nuclear-news

NRC: Individual fell into ‘reactor cavity’ at Palisades Nuclear Plant

The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission said the person fell into the reactor cavity, ingested cavity water and was transported off-site.

 Steven Bohner, October 22, 2025, https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/local/nrc-individual-fell-into-reactor-cavity-palisades-nuclear-plant/69-8c68f69f-4b48-4869-b66a-f3b18e8c7bbb

COVERT, Mich. — The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said an individual fell into a “reactor cavity” at the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Covert, Mich.

The NRC said the incident happened on Oct. 21, around 9:30 a.m., when an individual fell into a reactor cavity at the plant. They said the individual ingested “some amount” of the cavity water, and was decontaminated by radiation protection personnel before being taken off-site to seek medical attention about nine hours later at 4:32 p.m.

The NRC report said the individual had “300 counts per minute detected in their hair,” and categorized the individual as “contaminated.” The report listed the incident as a non-emergency. 

The reactor cavity is a space between the reactor vessel and a concrete shield surrounding the reactor, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Holtec International provided 13 ON YOUR SIDE with the following comment:

“While performing work inside the containment building, a Palisades contractor fell into a pool of water located above the reactor. The contractor was wearing all required personal protective equipment, including a life vest, which is standard when working near the pool without a barrier in place. The worker was promptly assisted from the water, evaluated, monitored, and decontaminated for removable contamination in accordance with established industry standards and safety procedures. Radiological assessments are ongoing and are expected to confirm exposure well below regulatory and administrative dose limits. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was properly notified, and a review of human performance factors contributing to the incident is underway. The worker sustained minor injuries from their fall and has since returned to work.”

The Palisades Nuclear Plant is in the process of restarting its 800-megawatt reactor. Once restarted, Palisades would become the first nuclear power plant in the United States scheduled to restart its reactor after its fuel had been removed.

In July, the NRC approved a series of licensing and regulatory actions that are essential for the plant to restart, including allowing Holtec to load fuel into the reactor.

At the time of the incident, it is unclear if fuel was present in the reactor.

October 24, 2025 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | incidents, USA