FACT SHEET EPA’S DECISION TO EXEMPT OLDER POWER PLANTS FROM NEW WATER-USING TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS

The Clean Air Task Force argues that the EPA's 2004 decision regarding cooling water intake structures for existing power plants is too weak because it replaces technology mandates with vague performance standards and allows for fish population 'restoration' instead of preventing kills. The document highlights that once-through cooling systems, used by 52% of U.S. plants, cause massive fish mortality and thermal pollution, whereas recirculating cooling could reduce water use by 95%.

• The EPA rule issued on February 16, 2004, does not require older power plants to adopt technology that could reduce water use by 90% or more, instead implementing a weaker rule without a technology standard.
• Power plant cooling water intake and discharge cause severe ecological damage, including the death of trillions of fish and fish eggs annually through impingement and entrainment, and the discharge of water up to 60 degrees hotter than intake temperatures.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2004). FACT SHEET EPA’S DECISION TO EXEMPT OLDER POWER PLANTS FROM NEW WATER-USING TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093424/20040216-EPA_PP_Decision.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. FACT SHEET EPA’S DECISION TO EXEMPT OLDER POWER PLANTS FROM NEW WATER-USING TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS. 2004. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093424/20040216-EPA_PP_Decision.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=FACT SHEET EPA’S DECISION TO EXEMPT OLDER POWER PLANTS FROM NEW WATER-USING TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS |date=16 February 2004 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093424/20040216-EPA_PP_Decision.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2004fact, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{FACT SHEET EPA’S DECISION TO EXEMPT OLDER POWER PLANTS FROM NEW WATER-USING TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2004}, month = feb, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093424/20040216-EPA_PP_Decision.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }