Cooling water intake regulations hit nuclear, fossil-fuel plants

摘要

On April 9, 2002, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new regulations for existing cooling water intake structures. The regulations could require significant changes at both nuclear and fossil-fueled power plants with once-through cooling systems. The regulations are commonly known as "316(b) regulations" because they implement Section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act. The proposed 316(b) regulations apply to power plant cooling water intake structures with the capacity to withdraw 50 million gallons per day or more, which includes most once-through cooling systems. Affected intake structures would have to meet technology-based performance standards. The specific performance standards depend on the cooling water source (freshwater river, tidal river, lake, Great Lake, or ocean), but in general, one of the following would have to be done: 1. Reduce the intake capacity to a level commensurate with the use of a closed-cycle cooling system (e.g., use cooling towers or a cooling pond). 2. Reduce fish and shellfish impingement mortality by at least 80 percent compared with a theoretical intake structure. In some cases, entrainment of fish and shellfish would also have to be reduced. The measures used to achieve these reductions could include technological modifications (e.g., fine mesh screens, fish return systems, barrier nets, etc.), operational modifications (e.g., seasonal shutdowns or reductions in flow), and/or restoration measures' (e.g., fish restocking programs, restoring degraded wetlands, etc.). 3. Demonstrate that the costs of complying with 1 or 2 would be significantly greater than the costs EPA estimated in developing the regulations or that the costs are significantly greater than the benefits. The facility would then qualify for a site-specific determination of the best technology available.