NRC orders Holtec to fix Palisades safety culture

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission ordered Holtec International to correct a "chilled work environment" at the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan.

The regulator issued the warning after two recent safety incidents and a poor performance on licensing exams. The NRC stated that staff feel reluctant to raise safety concerns due to a fear of retaliation.

An NRC inspection in July examined safety awareness at the facility. That review followed a fall by a contractor into the reactor cavity earlier in the year. The worker swallowed some water and was transported off-site for medical care. Radiation protection staff decontaminated the individual, but an incident report noted 300 counts per minute were still detected in their hair.

A second incident occurred in August when a bundle of nuclear fuel rods tilted during refueling. That event delayed the planned first restart of a closed nuclear reactor in the United States.

The regulator found that nine of the 15 reactor operators at Palisades failed the initial license examination administered in July and August. Six individuals received operator licenses.

Holtec has never operated a nuclear power plant. The company secured roughly $2.2 billion in government support for the Palisades effort. Critics argue that financial and political pressure to revitalize nuclear power in response to artificial intelligence energy demand could raise the likelihood of accidents.

Palisades is not the only shuttered facility seeking a comeback. Owners of Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania and Duane Arnold in Iowa announced restart plans soon after work began at Palisades.