Public mixed on reactions to possible Palisades restart
BENTON HARBOR — Members of the public shared support, raised concerns and asked questions about the potential restart of Palisades Nuclear Power Plant during a public meeting Wednesday, April 17.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which must approve the reinstatement of Palisades' operating license, held the outreach meeting at Lake Michigan College.
Palisades closed for decommissioning in May 2022. It was sold to current owner Holtec that summer. In September of that year, a plan to restart the plant was announced. Although a first attempt for funding was rejected, a second, ongoing attempt was launched in early 2023.
In late March, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced in a visit to Palisades a $1.52 billion conditional loan to support Holtec's efforts. One of the conditions for the loan is NRC approval.
More: Department of Energy grants $1.5B loan to restart Palisades
Palisades would be the first nuclear reactor in the United States to restart after being fully shut down for decommissioning. In addition to the recent federal funding commitment, Holtec has secured $150 million from the state of Michigan and signed a power purchase agreement with Wolverine Power Cooperative.
After a brief presentation from the NRC’s Restart Panel on Tuesday, more than 90 minutes were spent on comments and questions from the public, both in-person and virtual.
For those opposed to the restart plans, safety was top of mind.
“For my community, this is about an old nuclear reactor that has been plagued with issues for years,” said local resident Pam Zimmerman, citing maintenance and repairs put off at the plant. “Please, please do the right thing and do not restart this nuclear plant.”
Several people were opposed to the storage of waste along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
“After half a century, we still don’t know what to do with the nuclear waste, so why are we planning to make more?” asked Kraig Shultz from Michigan Safe Energy Future.
Officials agreed safety is the top priority in assessing a potential restart.
“Our job as the federal regulator is to ensure whether the plant is operating, shutting down, decommissioning, that it’s done safely,” Jack Giessner, administrator for NRC Region III, said. “That’s our mission — protecting the health and safety of you all, the public and the environment.”
Spokespeople for U.S. Reps. Bill Huizenga and Tim Walberg attended the meeting and shared support for the restart on behalf of the representatives. Local officials, including Covert Township Supervisor Daywi Cook and Hagar Township Trustee Peter Colovos, expressed support as well.
“I believe the restart of Palisades Nuclear Plant ... under safe conditions is good economic development and energy policy,” Colovos said.
Others in support of the project highlighted economic benefits and job creation, as well as bringing back a carbon-free power source.
“I’m thrilled about the opportunity of the restart of Palisades and the possibility for Palisades to set a precedent for bringing retired reactors back online,” Madison Schroder from Generation Atomic said. “There’s ample evidence that this restart will result in carbon emission reduction and economic benefits to the area.”
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Officials didn’t provide a timeline for when a decision might be made. Holtec has several licensing-related applications filed with the NRC, with plans to file more in the coming months.
The NRC will continue to hold public outreach meetings throughout the process "once a quarter or so," according to a representative.
To learn more or provide feedback online, visit nrc.gov/info-finder/reactors/pali.html.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Public mixed on reactions to possible Palisades restart
