More than three-dozen nuclear critics and environmental groups contend in a recent letter that President Donald Trump’s executive actions could weaken radiation protections and endanger public health.
“The Trump White House has issued numerous executive orders (EO), including one directing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to revise its long-standing radiation rule, Standards for Protection Against Radiation,” the organizations said in a Nov. 12 letter. The letter was sent by the Sierra Club, Beyond Nuclear, Physicians for Social Responsibility and other groups.
The letter was sent to NRC, the White House Office of Management and Budget, the Surgeon General’s office and other government representatives, including Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.). The groups claim special interests are using Executive Order 14300 issued in May on NRC reform as a vehicle to water-down radiation standards.
The Department of Energy said Tuesday it has approved a $1-billion loan to help Constellation Energy restart the former Three Mile Island Unit 1 nuclear facility, recently renamed the Crane Clean Energy Center.
In a Tuesday press release, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said the DOE Loan Programs Office closed on a loan “to lower energy costs and restart a Pennsylvania nuclear power plant.” The $1 billion loan to Constellation Energy Generation will help finance the Crane Clean Energy Center, an 835 MW plant on the Susquehanna River in Londonderry Township, Pennsylvania, DOE said.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has held public meetings on the proposed restart of the former Three Mile Island unit 1. The facility is being rebranded as the Crane Clean Energy Center, likely to distinguish it from Three Mile Island Unit 2, which partially melted down in March 1979.
Beyond Nuclear has filed suit in federal court in Michigan trying to slam the brakes on Holtec’s restart of the 800-megawatt Palisades nuclear power plant.
Together with Don’t Waste Michigan and Michigan Safe Energy Future, Beyond Nuclear asked a U.S. District Court in the Western District of Michigan for an injunction blocking the restart approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
NRC and Holtec Decommissioning International are listed as defendants in the complaint filed Monday. Holtec purchased Palisades in June 2022 from Entergy, which shut down the plant in May 2022. Beyond Nuclear argues the current regulatory regime “does not contemplate a reversal of the decision” to terminate power generation operations. The group asserts that Holtec should be forced to pursue a new license application.
The International Uranium Film Festival will take place Nov. 21-23 in Las Vegas, Nev. with efforts to showcase films “exploring the detrimental impacts of nuclear weapons testing,” a press release from the Native Community Action Council said.
The festival will show films like “To Use a Mountain,” “Ways of Knowing,” “Silent War,” and “Under the Cloud.” “The Shoshone Nation still bears the deadly legacy of nuclear testing on our unceded lands, an act that violates our treaty, our land and our lives.” Laura Piffero of the NCAC said in the release.
More information can be found at uraniumfilmfestival.org.
Jocelyn Brown-Saracino, who spent 15 years with the Department of Energy, has been selected to head the DOE Alumni Network, Tarak Shah, former DOE chief of staff during the Joe Biden administration, announced last week on LinkedIn.
“Having gotten to know Jocelyn over this search process, I am SO excited that she is going to help create a platform for our collective continued impact and engagement,” Shah said of the new executive director
Brown-Saracino served in a variety of positions at DOE, with her latest being offshore wind lead at the department between February 2021 and April 2025, according to her LinkedIn profile. Since then, she has been a senior adviser to the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium. The DOE Alumni Network formed this summer to provide connections and career support to ex-feds who departed DOE via retirement, buyouts or layoffs.