In the aftermath of last week’s federal approval to restart the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Covert Township, the debate over its future is heating up.

Palisades is expected to generate more than 800 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 800,000 Michigan homes. Holtec International, which owns the site, calls it a historic milestone – it’s the first U.S. nuclear plant to return to operations after being decommissioned.

But Kevin Kamps, radioactive waste specialist at the nonprofit Beyond Nuclear, warned that long-delayed safety issues at the site have not been addressed.

“One example would be a license amendment request by Holtec to further delay implementation of fire protection upgrades that have been delayed at Palisades for a half century,” said Kamps, “and they want to delay them for years or decades to come.”

Holtec maintains the restart process is safe, pointing to strict Nuclear Regulatory Commission oversight, active emergency plans, and recent Federal Emergency Management Agency-graded safety drills as proof.

Kamps said Beyond Nuclear will continue to file appeals and prepare for federal court challenges.

Right now, nuclear power already supplies about 30% of Michigan’s electricity. Kamps stressed that decades-old equipment at Palisades and thin federal oversight puts the Great Lakes at an existential risk.

“There’s a very high likelihood that a steam generator tube will rupture,” said Kamps. “If it’s a cascading failure of enough tubes all at once, that is a pathway to reactor core meltdown. My hope and prayer is that I’m wrong. But, I fear that I might not be.”

As legal and regulatory battles play out, Holtec maintains Palisades will ultimately deliver clean, reliable power. They say it will also support nearly 600 on-site jobs and hundreds more through local suppliers.