Protecting the Charles River: CLF fights permit for Mirant Kendall Power Plant.

• Position: Massachusetts - Conservation Law Foundation of New England - Brief Article

CLF IS OPPOSING a permit issued to the Mirant Kendall Generating Station allowing the plant to discharge heated water into the lower basin of the Charles River.

The draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit allows for excessive amounts of thermal pollution that will render 50% of the river near the plant a dead zone for certain life stages of some fish populations and may exacerbate existing problems with toxic algae blooms and poor water clarity.

The plant draws water from the river to cool its turbines. The heated water is then returned to the river at temperatures of up to 105[degrees]F. Under the terms of the draft permit, this flow of heated water could be up to five times greater than historic levels--up to 80 million gallons per day.

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