{
  "id": 16073768,
  "title": "Damaged nuclear fuel assembly retrieved but criticism of Palisades restart plan escalates",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/damaged-nuclear-fuel-assembly-retrieved-but-criticism-of-palisades",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-22T17:08:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2026/10/22/palisades-power-plant-restart-ed-markey/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Wednesday, Holtec International, the owners of the Palisades nuclear reactor in Michigan, announced that they had successfully retrieved a tipped-over nuclear fuel assembly, allowing efforts to resume operations at the plant to continue. Holtec's chief nuclear officer, Fadi Diya, emphasized the company's commitment to safety, technical rigor, and teamwork. The Palisades reactor, previously decommissioned in 2022, has become a symbol of the US nuclear energy renaissance, driven by the demand for energy from artificial intelligence data centers.\n\nHowever, the restart of Palisades has escalated criticism. In August, a fuel assembly tipped over during fuelling, though the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) stated no radiation was released. This incident came after a 2012 NRC report criticized the plant's work culture, where safety concerns were often disregarded. In 2016, security staff were placed on leave for failing to follow fire prevention protocols, and in October 2025, a worker fell into a pool of water while refueling the reactor.\n\nThe NRC recently raised concerns about a \"chilled work environment\" in the supply chain and quality assurance departments, indicating that employees were hesitant to report safety issues due to fear of retaliation. Holtec has acknowledged these issues and stated that they are taking actions to address them.\n\nHowever, nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen, an expert adviser for Don't Waste Michigan, has expressed strong opposition to the restart. Gundersen argued that the Palisades reactor's restart is unsafe, citing recent incidents such as the loss of control over a nuclear fuel bundle, failed exams for reactor operators, and staff concerns about retribution for raising safety concerns. Gundersen has escalated his concerns to US Democratic Senator Edward Markey, who has been a long-time critic of the nuclear industry.\n\nDespite the concerns, Michigan's Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer has supported the Palisades restart and has not shown any intention to change her stance. Holtec maintains that safety remains a priority, emphasizing that the reactor will resume operations once all required work is completed and all applicable federal requirements and industry standards are met.",
  "summary": "A nuclear fuel assembly that had tipped over was successfully retrieved from the soon-to-be-restarted Palisades nuclear reactor in Michigan but controversy over the restart has been escalated to Congress. On Wednesday, owners of the Holtec International reactor said “technical ingenuity” would allow efforts to resume operations at the plant to continue. “When we encounter a challenge, what…",
  "key_points": [
    "Holtec successfully retrieved damaged nuclear fuel assembly on Wednesday",
    "Palisades reactor restart criticized for safety concerns",
    "Nuclear engineer Gundersen opposes restart citing multiple incidents"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}