COVERT TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A person has minor injuries and is back to work after falling into a nuclear reactor cavity Tuesday.

While reloading fuel to a reactor Tuesday around 9:30 a.m. at Palisades Nuclear Power Plant, a previously decommissioned plant that moved to operations status in August, a plant worker fell into the reactor cavity and ingested some of the water inside of it, resulting in radiation protection personnel transferring them offsite for medical attention at 4:32 p.m., according to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) officials.

“While performing work inside the containment building, a Palisades contractor fell into a pool of water located above the reactor,” Nick Culp, Senior Manager of Government Affairs and Communications for Holtec, said. “The contractor was wearing all required personal protective equipment, including a life vest, which is standard when working near the pool without a barrier in place. The worker was promptly assisted from the water, evaluated, monitored, and decontaminated for removable contamination in accordance with established industry standards and safety procedures.”

The worked sustained minor injuries from the fall and has since returned to work, according to Cupla. A review of whether or not “human performance factors” contributed to the fall is ongoing.

Radiation protection personnel decontaminated the person after they fell and recorded 300 counts per minute of radiation in their hair, though radiological assessments are ongoing. Cupla said results are expected to confirm “exposure well below regulatory and administrative dose limits.”

No impact on the health and safety of the public or plant personnel came out of this event, according NRC’s event report.

The Palisades Nuclear Plant shuttered on May 20, 2022 after more than 40 years of operations. In 2023, Holtec International began their journey to reopening it and said they hit a “major milestone” in July 2024 with the approval of their licensing package to reauthorize power operations followed by their official transition into operations status under the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the first shuttered nuclear plant in U.S. history to do so.

On Monday, Holtec International announced they received their first shipment of fuel.