ML24210A003

Comment (77) E-mail Regarding Palisades Restart Scoping

ML24210A003
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades
Issue date:	07/26/2024
From:	Public Commenter Public Commenter
To:	NRC/NMSS/DREFS
NRC/NMSS/DREFS
References
89FR53659
Download: ML24210A003 (3)

Text

From: Kraig Schultz <kraigschultz@gmail.com>

Sent: Friday, July 26, 2024 8:32 AM To: PalisadesRestartEnvironmental Resource Cc: Kraig Schultz

Subject:

[External_Sender] Scoping comments for Environmental Assessment of Palisades Nuclear Plant, Docket ID NRC-2024-0076

Dear NRC Restart Review Panel:

RE: Scoping comments for Environmental Assessment of Palisades Nuclear Plant, Docket ID NRC-2024-0076

Below please find a restatement of my verbal statement (edited for clarity) as given during the July 11, 2024 public webinar related to the proposed Environmental review process for restarting the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant:

My name is Kraig Schultz, and I am a volunteer with Michigan Safe Energy Future. I live 50 miles from the Palisades Nuclear Plant with my family in Robinson Township. I would like to thank you for holding this meeting.

Over the last decade, I have attended most of the public meetings conducted by the NRC and Palisades operators. During this time, Ive noticed a disturbing trend: the NRC is becoming increasingly lax in the enforcement of regulations and is not fulfilling its mission to provide adequate safety to our communities. An example of the NRC not fulfilling its mission would be cutting corners and not requiring a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) as part of its license review for Holtecs proposed plans for producing electricity at Palisades.

A spent fuel pool fire or a loss of coolant accident at Palisades could cause Chernobyl or Fukushima-scale damage to our environment. I request that the NRC consider both the environmental and financial impact of a Chernobyl or Fukushima-scale disaster should one occur right here in West Michigan. We must think about the damage it would do to the Lake Michigan drinking water source for millions of people, what it would do to our agriculture, and what it would do to us financially.

The reason I am concerned about an accident at Palisades is that I can see the NRC allowing Holtec to cut corners to rush this plant (which is 50 years old and has known serious degradation) back into production without doing all the necessary repairs to bring it back to like-new condition. Why would we skip doing the repairs and the environmental studies when we have hundreds of millions of dollars of public funding to do it right?

We must conduct an in-depth study of the risks versus the rewards of relicensing this age-degraded plant as opposed to other options available to our community. The reason weve had the safety record weve had for the last fifty years in this country and the U.S. military is due to strict adherence to safety protocols and preventative maintenance. When the NRC allows shortcuts and gives exceptions to the license, we are greatly increasing the risk.

Holtec has said they intend to pursue a license past 2031, and they would like to build SMRs there as well. If we intend to operate this plant for decades longer (something that has never been done before),

we need to double down and increase our scrutiny to make sure we dont have a nuclear disaster here or anywhere in the world.

Sincerely,

Kraig Schultz 11919 Mill Lane Grand Haven, MI 49417 Federal Register Notice: 89FR53659 Comment Number: 77

Mail Envelope Properties (CAFY0rx6HpL9yq5sTUS10T-vQ7Vt9G_mUwY5yMyE=EV+3dxDWgQ)

Subject:

[External_Sender] Scoping comments for Environmental Assessment of Palisades Nuclear Plant, Docket ID NRC-2024-0076 Sent Date: 7/26/2024 8:31:34 AM Received Date: 7/26/2024 8:31:54 AM From: Kraig Schultz

Created By: kraigschultz@gmail.com

Recipients:

"Kraig Schultz" <kraigschultz@gmail.com>

Tracking Status: None "PalisadesRestartEnvironmental Resource" <PalisadesRestartEnvironmental.Resource@nrc.gov>

Tracking Status: None

Post Office: mail.gmail.com

Files Size Date & Time MESSAGE 2949 7/26/2024 8:31:54 AM

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