Informa(onal Update and Q & A: FPL Turkey Point Environmental Issues Dr. Stephen Smith, Execu(ve Director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Dr. Willam NuDle, Hydrologist, University of Maryland Laura Reynolds, Biologist, SACE/ ORC/ ORCA Consultant
About SACE For over 30 years, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) has promoted responsible energy choices to address the impacts of global climate change and ensure clean, safe and healthy communi(es throughout the Southeast. SACE has come to occupy the forefront of the poli(cal and social struggles surrounding clean energy and solar freedom in Florida. Our unmatched organiza(onal technical exper(se, media savvy, and ins(tu(onal knowledge on energy issues has made us the go-to group on energy issues in the Sunshine State.
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Solu(on: Install Cooling Towers Mechanical DraX Towers at Turkey Pt Unit 5 • Proven, best available technology • Already in use at Turkey Point Unit 5 • Proposed for new Turkey Point reactors • Affordable, can be installed in a (mely manner
A Closed Loop System?
Direct Connec(on with Aquifer
Impacts to Regional Water Resources • Public water supply wells are threatened • 7 MGD seepage of hypersaline water feeds westward plume • Interceptor ditch removes 3.4 MGD freshwater from aquifer • Saltwater intrusion at 600 feet per year
Plume Encroaches on Supply Wells
Average CCS Water Level & Episodic Discharge into Biscayne Bay Head Difference TPSWCCS-5 and TPBBSW-3 -1.5 -0.5 0.5 1.5 -2 -1 0 1 2 12/15/14 WestGradient East Gradient 1/9/15 Water Gradient and TPBBSW-6 Ammonia Concentration Head Difference CCS-5 and BB-3 WaterLevel (ft) 2/3/15 2/28/15 3/25/15 4/19/15 5/14/15 6/8/15 7/3/15 7/28/15 8/22/15 9/16/15 Average CCS Water Level 10/11/15 11/5/15 11/30/15 12/25/15 1/19/16 TPBBSW-6 Ammonia 2/13/16 3/9/16 4/3/16 4/28/16 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 Ammonia, as N Dissolved (mg/L)
Water Inputs Drive Seepage Events 30 Seepage Toward Biscayne Bay (positive) Calculated Return Canal Seepage (MGD) 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 1400 1.5 Rainfall (MGD) Pumping (MGD) 1200 Daily Rainfall and Pumping (MGD) CCS water level (feet) 1 1000 CCS Water Level (ft) 0.5 800 600 0 400 -0.5 200 0 -1 2010.5 2011 2011.5 2012 2012.5 2013 2013.5 2014 2014.5 2015 2015.5 2016
Flushing Pollu(on into Biscayne Water Balance Model: Source FPL
Discharge of Pollutants into Biscayne Bay • CCS discharges pollutants episodically – example Nov 2015 thru Jan 2016. • Shallow groundwater seepage into bay occurs when hydraulic gradients reverse. Reversals occur frequently, but they must be sustained over many days for pollutants to reach the bay. This occurs less frequently. • Plant opera(ons affect seepage to Biscayne Bay in two ways. – Seepage increases with increased freshwater supply, for example by adding water from canals or wells. – Running the circula(ng pumps decreases seepage. (And, turning them off is bad.) • Seepage into Biscayne Bay was detected immediately aXer the CCS was put into opera(on in the 1970s.
Cooling Canals prior to Uprate No other system in the world is like FPL’s Turkey Point cooling canal system
Algal Bloom Progression March, 2010 January, 2014 March, 2013
• December 2015-Dec 2016 Tri(um levels in Biscayne bay • Tri(um acts as a fingerprint or tracer • Anything above 6.4 pC/L is above background levels • There is no doubt the CCS industrial waste water is leaking into the bay.
Seepage Detected Immediately aXer Canals Started Opera(ons 50 TU=161.1 pi/cu L 100 TU=322.2 pi/cu L
Environmental Degrada(on • Ammonia is known to damage fish popula(ons and cause fish kills • Hypersaline condi(ons have degraded the ecosystems by reducing diversity and abundance of fish and invertebrate species • Conflicts with goals of Everglades Restora(on by making the area more hypersaline and drawing on the adjacent wetlands for water • Further study is needed on the total impacts and degrada(on of Biscayne Na(onal Park and Card and Barns Sound.
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Q&A Slide Deck
Conflicts with Everglades Restora(on Est. cost: $22.5 Million of tax payer money for phase 1 AlternaLve O of Biscayne Bay Costal Wetlands • Will “improve the ecological health of Biscayne Bay…by adjusLng the quanLty, quality, Lming, and distribu(on of freshwater entering Biscayne Bay….” Source: SFWMD
FPL Turkey Point Cooling Canal System Salinity since 1973 (reported by FPL) CCS Maximum Quarterly Salinity Sept. 1973 to Sept. 2008 (Source FL0001562 NPDES Permit Monitoring Reports) 70.0 60.0 50.0 Salinity (ppt) 40.0 30.0 Seawater salinity 20.0 10.0 0.0 Q3 73 Q3 74 Q3 75 Q3 76 Q3 77 Q3 78 Q3 79 Q3 80 Q3 81 Q3 82 Q3 83 Q3 84 Q3 85 Q3 86 Q3 87 Q3 88 Q3 89 Q3 90 Q3 91 Q3 92 Q3 93 Q3 94 Q3 95 Q3 96 Q3 97 Q3 98 Q3 99 Q3 00 Q3 01 Q3 02 Q3 03 Q3 04 Q3 05 Q3 06 Q3 07 Q3 08
Scien(fic Needs-30% Error • Evapora(on : AcousLc Doppler Wind speed sensors and EvaporaLve Flux meters • Rainfall Correc(on : There is only 1 rain gauge on site there should be 8, a correlaLon must be done with the NEXRAD data to ground truth informaLon • Flow Meters : Measure the velocity of water circulaLng in the canals---add in 3 locaLons (Discharge, Mid South end and Intake locaLons) • Dye Study : To see exactly where the polluLon plume goes and how fast---with a ½ life of 12.5 years this is likely influencing areas much farther then the evidence shows • Ecosystem Harm : a comprehensive study to determine potenLal harm to Biscayne Bay and surrounding wetlands • Update Models : currently the ESA model does not take into account flow zones or any informaLon to the east of the canals and there is a 30% error in water budget
The DEP Consent Decree FPL’s current operaLons at the Turkey Point nuclear power plant are in violaLon of state and federal law –yet DEP lays the groundwork to conLnue operaLons of the CCS beyond 2032, Dade county is calling for it to be shut down • Turkey Point is one of Florida’s largest water users and is exacerbaLng Salt Water Intrusion to the West and consuming our potable water supply DEP does nothing to stop the interac2ons with the Biscayne Aquifer – Unknown if extrac2on well plan may cause harm? – According to model analysis there are real concerns the plume will s2ll be moving at depth – • The impacts from Turkey Point are in direct conflict with the goals of Everglades RestoraLon and degrading a NaLonal Park DEP does nothing to stop the salt loading of 3 Million lbs. per day – DEP does nothing to make FPL iden2fy the most sustainable water source--Reuse – • Turkey Point is illegally releasing a massive plume of polluLon into both Biscayne NaLonal Park and the Biscayne Aquifer: DEP deny any viola2ons of Numeric Nutrient Criteria Rules – DEP deny any impacts to Biscayne Bay – DEP does not offer a comprehensive solu2on –
Problems with the FPL Model 1-Model does not account for Evap/ TranspiraLon losses, the model may accurately represent water coming in but not leaving. 2-Model does not accurately show where the SW/FW interface is located—the model does not reflect reality. 3-The two large rock mines are not included in the model, and in fact some of the runs show they are underwater. 4-The L-31 canal is treated as a water source and not a sink, this dampens the simulated impacts to the adjacent wetlands. 5-Some of the model runs even with all of this “extra” water in the system shows more than a 10 th of a foot impact on drawdown.
LocaLon of proposed cooling towers
Solving the Ocean Ouoall Issue
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