COVERT, Mich. — Fourteen homeowners who live within the Holtec Palisades nuclear plant’s evacuation zone have filed a 428-page petition with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in opposition to the company’s request to defer fire-safety modifications.

The petition, written and filed by former Palisades engineering director Alan Blind, states that a license amendment Holtec received from the NRC on June 24 attempts to delay safety improvements that have been required since 1986. The regulations are meant to protect against reactor accidents caused by fire or loss of power, Mr. Blind said.

The homeowners are requesting a formal hearing to discuss the matter before the NRC’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board.

“We support safe, clean power — but not at the expense of safety,” Karen Davis

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