NRC spokesman Scott Burnell explained to residents at last Thursday’s meeting that the agency will study the impact of the plant on “ground water, surface water, marine biology, terrestrial biology, air quality and also some more esoteric things like socioeconomic impacts.”
The plan: The Department of Energy announced in January a $1.5 billion loan guarantee to Palisades’ owner Holtec International to support its restart proposal. If approved by the NRC, Holtec wants to resume operations at the 777-MWe Palisades in 2025.
Specifically, the NRC is considering requests for an exemption, a license transfer, and a license amendment to support reauthorizing Palisades.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wrote to federal officials in support of the plant reopening, saying, “Holtec plans to repower and reopen the Palisades, a union plant in southwest Michigan that employs 600 workers making an average of $117,845; supports over 1,100 regional jobs; generates $363 million in annual regional economic development; and produces more than 800 megawatts of reliable, clean power. Keeping Palisades open is critical for Michigan’s competitiveness and future economic development opportunities.”
Feedback: George Sleeper, who retired from the Palisades plant when it closed and now serves on the South Haven, Mich., city council, said he supports the plant reopening, according to Michigan public radio.
“The city council approved a resolution supporting the restart of Palisades,” Sleeper said, “and I have confidence that the NRC, the DOE. and Holtec will do everything they need to, to ensure acceptable environmental impact associated with the restart.”
Kraig Schultz, who lives near the plant and is with the group Michigan Safe Energy Future, told the NRC that there needs to be thorough inspections and oversight of the project.
“If we’re really going to embark on another 50 years of trying to operate these plants, something no one has ever done, we need to really be doubling down and actually increasing our regulation to make sure that we don’t have a nuclear disaster here or anywhere in the world,” Schultz said.
Share your thoughts: The NRC is accepting public comments on the environmental assessment until July 29. Information on submitting comments can be found here.
