Bill Text: NJ S630 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires closed-cycle cooling towers as condition of NJPDES permit for certain energy generation facilities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Environment and Energy Committee [S630 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S630-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator ROBERT M. GORDON
District 38 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Requires closed-cycle cooling towers as condition of NJPDES permit for certain energy generation facilities.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning the installation of closed-cycle cooling towers at certain energy generation facilities, and supplementing P.L.1977, c.74 (C.58:10A-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Notwithstanding any provision of P.L.1977, c.74 (C.58:10A-1 et seq.) or any other law, or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, to the contrary, the Department of Environmental Protection shall require as a condition of a permit the installation of closed-cycle cooling towers for an energy generation facility that draws over one billion gallons of water per day from a surface water body.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require as a condition of a New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination Discharge System (NJPDES) permit, issued by the Department of Environmental Protection pursuant to the State's "Water Pollution Control Act" and the federal Water Pollution Control Act, the installation of closed-cycle cooling towers at any energy generation facility that draws over one billion gallons of water per day from a surface water body.
According to an article, "How to Cool a Power Plant," in the July 2009 issue of the Nuclear Energy Institute's newsletter "Nuclear Energy Insight," of the 104 nuclear power plants in the United States, 60 use a once-through cooling system, 35 use closed-cycle cooling towers, and nine use hybrid systems (a combination of once-through and cooling tower systems). Closed-cycle cooling systems withdraw less water and reduce fish kills by recirculating or reusing water.
