NRC finds “chilled work environment” at Palisades

[Marlin]

NRC finds "chilled work environment" at Palisades

https://www.ans.org/news/2026-10-15/article-8490/nrc-finds-chilled-work-environment-at-palisades/

[Core Content]

Federal regulators identified a chilled work environment within the supply chain and quality assurance departments at the Palisades nuclear plant. Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspectors concluded that employees in these specific groups experienced fear of retaliation when attempting to raise safety concerns.

The plant operator must submit corrective action plans within thirty days to resolve the cultural issues identified during the inspection. Maintaining a functional safety conscious work environment remains a primary regulatory requirement for commercial reactor operators, particularly for facilities undergoing complex operational restarts.

Employees in the supply chain and quality assurance departments at the Palisades nuclear plant may be hesitant to raise safety concerns using the avenues at their disposal for fear of retaliation, a report from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has concluded.

The findings in the report published Tuesday stem from a July inspection of the Covert, Mich., plant, which is trying to become the first U.S. nuclear power plant to restart after being shut down. Inspectors said they found "possible concerns with the safety-conscious work environment (SCWE)" at the plant. The NRC sent its follow-up letter and report to Fadi Diya, Holtec's senior vice president and chief nuclear officer, on October 13.

Read the full article at ans.org:
https://www.ans.org/news/2026-10-15/article-8490/nrc-finds-chilled-work-environment-at-palisades/