U.S. Congressman Fred Upton

Washington, DC, Jul 24 - Ensuring the continued safety of the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Covert Township was Representative Fred Upton’s (R-St. Joseph) focus today at an Energy and Commerce joint subcommittee hearing with nuclear regulators.  The hearing, entitled “NRC Policy and Governance Oversight,” focused on U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) decisions and actions relating to licensing and policy making, as well as governance of the agency.  This was the first congressional hearing with newly appointed NRC Chairman Allison Macfarlane who appeared alongside NRC Commissioners Kristine Svinicki, William Magwood, and William Ostendorff to provide testimony to Upton and other Energy and Commerce members.  During the hearing, Upton directly raised the situation at Palisades with members of the NRC.  Upton and staff have received repeated briefings on Palisades from both the NRC and Entergy, which owns and operates the Southwest Michigan plant.

“It is absolutely critical to ensure that our nation’s nuclear facilities operate at the highest possible level of safety,” said Upton.  “Our communities deserve the assurance of knowing that when issues do arise that they will be immediately identified and addressed.  Most important is to prevent any problems from occurring in the first place.  This is why there are strict safety standards and safeguards in place.  Every minute of every day, nuclear power plants have the immense responsibility of complying with these standards.  As someone who lives just a short distance from two nuclear power plants, I share the concerns of many over the reports of degraded performance of the Palisades facility in Van Buren County.  I appreciate the immediate attention of officials at Entergy and the NRC to address those concerns, and will continue to monitor this situation closely.  Through proper oversight, nuclear power will continue to play a vital role in providing our nation with a safe, affordable, and reliable supply of American-made energy.” 

Created as an independent agency by Congress in 1974, the NRC is charged with ensuring the safe use of radioactive materials at commercial nuclear power plants and for other civilian purposes.