South Bay Power Plant Operator Withdraws Renewal Application
Community unites to retire aging plant after decade battle
San Diego Coastkeeper
CONTACT: Jamie Ortiz 619-758-7743 x101; 858-337-7466 (cell)
10/26/2010
The plant used an antiquated technology called 'once-through-cooling’ as its cooling system. The technology requires massive amounts of water, along with the aquatic life contained in the water column, to be sucked into the plant and spewed out ten to 15 degrees hotter. This super heated water has created a dead zone in the South Bay where eelgrass, a key habitat and food source for bay species, could grow.
"This plant has been more than an eyesore," said Solmer. “The air quality impacts on downwind residents, and the heat and pollution in the water have taken their toll on the health of the bay. Hopefully with the closure of the plant we will start to see life returning to this incredible area of San Diego.”
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Founded in 1995, San Diego Coastkeeper protects the region’s inland and coastal waters for the communities and wildlife that depend on them by blending education, community empowerment and advocacy. Visit us online at http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org.
