A person fell into the nuclear reactor cavity at the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Southwest Michigan on Tuesday and had to be taken offsite for a medical evaluation.
According to a report from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which documented the incident, the cavity was filled with water at the time and the person “ingested some amount of cavity water.”
The report does not mention any further injuries.
“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," company spokesman Nick Culp wrote in a company statement.
"The worker was promptly assisted from the water, evaluated, monitored, and decontaminated," he continued.
"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.”
A spokesperson for the NRC couldn’t be reached, their voicemail said they are currently furloughed due to the federal government shutdown.
The NRC event report, posted on the commission’s website, listed the incident as a “Non Emergency.” It said the resident NRC inspector was notified.
It said the person fell into the reactor cavity around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. “The individual was decontaminated by radiation protection personnel but had 300 counts per minute detected in their hair,” the report says.
It says they were taken off-site for medical attention at 4:32 p.m.
On Monday the plant posted pictures and announced it “received all 68 new fuel assemblies — a major step on the path to restart.” The long fuel assembly is pictured upright, with a handful of workers nearby. “Once onsite, the fuel is inspected and securely stored until it’s time for core loading,” the social media post on Monday said.
The owners of the Palisades nuclear plant announced in August the plant has officially returned to operational status after being in decommissioning for three years.
It’s the first time in the U.S. that a decommissioning plant has returned to operations. The plant is still not generating electricity. But the status change paved the way for bring in new fuel to power the reactor once the final inspections and reassembly of the plant is complete. Holtec International, which owns Palisades, didn’t say how soon that would happen.
