A coalition of groups has written a letter opposing the possible reopening of the Palisades nuclear power plant in Van Buren County. Beyond Nuclear’s Kevin Kamps tells us his group, the Sierra Club of Michigan, the Michigan Climate Action Network, and Clean Water Action Michigan are among those asking Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm not to allow a loan of $1 billion for Palisades owner Holtec International to restart the plant. Kamps was disappointed when the state budget also set aside money for Palisades.
“The Michigan Legislature and Governor Whitmer, by approving at least $150 million – there’s some question that it might even be $300 million separated between two fiscal years in a close reading of the legislative language – have now greased the skids for $1 billion or more in federal funding,” Kamps said.
The group has also written to state lawmakers. Kamps says those who support the Palisades plan are gullible. He tells us the plant had problems before it shut down, many related to its age.
“You’ve got the worst embrittled reactor pressure vessel in the country, if not the world, you’ve got steam generators that have needed replacement for more than two decades, the same with the reactor lid. And the list goes on and on.”
Kamps says there’s never been a nuclear power plant that was shut down and put into decommissioning that was then brought back online. He tells us maintenance that should have been done on the equipment since the shutdown has not been done. He warns a restart of the facility could lead to a disaster.
