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NRC warns Holtec over safety culture at Palisades restart
The NRC told Holtec to address a chilled work environment at Michigan's Palisades plant after a worker fell into a reactor cavity and fuel rods tilted, Ars Technica reported. Holtec said it is addressing the issues.
- New headline Was: “The reactor meant to showcase nuclear’s comeback keeps hitting problems”
- Our desk filed its story
- New headline Was: “NRC warns Holtec after Palisades restart incidents, Ars reports”
U.S. nuclear regulators have warned Holtec International over safety culture at the Palisades plant in Michigan, a restart project the company is racing to complete, Ars Technica reported Friday1.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission told Holtec to address a chilled work environment that has made staff hesitant to raise safety concerns without fear of retaliation, according to the account1.
The NRC inspected the site in July over concerns about safety awareness after an incident last year in which a contractor fell into a reactor cavity, ingested some water, and was sent off-site for medical attention, the report said1. Radiation-protection staff decontaminated the worker, who had 300 counts per minute detected in their hair, according to an incident report cited in the piece1. Holtec said the worker had minor injuries from the fall and quickly returned to work1.
In a second incident in August, a bundle of nuclear fuel rods tilted during a refueling operation, delaying what was expected to be the first reopening of a shuttered U.S. reactor, Ars Technica said1. In a statement to the Financial Times carried by Ars, Holtec said the fuel assembly was recovered without spilling1.
The NRC also said nine of 15 reactor operators at Palisades failed an initial license examination given in July and August, and that six people were issued operator licenses1.
Holtec has never operated a nuclear power plant and has secured about $2.2 billion in government support for Palisades, the report said1. Owners of Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania and Duane Arnold in Iowa announced restarts after Palisades began work1.
The Trump administration has promoted nuclear power as a way to meet AI-driven electricity demand and compete with China, including by cutting regulation, providing tens of billions of dollars, and pledging to reverse what it called a culture of risk aversion at the NRC, according to Ars Technica1. Critics cited in the piece said financial and political pressure to restart plants could raise accident risk1.
Holtec told the FT it takes the NRC's issues seriously and is addressing them so the plant runs safely, and that a safety-conscious work environment is fundamental to its culture1. The NRC asked Holtec to correct the problems and said it would review the company's plan within 30 days, while saying mitigating measures meant plant safety was not compromised, according to the report1. The warning last week came as investor interest in the nuclear sector had faded, Ars said1.
