Oyster Creek Power Plant cooling tower

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,143
Coastal NJ
I doubt there is any chance of the facility closing. Exelon paid $10 million for it and the upgrades cost them $1.5 billion, they won't just walk away. The committee delayed the vote until Christie takes office, it is doubtful he would do anything that would lose jobs and increase taxes. In all probability a compromise will be reached that does not include towers, its doubtful they could be retro-fitted anyway. To quote an article in the Press of AC;

"It(Exelon) now pays $9 million in state and local taxes, employs more than 700 people, generates 6 percent of the state’s electricity and a 2007 report concluded the plant created $129 million in economic activity and annually reduces electrical costs by $190 million. If it were to close, he said, fossil fuel-burning plants outside the state would likely produce the electricity."

No one is going to reverse those economics and return to fossil fuel power.

We'll all just have to wait until February. I'm going to split some firewood. :dance:
 

PINEY MIKE

Explorer
Jan 30, 2009
707
25
Bamber Lake
I don't think it will close either and never said it would. Im not a huge fan of it, but if they say its safe, its out of my hands. What I am saying is its wreaked havoc on our bay, where I enjoy spending a lot of my time. MD, its not that other countries should follow our lead, its that we should do the right thing and not worry what they do, especially if we can't do anything about it. You're right, all good natured opinions. This is just mine.
 

Aaron

Explorer
Jul 29, 2007
171
0
Wow its almost comical to see Exelon talk about the prohibitive costs of the cooling towers, when they would make that all back in profit between a month and a half and 11 months depending on the cost
 

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,143
Coastal NJ
What I am saying is its wreaked havoc on our bay, where I enjoy spending a lot of my time.

Not sure the plant has done the damage, I've yet to see any studies or hard evidence of that. The nitrogen, most definitely. The striper, blues, fluke, crabbing have all be exceptional from Mantoloking Rd south. The north end is just about dead. The only laggard is the weakies, but that's not just a local issue. BB is in better shape that the Chesapeake, which has no nuclear power plant on it. All the problems down there caused by nitrogen. If someone has access to, or a link, to credible reports that show otherwise, I'd like to see them.

This link points to the BB National Estuary Program, an organization that actually does studies to back up their statements. You'll see there is nothing that points to the power plant as a cause of degradation of the bay. They have just placed an automatic data gathering buoy in the bay just off Oyster Creek that will measure temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, & chlorophyll. They also have one inthe bay off of Seaside Park. Nothing unusual on that one.

http://www.bbep.org/studies.html

Back out to the wood pile, getting a bit chilly out.
 
BB is in better shape that the Chesapeake, which has no nuclear power plant on it.

46er:

I think you forgot about the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Generating Station, located in Lusby, Calvert County, Maryland. It is sited on the western shore of the Chesapeake and, like Oyster Creek, does not have any cooling towers. Rather, it discharges its warm water into the bay, making the area a haven for anglers and crabbers.

Best regards,
Jerseyman
 

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,143
Coastal NJ
Never heard of that one, I stand corrected. That one appears to have 2 reactors and there are plans for a third, but residents are opposed due to air quality issues with a cooling tower. No ones ever happy :jeffd: Does not change the source of their problems though. They have taken some fairly aggressive action to reduce the nitrogen; some say its working.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvert_Cliffs_Nuclear_Power_Plant
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,195
4,294
Pines; Bamber area

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,143
Coastal NJ
C'mon 46er, you know better than that. I've lived in Lacey 27 years, and there have been numerous fish kills..."The average annual impingement loss ranges from 13,000 winter flounder to eight million sand shrimp". You should read this:

Source: http://www.nirs.org/reactorwatch/licensing/oclr09282006nmfsimpact.pdf

Sure there have, but they are not spread across the bay, very localized. Hardly 'wreaked havoc on our bay'. Besides, they make great chum. :)

As far as the NMFS, ask any commercial fisherman what they think of them, then stand back.
 

PINEY MIKE

Explorer
Jan 30, 2009
707
25
Bamber Lake
Hardly 'wreaked havoc on our bay'. Besides, they make great chum. :)

46er,
We have a lot in common, but I have to disagree with you 110% here. You really think that sucking in 2.2% of the bays water daily, then releasing that water at much warmer tempatures does not affect the bay's sea life significantly? Here's another an add from Monday's paper regarding the cooling towers:

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/top_three/article_5a0de01a-e933-11de-b324-001cc4c002e0.html
 

ecampbell

Piney
Jan 2, 2003
2,841
964
46er,
We have a lot in common, but I have to disagree with you 110% here. You really think that sucking in 2.2% of the bays water daily, then releasing that water at much warmer tempatures does not affect the bay's sea life significantly? Here's another an add from Monday's paper regarding the cooling towers:

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/top_three/article_5a0de01a-e933-11de-b324-001cc4c002e0.html

The ocean sucks alot more water in AND out of the bay than that twice a day. Ocean water usually at a cooler temperature and also affects the bays salinity. The effects I've seen at Oyster Creek have been enhanced fishing.
 
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