NRC cites operator failures and staff fear at Palisades plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a formal order to Holtec International on October 23, requiring the company to address safety concerns at the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan. The directive follows two recent incidents and a high failure rate among staff attempting to regain their reactor operator licenses.

In July, the NRC inspected the facility after receiving reports about the safety culture at the site. The review revealed that employees felt reluctant to raise safety issues due to a fear of retaliation. The regulator described the workplace atmosphere as a chilled environment that hindered open communication among staff members.

This regulatory action comes after a series of operational setbacks. In August, a bundle of nuclear fuel rods tilted during a refueling operation, which delayed the expected restart of the reactor. That event followed an incident the previous year when a contractor fell into the reactor cavity. The worker swallowed water and was sent for medical care. Decontamination efforts by radiation protection staff found 300 counts per minute remaining in the worker's hair.

Licensing exams administered in July and August also showed gaps in preparedness. Nine of the 15 reactor operators at Palisades failed the initial examination. Only six individuals received their licenses. Holtec International has never operated a nuclear power plant before this project.

The company has secured approximately $2.2 billion in government support for the Palisades effort. This investment has been promoted as a central part of the administration's strategy to revive the domestic nuclear industry. Critics argue that the pressure to meet political and financial goals for energy production, driven partly by artificial intelligence demand, increases the risk of operational errors.

The regulatory order is the latest hurdle for the project. The NRC expects Holtec to implement changes to the work environment and ensure proper staffing. The plant remains in the process of preparing for its first restart after years of closure.

Other shuttered facilities in the United States have announced similar plans. Owners of the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania and the Duane Arnold facility in Iowa revealed restart intentions shortly after work began at Palisades. These projects aim to add nuclear capacity to the national grid.