ML25002A011
| ML25002A011 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palisades  |
| Issue date: | 12/19/2024 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs Region II |
| To: | |
| References | |
| News Release-III-24-029 | |
| Download: ML25002A011 (1) | |
Text
No: III-24-029 December 19, 2024
Contact:
Viktoria Mitlyng, 630-829-9662 Prema Chandrathil, 630-829-9663 NRC Names New Resident Inspectors at Palisades Nuclear Power Plant The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has selected Joseph Mancuso as the new senior resident inspector and Takuma Okamoto as the resident inspector at the Palisades nuclear power plant in Covert, Michigan. The plant is owned by Holtec International.
The NRC continues to assess Holtecs readiness to potentially restart the plant, including having NRC inspectors onsite to monitor work projects, interact with plant workers and conduct inspections to identify safety issues. As work at the plant has increased, the NRC determined an on-site inspection presence is necessary to assess Holtecs readiness for a potential restart. The overall assessment will be evaluated by the Palisades Restart Panel, along with the inspection and licensing activities, to determine if and when the plant may be allowed to safely restart.
We are pleased to have Joe and Takuma serve as our inspectors in the field at Palisades.
Joe is an experienced inspector knowledgeable on reactor safety systems and technical operations.
Takuma brings a widespread comprehension of effluent systems and controls, said NRC Region III Administrator Jack Giessner. They are the agencys eyes and ears at the facility and will help ensure nuclear safety is maintained by meeting NRC requirements.
Mancuso joined the NRC as part of the resident inspector development program in Region III in 2012. Most recently, he was the senior resident inspector and before that the resident inspector at the Donald C. Cook nuclear power plant in Michigan. In those roles, he provided backup support to the NRC resident inspectors based at Palisades. He was also a project engineer in Region III, where he inspected NRC licensed plants. Mancuso earned a bachelors degree in nuclear engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Okamoto began his career with the NRC in 2023 through the resident inspector development program. Most recently, he was the acting resident inspector at the Quad Cities nuclear power plant in Illinois. Prior to joining the agency, he worked at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard where he was a nuclear and inspection engineer. He earned a bachelors degree in chemical engineering from the University of Washington.
Each operating U.S. commercial nuclear power plant site in the United States has at least two resident inspectors who monitor day-to-day activities at the plant.