The closed Palisades Nuclear Plant that sits on the shores of Lake Michigan is now going through the first ever permitting process to restart a closed nuclear plant. The plant, built in 1971, was forced to close early in May 2022 after a very troubled and controversial history. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will be holding an important public meeting the evening of July 11 seeking input on the environmental review process for the proposed restart of this power plant. https://www.nrc.gov/cdn/doc-collection-news/2024/24-052.pdf The meeting will be held in Benton Harbor as a hybrid in-person/virtual event, with preference given to those attending in person to make comments on the proposal.
Holtec International, the company that decommissioned the plant, has been pushing hard to re-open the plant despite having no history of running a nuclear plant. The commitment of $1.5 billion by the U.S. Department of Energy and $300 million from the state of Michigan has created an enormous incentive for Holtec to seek permission to start the plant. But the proposal to reopen the plant is at odds with the very troubled history of Palisades, the extremely high cost of nuclear energy, and the fact that reopening a closed, decommissioned plant has never been done before. See additional key concerns can be found here.
People concerned about this unprecedented effort to restart a closed nuclear power plant are encouraged to attend the July 11 meeting in Benton Harbor. The event kicks off with an Open House at 5 p.m. followed by the meeting beginning at 6 p.m. and continuing to 10 p.m. if needed.
To sign up for additional details for this Open House and this public comment meeting contact Jan O’Connell at jan.oconnell@sierraclub.org or 616-956-6646.