Calif. regulates power plants to save marine life

[sce56]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gBNkKPX1BGqUjMMH21WpByF09YJQD9FGDRD80

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — State water regulators on Tuesday ordered coastal power plants to begin phasing out a cooling process that is blamed for killing billions of aquatic organisms every year.

After a nine-hour public hearing, the five members of the state Water Resources Control Board voted unanimously to adopt regulations for 19 power plants that draw billions of gallons of ocean and estuary water each daily for cooling.
The board said the so-called "once-through" cooling process inadvertently traps a staggering number of fish, larvae and eggs each year, including an estimated 62,000 delta smelt — a species listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.
The power plants affected by the new policy contribute just 7 percent of the energy generated annually in California but serve a critical backup role during periods of peak demand.
The regulations would allow aging plants to develop replacement infrastructure before shutting down their current cooling systems, to avoid a potential energy shortage.

Despite that provision, plant operators say the proposed rules will place a significant financial burden on their companies and include unrealistic timelines.
The majority of power plants will have until at least 2015 to comply with the regulations. Plants in the Los Angeles area will have until 2020 because of that region's "more complex and challenging" power needs, according to the policy.




Good thing I'll be retiring in 5 years!

[FreakinDJ]

1. BULLSHIT - it's the pumps feeding the So Cal Aquiduct

Fucken Moron - those pumps actually REVERSE the flow of the whole Delta they are pumping so much water

[sce56]

2. I've seen the screen baskets they can get pretty full

Of course a small plant only kills 400Lbs a year but SONGS (San Onofre) kills about 10,000lbs a year

[FreakinDJ]

3. !0,000 lbs of what ?

[sce56]

4. FISH M arine Animals

When the rains were bad we had minnows and octopi!