{
  "id": 9023583,
  "title": "Incident at Palisades nuclear reactor under review by NRC",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/incident-at-palisades-nuclear-reactor-under-review-by-nrc",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-21T22:23:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2026/09/21/palisades-nuclear-incident-restart-nrc/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is investigating an incident concerning the restarting of work at the Palisades nuclear reactor in Covert, Michigan. According to Viktoria Mitlyng, an NRC spokeswoman, there was no radiological release and no workers or the public have been affected by the event. The reactor, which was decommissioned in 2022, is being considered for reopening due to the increasing demand for energy for AI data centers.\n\nThe incident in question involves a \"tipped fuel assembly\" at the plant, which the NRC determined did not require reporting to the agency or the public. This assessment comes after a Reddit post, shared by nuclear energy critic Edwin Lyman, claimed that Holtec, the reactor's owner, dropped a partially burned nuclear fuel assembly during its fueling process at the Palisades reactor in Michigan. However, the NRC spokeswoman clarified that the fuel assembly was not dropped, but rather \"tipped.\"\n\nMitlyng stated that NRC inspectors are continuing to monitor the situation, emphasizing that Palisades' restart activities, including all fuel-handling work, have been under scrutiny since the beginning. Holtec, the reactor's owner, has indicated it plans to submit a licence amendment for the retrieval process, which the NRC will thoroughly evaluate.\n\nHoltec, which took ownership of Palisades in 2022, has already cleared several regulatory hurdles. In August 2026, the company posted images showing nuclear fuel bundles being loaded into the reactor vessel, marking an important step toward returning the plant to safe and reliable operation. This follows over two years of extensive inspections, maintenance, refurbishment, testing, and equipment upgrades at the station.\n\nThe Palisades plant, which began operations in 1971, faced numerous safety concerns over its final 15 years, as highlighted by a 2012 NRC report. In 2016, security workers at the reactor were placed on leave for failing to follow fire prevention protocols. In 2019, a worker at Palisades fell into a pool of water from a refuelling bridge, although they were not seriously injured.",
  "summary": "The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission said on Monday that it is reviewing an incident related to restarting work at the Palisades nuclear reactor in Covert, Michigan. Viktoria Mitlyng, spokeswoman for the NRC , told The National that there was \"no radiological release\" and that \"no workers or the public have been affected\". The reactor was decommissioned in 2022, but the need for more energy for…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Incident at Palisades nuclear reactor under review by NRC",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/incident-at-palisades-nuclear-reactor-under-review-by-nrc-9025942",
        "published": "2026-09-21T22:23:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}