pipe. Because of its contributions to the nuclear and medical industries, the American Nuclear Society named Big Rock Point a Nuclear Historic Landmark. The reactor vessel was removed on August 25, 2003 and shipped to Barnwell, South Carolina on October 7, 2003. All of Big Rock Point's area has been torn down. Other than eight spent fuel casks, there are no signs that the site was home to a nuclear power plant. Decommissioning costs totaled $390,000,000. Reuse of property In July 2006, the state of Michigan announced it was considering buying the site, which features a mile of Lake Michigan shoreline, for a possible state park. As part of the sale of Consumers' Palisades Nuclear Plant, the new owner Entergy accepted the responsibility for a basketball court size piece of property at Big Rock containing that plant's eight casks of spent fuel. Controversial events Located near Big Rock Point was a military base for the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command Detachment 6 known as Bay Shore Radar Bombing Score (RBS) Group. Low altitude flights were performed by B-52Cs to simulate deadly bombing missions. On January 7, 1971, a B52C (Using radio call sign ‘Hiram 16’) from the bombing group at Westover Air Force Base near Springfield, Massachusetts took off to perform radar bomb scoring in tandem with the Bay Shore RBS group at the Bay Shore RBS Site. At 6:33 PM, after completing three successful electronic bombings, the Bay Shore RBS crew lost contact with the B-52C flight crew. Witnesses observed a fireball falling from the sky with a large associated loud explosion as the B-52C impacted the water at Little Traverse Bay, 5 miles north of the Big Rock Point Nuclear Power Plant. All nine on board were lost. This became known as 1971 B-52C Lake Michigan crash. References External links Big Rock Point Restoration Project on Consumers Energy's website Headstart on Tomorrow a 1962 film narrated by Ronald Reagan discussing and showing parts of Big Rock construction 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