Citizens Campaign for the Environment

CAMPAIGNS

Power Plants Kill Fish

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently released draft permits that would require National Grid's Port Jefferson Power Station and Glenwood Power Station to reduce the number of fish killed and injured, on an annual basis, by each plant. Currently Port Jefferson’s antiquated cooling system, which can withdraw up to 300 million gallons of water each day from Port Jefferson Harbor, kill more than one billion fish, fish eggs or larvae each year, along with other marine life. Glenwood’s cooling system, which can withdraw up to 179 million gallons of water each day from Hempstead Harbor, kill more than 177 million fish, fish eggs or larvae each year.

In conjunction with the release of the draft permits, Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE) and the Network for New Energy Choices (NNEC) released a white paper, "Power Plants Kill Fish," detailing the effects of National Grid's Long Island power plants on coastal fish.

Update! The National Grid EF Barrett Power Plant in Island Park draws over 290 million gallons of water each day to cool the facility. The DEC estimates that, in the process of drawing in water, 178,000 adult fish are injured or killed when being stuck against the intake screens and a billion more fish eggs get sucked through the screens each year. On December 23, 2009, the DEC released a draft permit for the plant that recommends that National Grid install a new closed-cycle cooling system at the plant, which would reduce water intake by 95 percent and therefore greatly reduce the number of fish kills. CCE applauds the DEC for making this recommendation for the EF Barrett Power Plant in Island Park.

Read the draft permit
View the DEC fact sheet

More information on the draft permit can be found on the NY Department of Environmental Conservation website. Read the December 23 Newsday article, "National Grid asked to Upgrade Plant to Cut Fish Deaths".

Click here to read the NNEC & CCE press release

Click here to read the new report, "Power Plants Kill Fish"

Take Action! Tell the DEC to minimize fish kills by modernizing their plants.

Write to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) at:

Kevin Kispert
NYSDEC
SUNY@ Stony Brook
50 Circle Road
Stony Brook, NY 11790-3409

Letter Writing Tips:

The antiquated cooling systems are responsible for killing billions of fish and disturbing surrounding marine eco-systems.
There is a solution! Tell the DEC to take responsibility and minimize fish kills by retrofitting their plants with the best available technology for cooling water intake.
Print your name and address under your signature.
Make sure your letter is clearly legible and in your own words.
Ask for a response in writing, informing you how they will address your concerns.

For more information and letter writing tips, click here to access our latest brochure, "National Grid Power Plants Kill Billions of Fish."

If you would like to read more information on the Draft Port Jefferson SPDES Permit, click on the below links:
Port Jefferson Power Station Notice of Complete Application
Draft SPDES Permit
SPDES Fact Sheet

If you would like to read more information on the Draft Glenwood SPDES Permit, click on the below links:
DEC factsheet on the Glenwood Power Plant
Draft SPDES permit for the Glenwood Power Plant

Read the comments that Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE) and the Network for New Energy Choices (NNEC) submitted on the draft SPDES permit for the Glenwood Power Station in the hamlet of Glenwood Landing.

Read comments submitted by CCE and NNEC on the Port Jefferson SPDES permit.

Read CCE/NNEC comments on East River SPDES Permit.

Updated by mmurphy 2/15/10