Holtec International

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has begun reviewing a proposal to build two new small modular reactors at the Palisades nuclear plant complex in Van Buren County.

A federal district judge dismissed the case, ruling that only a U.S. Court of Appeals can review the sort of decisions in question at the west Michigan nuclear power plant.

Holtec International initially planned to restart the reactor by the end of last year.

The federal government is putting up to $400 million toward building small nuclear reactors on the Lake Michigan shore. Holtec International will build the reactors at the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station in Southwest Michigan.

A person fell into the nuclear reactor cavity at the Palisades plant in Southwest Michigan on Tuesday. They were taken for a medical evaluation and have returned to work.

Operating status means the plant is allowed to receive new nuclear fuel. It is not yet generating power. It is the first nuclear plant in the U.S. to ever return to operations after going into decommissioning status.

The owner of a shut-down nuclear power plant in southwest Michigan could try to bring it back online by the end of the year.

Holtec wants to install the nation's first small nuclear reactors at the Palisades plant in Southwest Michigan, but first it would have to win regulatory approval.

The owner of Palisades says the operating license for the plant is still valid. Others argued Holtec is missing key information that would be required if it sought a new license.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has said it will make a final decision by the end of July on whether to approve reopening the Palisades nuclear plant.