For
more information, see Beyond NuclearÕs ÒNewest
Nuke Nightmares at Palisades, 2022 to PresentÓ. It is a one-stop-shop
of web posts dating back to April 2022, when Holtec CEO Krishna Singh first
floated ÒSmall Modular ReactorÓ construction and operation at Palisades, and
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer first floated
restarting the closed-for-good reactor.
As
Palisades works to load fuel, person falls into reactor cavity
,
October 22, 2025
A
person fell into the nuclear reactor cavity at the Palisades plant in Southwest
Michigan on Tuesday. They were taken for a medical evaluation and have returned
to work.
2006
Testimony to Michigan Public Service Commission found here:http://archives.nirs.us/reactorwatch/licensing/kampsconsbrifeinf051806.htm
Holtec's
safety-significant stumbles have exacerbated serious, persistent, and worsening
problems that date back at least two decades, as admitted
to by Palisades' original owner, Consumers Energy, in testimony to the Michigan
Public Service Commission in spring 2006 (see page 2).
Nuclear
engineer Dave Lochbaum (Union of Concerned Scientist)
created document in 2010 on Palisades historical poor performance with Control
Rod Drive Mechanisms (CRDM) available by request as pdf.
Palisades
Exemption from Records Retention
Date
Released: Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Package
Contents (https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2119/ML21195A368.html Parent
zip of 3 below)
Palisades
Simulator Inspection Report – Violation Missing QA
https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML24078A315
|
Document Title: |
Palisades Nuclear Plant - Plant Reference Simulator Inspection
Report 05000255/2024010 É 3/20/2024 |
https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML24197A185
|
Document Title: |
Palisades nuclear Plant - Restart Inspection Report
05000255/2024011 É 07/15/2024 |
Three
Mile Island Unit 1 – Similar Exemptions
https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML19193A005
|
Document Title: |
Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 - Request for
Exemption from Record Retention Requirements É 07/12/2019 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML20107J648
|
Document Title: |
Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 - Partial Exemption
from Certain Record Retention Requirements (EPID L-2019-LLE-0018) É
05/19/2020 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML20107J698
|
Document Title: |
Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 - Partial Exemption
from Certain Record Retention Requirements (EPID L-2019-LLE-0018) É
05/19/2020 |
https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML21043A364
|
Document Title: |
Exelon Generation Co. LLC - Summary of Changes, Quality
Assurance Topical Report, NO-AA-10 & Decommissioning Quality Assurance
Program, NO-DC-10 É 02/10/2021 |
October
2025 Event Reports – Lack of Supervision / Lack of Quality Control
Glitter
on the HighwayÉ
Power
Reactor
Event
Number: 57996
Facility: Palisades
Notification Date: 10/21/2025
|
Power Reactor Unit Info |
||||||
|
Unit |
SCRAM Code |
RX Crit |
Initial PWR |
Initial RX Mode |
Current PWR |
Current RX Mode |
|
1 |
N |
N |
0 |
Defueled |
0 |
Defueled |
Event
Text
TRANSPORT
OF CONTAMINATED PERSON OFFSITE
The following information was provided by the licensee via phone and email:
"On 10/21/2025 at 0930 EDT an individual fell into the reactor cavity. The
reactor cavity is full of water. They ingested some amount of cavity water. The
individual was decontaminated by radiation protection personnel but had 300
counts per minute detected in their hair. At 1632 EDT they were sent off site
to seek medical attention.
"This is an eight-hour notification, non-emergency, for the transportation
of a contaminated person offsite. This event is reportable in accordance with
10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(xii).
"The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified."
Power
Reactor
Event
Number: 57998
Notification Date: 10/22/2025
|
Power Reactor Unit Info |
||||||
|
Unit |
SCRAM Code |
RX Crit |
Initial PWR |
Initial RX Mode |
Current PWR |
Current RX Mode |
|
1 |
N |
N |
0 |
Defueled |
0 |
Defueled |
Event
Text
OFFSITE
NOTIFICATION
The following information was provided by the licensee via phone and email:
"On October 22, 2025, at 0452 EDT, chemistry determined that a report to
the State of Michigan, Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy,
would be required based on exceeding the National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System permit limit for hydrazine. This exceedance
did not exceed any NRC regulations or reporting criteria. This notification is
being made solely as a four-hour, non-emergency notification for a notification
to another government agency. This event is a 4-hour non-emergency report in
accordance with 10 CFR 50.72(b)(2)(xi). There was no impact on the health and
safety of the public or plant personnel.
"The NRC Resident Inspector will be notified.Ó
This write up of LER which happened 2/5/2026 was submitted 30 days late (at 90
days, May 4, 2026) This looks like a pretty
severe SNAFU situation - No other documents showing on this. But they
have severed two cables and stretched a third.
|
|
|
|
LER 2026-001-00 for Palisades Nuclear Plant, Human Performance
Error resulted in Emergency Diesel Generator ( |
2026-05-12 07:54 AM EST |
2026-05-04 |
05000255 |
See
License Event Report LER 2026-001-00 Human Performance Error Resulted in
Emergency Diesel Generator {EOG) 1-2 Actuation. See page 1 of LER for
three fiber conduits / cables severed.
EVENT
NUMBERS
58006
Power
Reactor
Event
Number: 58006
Facility: Palisades
Event Date: 10/25/2025
|
Power Reactor Unit Info |
||||||
|
Unit |
SCRAM Code |
RX Crit |
Initial PWR |
Initial RX Mode |
Current PWR |
Current RX Mode |
|
1 |
N |
N |
0 |
Defueled |
0 |
Defueled |
Event
Text
FITNESS
FOR DUTY (FFD) EVENT
The following information was provided by the licensee via phone and email:
"On 10/25/25, at approximately 1230 EDT, 3 empty alcohol bottles were
found in the protected area by a contract employee. Site security was notified
and took possession of the empty bottles which were removed
from the protected area. The individual who accidentally brought in the empty
alcohol bottles with other non-alcoholic empty bottles was tested for FFD and
was negative. This event is reportable in accordance with 10 CFR 26.719(b).
"The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified."
|
|
LER 2026-001-00 for Palisades Nuclear Plant, Human Performance
Error resulted in Emergency Diesel Generator ( |
2026-05-12 07:54 AM EST |
2026-05-04 |
05000255 |
Fifty
Single Positive Test for Alcohol / Drugs docketed 2/25/2026 – Annual
Report – all redacted.
|
|
Palisades [50-255], Single Positive Test Form Collected on
12/01/2025 |
2026-02-23 01:10 PM EST |
2026-02-23 |
05000255 |
There
have been five exemptions on Worker Fatigue to date.
|
|
Palisades Nuclear Plant - One-Time Exemption from the
Requirements of 10 CFR 26.3(a) (EPID L-2026-LLE-0025) (L |
2026-06-29 08:44 AM EST |
2026-06-18 |
05000255 |
|
|
Palisades Nuclear Plant - One-Time Exemption from the
Requirements of 10 CFR 26.3(a) (EPID L-2026-LLE-0025) (E |
2026-06-29 08:44 AM EST |
2026-06-18 |
05000255 |
|
|
Palisades Nuclear Plant - One-Time Exemption from the
Requirements of 10 CFR 26.3(a) (EPID L-2026-LLE-0025) (F |
2026-06-25 10:04 AM EST |
2026-06-18 |
05000255 |
On July
5, 2022 Holtec makes secret application to DOE for Restart Finances for
Palisades – 7 days after taking title to plant.
In
2022, Holtec predicted it could restart the closed Palisades reactor by
mid-2024. However, Holtec's self-inflicted wounds -- steam generator tube
degradation, as well as Primary Water Stress Corrosion Cracking of reactor
pressure vessel nozzle safe ends -- have led to very significant and costly delays.
Holtec's safety-significant stumbles have exacerbated serious, persistent, and
worsening problems that date back at least two decades, as admitted
to by Palisades' original owner, Consumers Energy, in testimony to the Michigan
Public Service Commission in spring 2006 (see page 2).
Holtec
International's own nuclear engineering contractor, Framatome, on March 19,
2026 admitted in a report that an environmental coalition's years-long
warnings have been correct: the soon to restart Palisades atomic reactor cannot
operate more than 14.5 months, without "the Probability of Burst" of
dangerously degraded, safety-critical steam generator tubes "exponentially" increasing.
Holtec's
neglecting to implement basic, essential, so-called "wet layups" -- precautionary chemical preservation of
safety-critical systems, structures, and components such as steam generator
tubes and reactor vessel closure head penetrations -- for two long years after
taking over at Palisades, from 2022 to 2024, resulting in extensive, costly,
risky damage.
1982
NRC report (Calculation of Reactor Accident Consequences at Palisades)
A 1982
NRC report (Calculation of Reactor Accident Consequences, also known as the
Sandia Siting Study or NUREG/CR-2239) calculated that a reactor core meltdown
at Palisades would cause a thousand acute radiation poisoning
deaths, 7,000 radiation injuries, 10,000 latent cancer fatalities, and $52.6
billion in property damage.
Collusion
Root Cause of Fukushima – This is the case at Palisades
"The
Japanese Parliament concluded the
root cause of the Fukushima catastrophe was collusion between the owner, the
regulator, and government officials."
Edition
generated 7/28/2026 and subject to update. Edition 2.