Protecting Fish at Power Plant Cooling Water Intakes: New Developments and Science on Clean Water Act §316(b), Part 1

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on April 20, 2011 released a proposed rule for public comment implementing technology-based standards for fish protection at existing power plants and other facilities that use cooling water in accordance with the requirements of §316(b) of the Clean Water Act.  This regulatory action affects almost 1,300 facilities (power plants, pulp and paper mills, iron mills, chemical plants) around the U.S. that use cooling water. These industries, federal and state regulatory and resource agencies, non-governmental organizations and the public will all need the latest information on technologies and related information for protecting fish and shellfish at cooling water intakes – this includes traveling and fixed screens, barrier nets, behavioral systems, closed cycle cooling systems, and other methods for reducing, excluding or collecting and returning fish and shellfish to source water bodies. Information will also be needed on methods for characterizing impingement and entrainment and for determining the performance of technologies.  Methods for economic analysis to determine the cost-benefit for compliance activities may also be needed. This symposium will gather practitioners with expertise in fish protection/bioengineering at cooling water intakes to present and discuss the latest scientific developments in this field.