NRC cites 9 operator failures as Palisades restart stalls

Nine of the 15 reactor operators at the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan failed their initial licensing examinations. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission cited this 60 percent failure rate as a central factor in a formal warning issued to Holtec International. The agency determined that a "chilled work environment" at the site has left employees reluctant to voice safety concerns for fear of retaliation.

The regulator identified two specific safety incidents that triggered the review. In one case last year, a contractor fell into the reactor cavity and swallowed water. While the worker was decontaminated and sent for medical care, an incident report noted that 300 counts per minute were still detected in their hair. A second incident occurred in August when a bundle of nuclear fuel rods tilted over during a refueling operation. This event delayed what was expected to be the first restart of a closed nuclear reactor in the United States.

Holtec International has never operated a nuclear power plant. The company has secured roughly $2.2 billion in government support for the Palisades effort. The project has been promoted as an emblem of a US nuclear resurgence, a goal central to the current administration's push to revitalize the domestic nuclear industry. Of the 15 operators tested, only six received licenses. The NRC inspection that uncovered these issues took place in July.

The plant's status is not unique among shuttered facilities. The owners of Two Mile Island in Pennsylvania and Duane Arnold in Iowa have announced restart plans following the start of work at Palisades. Critics of the industry argue that financial and political pressure to revitalize nuclear power could raise the likelihood of accidents. They point to surging energy demand driven by artificial intelligence as a primary force behind the rush to return these plants to service. The NRC's order requires Holtec to address the safety culture before the plant can proceed.

The regulatory action places the burden on the operator to remedy the atmosphere at the site. The agency's findings suggest that the fear of retaliation has become a structural issue rather than an isolated problem. The plant remains closed while Holtec works to fix the conditions that led to the failed exams and the safety incidents. The cost of government support for the project stands at approximately $2.2 billion.