NRC Rubber Stamping Continues, Another Entergy Reactor Wins Relicensing

Nuclear Needs Put Out To Pasture

It's no wonder Entergy is upset with the Green Nuclear Butterfly, no wonder it's publisher is under attack, and CLOSE SCRUTINY...they do not want the grassroots UNITING, and taking this fight NATIONAL, as they know they will lose. Keep the fight local, that is their strategy, that is their game plan. Local grassroots have no chance of stopping the Juggernaut, as the government is in cahoots with the Industry, they need these nuclear reactors UP AND RUNNING for the DOE's Nuclear Power 2010/GNEP plan to have ANY PLAN OF SUCCESS.

Yet another community has been eaten by the machine as the Palisades Reactor recently purchased by Entergy won re licensing this week. The two magic dates for GNEP are 2030 and 2050. This flurry of re licensing rubber stamping by the NRC, coupled with their plan to once again change the rules to offer the Nuclear Industry a second bite at the re licensing apple before their licenses expire just after 2030 will keep these aging reactors up and running through 2050...the year when DOE predicts they can have enough new generation reactors up and running to replace the electric now produced by Entergy's dilapidated and aging fleet.

Only in joining together as one can we in the grassroots stop the 21st Century Schizoid Man that is the nuclear industry. Take Action Grassroots! Sign onto our letter asking Greenpeace to join the crusade by clicking this link. Or, sign our petition to CLOSE INDIAN POINT.

NRC renews license for CMS Mich. Palisades reactor

Thu Jan 18, 2007 10:38am ET

NEW YORK, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Wednesday renewed the operating license of CMS Energy Corp.'s (CMS.N: Quote, Profile , Research) 767-megawatt Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan for an additional 20 years until March 24, 2031.

In a release, the NRC said Nuclear Management Co., which operates the plant for CMS, submitted the renewal application in March 2005. The current 40-year operating license will expire in 2011.

The Palisades renewal brings the total number of operating license renewals to 48 reactor units, the NRC said.

The NRC uses the license renewal process to determine how an operator will manage the aging of a reactor. It is a two-step process including a safety and environmental review.

The Palisades station, which entered service in 1971, is located in South Haven in Van Buren County, about 60 miles southwest of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

One MW powers about 800 homes in Michigan.

CMS' Consumers Energy subsidiary owns the station.

In July, CMS agreed to sell Palisades to Entergy Corp. (ETR.N: Quote, Profile , Research), of New Orleans. As part of the deal, Entergy agreed to sell all of the power from Palisades back to Consumers Energy for 15 years.

Entergy To Buy Palisades Nuclear Energy Plant from Consumers Energy
Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) and Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), have reached an agreement for Entergy to purchase the 798-megawatt Palisades Nuclear Plant near South Haven, Mich., for $380 million.

With the addition of Palisades, Entergy – the nation's second largest nuclear power company – will own 11 nuclear generating reactors and manage a 12th. Palisades is the company's second reactor in the Midwest. Five others are in the South and five are in the Northeast.