Holtec was awarded 1.5 billion in a loan from the government to restart Palisades but must meet safety requirements.
Our objections are many.....
We object to reopening the embrittled, dangerous nuclear power plant, Palisades, and object to lowering safety standards. We object to building more nuclear plants, including SMNRs on the site or in any other area.
We believe that there are better, safe and renewable energy systems available that should be created instead of the cycle of nuclear waste problems.
White Paper Analysis, “The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Double Standard: A
Historical Overview of NRC's Inspection Requirements at Millstone 1, Turkey Point, and Holtec's Palisades”
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Double Standard: A Historical Overview of NRC’s Inspection Requirements at Millstone 1, Turkey Point and Holtec’s Palisades
Prepared by Arnie Gundersen, Chief Engineer, Fairewinds,
Expert Witness for Don’t Waste Michigan, et al.
Articles on Palisades, SMNR's & More
Roadmap A Report on SMNRs in Canada
The Raising from the Dead: Palisades Nuclear Plant Public Meeting July 11th, 7/5/24
NRC Approval Moves Palisades Nuclear Power Plant Closer to Restarting, 8/1/25
Issues continue to pile up for Palisades Nuclear Plant restart, 3/13/26
Article: OPG applies for operating license for BWRX-300 SMR
World Nuclear News, as posted at https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/opg-applies-for-operating-licence-for-bwrx-300-smr
Safety-significant SNAFUS at Palisades! February 5, 2026
Newest Nuke Nightmares at Palisades, 2022-Present —
Roger Rapoport op-ed — Detroit Free Press: Michigan's risky Palisades reactor restart is behind schedule —
Watchdogs Demand NRC Block Destruction of Safety-Significant Documents at Palisades Atomic Reactor February 8, 2023
Holtec said it could restart Palisades by mid-2024:
A related press release:
Tom Junod’s remarkable article: https://www.esquire.com/newspolitics/a2878/mercenary0607/
Roger Rapoport’s podcast from spring 2024 about Palisades has some great graphic art showing the absurdity of Palisades and Van Buren State Park being next door neighbors: https://beyondnuclear.org/the-nuclear-reactor-next-door-a-podcast-about-palisades-featuring-beyond-nuclears-kevin-kamps/
Explanation:
There are 380 pressure tubes in a Canadian CANDU reactor, with reactor fuel bundles end to end inside. Each one of these pressure tubes becomes highly radioactive through a combination of activation and contamination.
The Calandria shell is the reactor vessel that holds all the pressure tubes and the fuel.
The thermal shield is constructed from 4.5 inch thick steel liner plates inside the calandra to absorb radiation and heat from the core, and to protect the surrounding concrete “biological shield” that is about five feet thick. The biological shield protects workers from the most inet=tense gamma rays and fas neutrons.
The dump tank is a metal holding tank underneath the cores of the four Pickering A reactors so that – in the event of an emergency – the heavy water moderator can be “dumped” into that tank, thereby stopping the nuclear chain reaction and – it was once hopes – preventing the self-destruction of the core.
Audit of DOE Nuclear Energy contract for NuScale shows mismanagement.
SMRs Explained: Why Small Modular Reactors Are So Controversial.
"Small modular reactors (SMRs) are less common than you might think”. https://energynow.ca/2026/04/small-modular-reactors-choosing-winners-and-losers-from-a-population-of-manufacturers-whove-never-built-one/?amp
These are not small modular reactors. These are loans for gigabyte class AP 1000reactors. Well, the Department of energy is saying small modular reactors or the future, at the same time they’re granting loan request for a large
AP 1000. Seems like they want to have their cake and eat too.
Thu, Apr 16, 2026, 11:12AM Nuclear News
The communities in and around Duane Arnold had a chance on Tuesday evening to hear from Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials on the progress to restart Iowa’s only nuclear power plant in...
Fri, Apr 3, 2026, 8:13AM Nuclear News
When the former Three Mile Island-1 restarts in 2027 as the Crane Clean Energy Center, it will not face a delay of several years before it can be reconnected to the grid, Constellation CEO...
"DOE Spending Nearly $1 Billion Yearly on Aging Nuclear Waste Facilities"
The Trump Administration’s Favorite Nuclear Startup Has Ties to Russia and Epstein
The projected heat from this AI complex is just astonishing. And while Utah is pushing for SMR development, this will be a massive natgas plant. Note at the end of the article, a consultant projects that SMRs will worsen the warming effects even more than natgas.
Consumers Energy eyes big data centers as backlash grows in Michigan
Former nuclear plant site draws data center concerns in Northern Michigan
A Modern Perspective of Nuclear Power Technology by Dr. Gordon Edwards
Uranium Mining: Return of the Yellow Monster: written by Bill Hatch
MORE NEWS (Scroll down)
A coalition of environmental groups is excited to announce a SUMMIT on SMNRs May 15-18 2026.. More information including how to register to attend is in the flier. Please click on the images above to see the flier or download the Pdf. file for more information including contact people to register for it. If you are interested, please don't wait. The Summit is filling up. Thank you. To register, a form can be printed out and emailed or snail mailed.. using the link here:
Legal Documents/Assistance
From: 'Tim Judson' via SNNR
Date: 05/14/2026 4:54 PM EDT
I suspect this is a pittance of the kind of financing and investment needed to build out supply chains for reactor construction, especially given the small amounts for several of the grants. Even some of the larger ones, without saying so, are capable of supporting only certain designs of new reactors. e.g., the ones that specify Gen III+ SMRs — those are aimed at GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 and/or the Holtec SMR-300.
Those are the two Gen III+ (i.e., light-water) SMR designs that DOE is focused on right now, with the $400 million grants DOE approved late last year and that Congress funded in January for the Clinch River BWRX-300 project and the Palisades/Pioneer 1&2 reactors in Michigan. But note that the whole SMR enterprise hinges on factory-producing whole SMRs that can bes shipped pre-assembled to sites where they would be installed. And, most likely, each company would need to have their own dedicated factories to push out the dozens/hundreds of reactors needed to make them economical. None of the grants here are for an SMR factory — they are to manufacturers to make components that would be shipped to a factory for assembly.
Also, nearly half the amount is for Constellation to apply for an ESP in New York and NPPD to apply for an ESP in Nebraska. And it is not at all clear that Constellation has any interest or intent to follow through on that or to actually build a reactor even if DOE and NYS foot the bill for the ESP.
Best,
Tim
