EPA finalizing 316(b) rule for cooling water intakes for power plants

Section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act requires National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for facilities with cooling water intakes.  Cooling water intakes affects fish, fish larvae and eggs, crustaceans, shellfish, sea turtles, marine mammals, and other aquatic life.  Last year the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a proposed rule for standards for cooling water intakes at all existing power generating and manufacturing and industrial facilities.

EPA has just announced (May 31 and June 1) Notices of Data Availability (NODA) which summarizes data that the EPA has received since that proposal and a discussion of possible revisions to the final rule that EPA is considering.  The EPA is looking forpublic comment.

A recent Black and Veatch survey of the electric power industry indicates that over a thrid of utilities expect the impact of the new rule to be significant.

Geoff Zeiss

Geoff Zeiss

Geoff Zeiss has more than 20 years experience in the geospatial software industry and 15 years experience developing enterprise geospatial solutions for the utilities, communications, and public works industries. His particular interests include the convergence of BIM, CAD, geospatial, and 3D. In recognition of his efforts to evangelize geospatial in vertical industries such as utilities and construction, Geoff received the Geospatial Ambassador Award at Geospatial World Forum 2014. Currently Geoff is Principal at Between the Poles, a thought leadership consulting firm. From 2001 to 2012 Geoff was Director of Utility Industry Program at Autodesk Inc, where he was responsible for thought leadership for the utility industry program. From 1999 to 2001 he was Director of Enterprise Software Development at Autodesk. He received one of ten annual global technology awards in 2004 from Oracle Corporation for technical innovation and leadership in the use of Oracle. Prior to Autodesk Geoff was Director of Product Development at VISION* Solutions. VISION* Solutions is credited with pioneering relational spatial data management, CAD/GIS integration, and long transactions (data versioning) in the utility, communications, and public works industries. Geoff is a frequent speaker at geospatial and utility events around the world including Geospatial World Forum, Where 2.0, MundoGeo Connect (Brazil), Middle East Spatial Geospatial Forum, India Geospatial Forum, Location Intelligence, Asia Geospatial Forum, and GITA events in US, Japan and Australia. Geoff received Speaker Excellence Awards at GITA 2007-2009.

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