COVERT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - Operators of southwestern Michigan's Palisades Nuclear Power Plant say it's now offline for refueling and maintenance.
New Orleans-based Entergy Corp. says operators took the plant out of service at 11 a.m. EST Sunday. It's located on the shore of lake Michigan in Van Buren County's Covert Township, about 55 miles southwest of Grand Rapids.
Plant spokeswoman Lindsay Rose says workers will replace 64 fuel assemblies in the reactor as well doing maintenance, tests and inspections.
Rose says about 1,000 outside workers will join the plant's staff of 600 full-time employees during the refueling project.
Entergy hasn't said how long the plant will remain offline.
Palisades opened in 1971, and this is its 23rd refueling and maintenance outage.
