On September 29, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced the much-delayed approval of the license renewals for Point Beach nuclear reactors, units 1 and 2. They are located in Manitowoc County near Two Rivers, Wisc. on the shore of Lake Michigan. The license renewal included a generic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) without addressing current and future climate impacts at the Point Beach site in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act, as pointed out in a lawsuit filed by several non-profit organizations. A public pressure campaign by Physicians for Social Responsibility-Wisconsin and other groups, including Nukewatch, raised serious concerns with aging at the facility and the daily release of 915 million gallons of heated water into Lake Michigan. In 2013, the NRC designated Point Beach unit 2 as one of the most embrittled reactors in the country. Being one of the most likely to crack did not stop the renewal of the license. NextEra submitted an updated EIS in April 2025, and five months later Point Beach units 1 and 2 were licensed to operate through 2050 and 2053, respectively, when they will reach their 80th birthday. — Fox 11 TV, Sept. 29; Physicians for Social Responsibility-WI, Apr. 14, 2025
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