Big Rock Point Nuclear Power Plant
| Company type | Nuclear power plant |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy |
| Founded | August 29, 1962 in Charlevoix, Michigan, United States |
| Founder | Consumers Power (now Consumers Energy) |
| Defunct | August 29, 1997 |
| Fate | Decommissioned and dismantled |
| Headquarters | Charlevoix , United States |
Area served | Michigan |
| Products | Electricity, cobalt-60 isotopes for medical use |
| Owner | Consumers Power (Consumers Energy) |
| Parent | Consumers Energy |
Big Rock Point was a nuclear facility located near Charlevoix, Michigan, operational between 1962 and 1997. Owned by Consumers Power (currently known as Consumers Energy), it housed a 67-megawatt boiling water reactor manufactured by General Electric (GE). The main contractor for the project was Bechtel Corporation.
History
As Michigan’s inaugural nuclear plant and the fifth in the United States, Big Rock Point also produced cobalt-60 isotopes for medical applications from 1971 until 1982. Construction commenced on July 20, 1960, and was finalized within 29 months at a total expense of $27.7 million. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted its operating license on August 29, 1962. The reactor achieved criticality on September 27, with power generation beginning on December 8, 1962.
Facts and figures
- The reactor vessel measured 30 feet in height and 9 feet in diameter, with walls 5½ inches thick
- A single uranium fuel load weighing 10 tons produced electricity equivalent to that generated by 260,000 tons of coal
- The plant’s smokestack functioned as a navigational aid for freighters approaching Charlevoix
Closure and decommissioning
In January 1997, Consumers Energy announced it would not seek to renew Big Rock Point’s license beyond its expiration date of May 31, 2000, citing economic challenges that rendered continued operation impractical. The facility ceased operations permanently on August 29, 1997—precisely 35 years after receiving its license. Removal of nuclear fuel was completed by September 20, with site decontamination finalized in 1999.
During dismantling activities, it was discovered that the Liquid Poison System (LPS)—a safety backup intended to halt the nuclear chain reaction by injecting boron solution—had been nonfunctional for at least fourteen years due to corrosion in a pipe.
Acknowledged for its role in advancing nuclear power and producing medical isotopes, Big Rock Point received designation as a Nuclear Historic Landmark from the American Nuclear Society.
The reactor vessel was extracted on August 25, 2003, and transported to Barnwell, South Carolina in October of that year. The entire facility was dismantled, leaving only eight spent fuel storage casks as remnants of the former plant.
The total cost of decommissioning reached $390 million.
Reuse of property
In July 2006, the state of Michigan explored acquiring the property—which includes one mile of Lake Michigan shoreline—with the intention of potentially establishing a state park.
Following the sale of Consumers’ Palisades Nuclear Plant, the new owner Entergy assumed responsibility for a parcel roughly the size of a basketball court at Big Rock containing the eight spent fuel casks.
Controversial events
Adjacent to Big Rock Point was a U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Command Detachment 6 installation known as Bay Shore Radar Bombing Score (RBS) Group. Low-level flights by B-52C aircraft simulated bombing runs. On January 7, 1971, a B-52C with call sign ‘Hiram 16’ from Westover Air Force Base conducted radar bomb scoring exercises with Bay Shore RBS. After completing three successful passes, contact was lost at 6:33 PM. Observers witnessed an explosion and fireball as the B-52C crashed into Little Traverse Bay, approximately five miles north of Big Rock Point Nuclear Power Plant, resulting in the loss of all nine crew members. This event is referred to as the 1971 B-52C Lake Michigan crash.
References
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Big Rock Point
- Consumers Energy: Big Rock Point Decommissioning Project
- Consumers Energy: Big Rock Point Permanent Shutdown Announcement
- Tompkins, Betsy (2006). "Big Rock Point: Transition from Inception to Greenfield," Nuclear News, American Nuclear Society
External links
- Big Rock Point Restoration Project hosted on Consumers Energy's official site
- Headstart on Tomorrow, a 1962 documentary narrated by Ronald Reagan showcasing the construction of Big Rock Point
- Articles with short description
- Energy infrastructure completed in 1962
- Nuclear power plants in Michigan
- Buildings and structures in Charlevoix County, Michigan
- CMS Energy
- Former nuclear power stations in the United States
- 1962 establishments in Michigan
- 1997 disestablishments in Michigan
- Michigan State Historic Sites in Charlevoix County
- Energy infrastructure closed in the 1990s