Chelan County examiner hears testimony on proposed Helion plant near Malaga

WENATCHEE — A proposed fusion power facility in Malaga moved one step closer to approval following a public hearing before the Chelan County Hearing Examiner on Tuesday. The project, submitted by Helion Energy, seeks a conditional use permit to build and operate what planners categorize as a “high-impact utility” — a fusion power plant located near the former Alcoa site east of Wenatchee.

Chelan County Planner Susan Dretke introduced the proposal, explaining that several structures are planned for the site, including an office building, assembly building, generator building, and a substation. The office building is already substantially complete, and the assembly building is under construction. Approval of the conditional use permit would allow the company to proceed with the generator building and substation.

The hearing examiner, Andy Kottkamp, opened the meeting by reminding attendees that public opinion for or against a proposal cannot legally determine his decision. The purpose of testimony, he explained, is to address how the project does or does not comply with county regulations.

Helion representative Tom Bugert, director of state and local affairs, said the company has held more than 100 stakeholder meetings and 10 public meetings over nearly two years of community engagement. “Local voices and input have shaped our project location, building design, and infrastructure decisions,” Bugert said.

Helion requested two technical corrections to the staff report, both pertaining to language in condition 8.8. The first sought to replace “industrial radioactive materials license” with “broad scope license,” a more comprehensive classification under state regulations. Dr. Michael Hua, Helion’s director of radiation safety and nuclear science, explained that both licenses fall under Washington’s radioactive materials licensing framework, but “broad scope” provides greater regulatory oversight.

Ward Media spoke to Dr. Hua after the hearing and he confirmed that radioactive material licenses, for energy purposes, come in three levels: Laboratory, Industrial and Broad Scope, and that the “broad scope” license is the highest-level license, being inclusive of everything guaranteed under the other two subtypes of license, and requiring more oversight on top of that. For Helion’s purposes, nothing covered by the “industrial” license will be missing from the “broad scope” license, which was the reason for the language clarification.

Helion also asked that language referring to decommissioning requirements be updated to reflect consistency with Department of Health permitting. Hua clarified that a decommissioning plan and cost estimate must be approved by the Department of Health before licensing, with funds guaranteed for full decommissioning.

Public commenters voiced concern about the scale and novelty of the project. Leavenworth resident Betsy Steele questioned whether safety, decommissioning, and radioactive material handling had been adequately evaluated. “For something this significant, it needs to be extended and further reviewed,” she said.

Other speakers echoed her concerns, including McKane Lee of Arlington, who cited the need for more study on radiation shielding, and Ann Congdon of Manson, who urged additional safeguards and review time.

Dretke confirmed that county staff supported Helion’s requested technical corrections, which stemmed from the project’s State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review. The hearing examiner will issue a written decision within 10 days, with a possible short extension.

If approved, the decision may be appealed within 21 days under the state’s land use petition process.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media