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Save sea life, spend $7.6 billion to retrofit power plants. Guess who’ll pay?

Posted by: Maven on December 14, 2009 at 6:20 am

sea lionFrom the O. C. Register’s “OC Watchdog”:

“The $7 million sea lion?

True, far more sea mammals meet inglorious ends at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station than at any other power plant in California, according to the state.

We’re talking 558 sea lions and seals entrapped over 15 years, of which 429 died. (See details on mortality charts below).

It’s not just a matter of cute sea mammals. Some 3.6 million fish wind up in San Onofre’s intake system each year, though most are caught by screens and returned to the ocean largely unharmed, SCE says. There are also some 6 billion fish larvae caught up in the works; those presumably perish. And don’t forget the two sea turtles that have died there since 1983.

How much are these lives worth? If new rules barring power plants from using ocean water to cool their systems take effect next year, the bill will be some $3 billion – just to retrofit San Onofre alone. Each of its two reactors would have to be shut down for almost two years to make the changes. … “

Read more from the OC Watchdog by clicking here.

December 14, 2009 · Filed Under Uncategorized

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