EPA finalizes cooling water intake standards.

• Position: Clean Water Act - Brief article

Standards to protect billions of fish and other aquatic life drawn each year into cooling water systems at large power plants and factories have been finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. This final rule is required by the Clean Water Act to address site-specific challenges.

An estimated 2,100,000,000 fish, crabs, and shrimp are killed annually by being pinned against cooling water intake structures (impingement) or being drawn into cooling water systems and affected by heat, chemicals, or physical stress (entrainment). The Fish & Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service are able to provide individual facilities with information concerning control technologies.

"EPA is making it clear that if you have cooling water intakes you have to look at the Impact on aquatic life in local waterways and take steps to...