316(a & b) Services
The Environmental Protection Agency has enacted new standards for cooling
water intake structures at new and existing facilities as part of implementing
Section
316(b) of the Clean Water Act. The rules for existing electrical
generating stations apply to facilities that: (1) use at least 25 percent
of their cooling water for non-contact cooling; (2) are required to
have an NPDES permit; and, (3) have a design intake of 50 MGD or greater.
The new EPA rules require that applicable facilities reduce impingement of fish and invertebrates on the travelling screens by 80 to 95 percent
and entrainment of organisms that pass through the cooling water system
by 60 to 90 percent, using Best Technology Available (BTA). The EPA
rules allow for off-site restoration and cost-benefit comparison of
compliance alternatives. At the same time, facilities must still meet
requirements of the Clean Water Act section 316(a) that cover potential
ecological effects of power plant thermal discharges.
Experience
Kleinschmidt's biological and engineering staff have over 25 years experience dealing with both 316(a) and (b) issues. We have developed and implemented some of the most comprehensive studies of this kind in the U.S. By integrating biological science, engineering, socioeconomic, and regulatory skills, we offer each client the full extent of our technical capability or singular expertise as required by the project. We seek to define both resource issues and project constraints, helping to identify appropriate options for mitigating environmental impacts with the overall goal of developing project alternatives acceptable to both project proponents and regulatory authorities.
-Chris Tomichek, Senior Fisheries Biologist^ TOP
Cooling Water Intake & Discharge...
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