A New Win for Fighting Deadly Power Plant Technology

Dec 15, 2010

Thank you to everyone who took action last month to end fish kills at California power plants – our advocacy was successful! The State Water Board has rejected an industry appeal trying to overturn the new policy that will phase out the use of once-through cooling at California power plants.

In March, San Francisco Baykeeper and our fellow California Waterkeepers, led by the California Coastkeeper Alliance (CCKA), secured a strong policy from the State Water Board to improve how quickly and how effectively power plants must replace their once-through cooling systems. This destructive technology kills billions of fish, plankton and other marine life every year at power plants throughout California, including two plants in the Delta at Pittsburg and Antioch.

In November, the State Water Board re-opened the policy and heard new amendments from the power plant industry seeking to weaken the regulations. California Waterkeepers once again mobilized to oppose these appeals, and CCKA represented our opposition at the December 14 meeting. Despite pressure from business and industry representatives, the Board voted to reject the faulty amendments.

Ending the use of once-through cooling at California's coastal power plants is an important step toward making all of our coastal waterways safer for marine life. Learn more about once-through cooling.

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