Holtec Site Vice President Dave Noyes revealed that 120,000 gallons of water have been drained from the Pilgrim reactor vessel, marking a significant milestone toward the submittal of the facility's License Termination Plan in December 2026. Addressing the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel on Monday night, Noyes reported that while building demolition is largely complete to grade, approximately 797,652 gallons of water remain on-site. The financial weight of the project was also highlighted, as Noyes noted that recent winter weather has strained the decommissioning fund. Noyes said, I'm sure like everyone else's budget, the snow removal budget impacts the ability to draw more money from the decommissioning fund.

The meeting served as a forum for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to detail its oversight of the site, which included six inspections in 2025 with no significant violations. Health Physicist Greg Chapman defended the 25 mrem annual radiation dose limit for unrestricted release, explaining that the standard is a mere fraction of common public exposure. Chapman said, The NRC's annual public dose limit is equivalent to a little bit more than a panoramic dental x-ray... Decommissioning dose criteria is just a fraction of that. Panel member Curtis Little questioned how future regulatory shifts might impact these standards, asking, Is any changes in the ALARA... going to change those numbers for decommissioning of the 25 millirem... or the state agreed 10 millirem?

Environmental concerns focused heavily on groundwater monitoring near the plant. NRC Hydrologist Randy Fedors confirmed that while plant-related tritium was detected in two on-site wells, it remained well below the EPA’s drinking water limit of 20,000 pCi/L. Fedors stated, The tritium is only found on site and will not migrate offsite to aquifers used for drinking water. Despite these technical assurances, panel members expressed skepticism regarding the long-term safety of dry cask storage. Mary Lambert warned the panel against relying on tobacco scientists and pointed to global conflicts as proof of modern risks, noting, The risk of threat... has certainly been demonstrated in Ukraine and Iran... the use of drones carrying missiles. Pine duBois also questioned the physical resilience of the storage containers, asking, If somebody tried to blow up one of those caskets, what would the impact be?

A startling admission from NRC Spokesperson Scott Burnell regarding the agency's capacity drew sharp criticism from the panel. Burnell confirmed that The agency has approximately 500 fewer employees than it did on January 20th, 2025, following a presidential executive order to reduce the federal workforce. Jim Lampert slammed the presentation for failing to address local concerns about indefinite storage and climate change. Lampert told the NRC representatives, I think it's fair to say that essentially none of [the requested topics] have been addressed. You haven't addressed long-term storage, indefinite storage, regional storage... climate resistance. NRC Acting Chief Elise Eve maintained the agency’s position that spent fuel can be safely stored for extended periods beyond reactor operation until a repository becomes available.

The most emotional testimony came from residents and health experts discussing a perceived cancer cluster in the neighborhoods surrounding the plant. Dr. Pontin, a geneticist on the panel, noted that rising cancer rates in Plymouth County could be linked to historical emissions, stating that the timeline could easily be ascribed to how long it takes for mutations to accumulate. Priscilla Beach resident Joanne Coran told the panel, We have an incredibly high cancer rate in my whole neighborhood... The NRC has a big credibility gap. Joanne Wilson Keenan of Save Our Bay presented data on the disproportionate harm of radiation to women, asserting that In Cambridge, this would have been called a cancer cluster. Diane Turko of Cape Downwinders added that Plymouth is a cancer zone and argued that the NRC should be replaced by an independent agency.

The session also addressed procedural transparency and the upcoming annual report to the Governor. Chair Kevin Kanty reminded the room that The panel shall serve in an advisory capacity only and shall not have authority to direct decommissioning. Mary Jo Gatslick worked to refine the technical accuracy of previous records, noting that on page three... the sentence should read, 'it is a design to make up with the vessel,' not 'made up.' Motion Made by M. Gatslick to approve the minutes of November 24, 2025, as amended. Motion Passed (11-0-2).

The final debate centered on the panel’s 2025 Annual Report, which Jim Lampert described as a document that utterly fails to offer substantive advice. Despite his dissent, the majority of the panel, including Joe Mcdana and other appointees, moved to finalize the document. Motion Made by D. Noyes to approve the 2025 Annual Report incorporating the edits from P. duBois. Motion Passed (14-1-1). Rosemary Shields of the League of Women Voters closed public comment by questioning the frequency of NRC cask inspections, expressing concern that looking at only a sample of casks every five years was not very many.