Challenging a federal licensing-board decision, an environmental coalition is appealing to regulators to stop the restart of Holtec International’s Palisades nuclear power plant in Van Buren County.
The coalition is made up of non- profits, Beyond Nuclear, and Don’t Waste Michigan, among others. It filed an appeal with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission over the rejected environmental concerns it says are tied to restarting the more than 50-year-old reactor in Covert Township.
Nuclear expert and Fairewinds chief engineer Arnie Gundersen says NRC rejections like this are not new.
“Every single contention that Beyond Nuclear and Don’t Waste Michigan and other groups have brought forward has been just categorically rejected by the NRC,” Gundersen said.
The coalition also argues regulators are moving too quickly and not taking environmental risks seriously. Gunderson says based on his experience with other closed nuclear plants, restarting Palisades won’t happen without problems.
“But people in Palisades Park are going to get rained on by radiation. And that’s the best case. The worst case could be many tube leaks and a serious release of radiation. For what? Michigan is doing just fine without the power plant running.”
The coalition is calling for a full Environmental Impact Statement, arguing renewable sources like wind and solar could replace the 800 megawatts Holtec expects from Palisades, without the nuclear risk.
If the NRC rejects the appeal, the group plans to take the fight to federal court.
