plants.

Senior Nuclear Security Officer Paul Tackett expressed concern about the changes, recalling an officer who was shot at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in eastern Tennessee several years ago.

Fiedler says the action was recommended after following the regulatory review process.

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Information from: WRCB-TV, http://www.wrcbtv.com/