NRC cites fear of retaliation at Palisades as nine operators fail exams

Holtec International received a warning from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission regarding safety conditions at the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan. The agency identified a work environment that left employees hesitant to raise safety concerns due to fear of retaliation.

The NRC determined that the site has a chilled work environment that suppresses open communication. This finding followed a July inspection triggered by questions about safety awareness at the facility.

Two specific incidents prompted the regulator's scrutiny. In one event last year, a contractor fell into the reactor cavity and swallowed water. Radiation protection staff decontaminated the worker, though an incident report noted 300 counts per minute were still detected in their hair. In August, a bundle of nuclear fuel rods tilted during a refueling operation.

The NRC also flagged performance issues among staff. Nine of the 15 reactor operators at Palisades failed the initial licensing examination administered in July and August. Six individuals successfully received operator licenses.

The fuel rod incident delayed the project's timeline. Palisades was expected to be the first closed nuclear reactor in the United States to restart.

Holtec has never operated a nuclear power plant before this project. The company has secured roughly $2.2 billion in government support for the effort. The project is central to the administration's push to revive the domestic nuclear industry.

Critics argue that financial and political pressure to revitalize nuclear power could increase the likelihood of accidents. This pressure is linked to surging energy demand driven by artificial intelligence. Palisades is one of three shuttered facilities with announced restart plans. Owners of Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania and Duane Arnold in Iowa also announced restarts after work began at Palisades.