[NukeNet] Global Warming vs. Power Plants, Part 2 (Jellyfish)

[Mike Ewall]

Water temperature is a factor in jellyfish populations.  Jellyfish 
are now clogging cooling water intakes for the Calvert Cliffs nuclear 
reactor in Maryland, forcing them to dramatically cut back power 
production.  Jellyfish have also reportedly caused problems at a 
natural gas and coal-fired power plant in Maryland (Chalk Point 
Generating Station).

See the article below for more details.

Mike Ewall
Energy Justice Network
215-743-4884
catalyst at actionpa.org
http://www.energyjustice.net
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http://www.24dash.com/content/news/viewNews.php?navID=58&newsID=8657

[UK article]

...Marine biologist consultant Dr Vicki Howe said the warmer waters 
sparked an increase in plankton and jelly fish, which in turn 
increased supply along the food chain.


http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2006/072006/07152006/206385

A nettle-some problem on Potomac

Jellyfish force one Maryland power plant to to temporarily reduce 
output, jam others.

Date published: 7/15/2006
By FRANK DELANO

An overabundance of jellyfish in the Chesapeake Bay is causing 
problems for power plants in Maryland.

According to reports filed with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, jellyfish have clogged intake pumps three times this 
month at the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Calvert County, Md.

On July 7, an influx of jellyfish in a pump that circulates cooling 
water forced the plant to reduce the power output of its Unit 1 to 41 
percent of capacity. The unit returned to 100 percent production 
after engineers cleared and restarted the pump, the NRC report said.

Masses of jellyfish also jammed water pumps July 6 and as recently as 
Wednesday, but the plant's two units maintained 100 percent output, 
the reports said.

Jellyfish are also causing headaches at Maryland's largest power 
plant, the Chalk Point Generating Station on the Patuxent River in 
Prince George's County, an environmental analyst said.

Pat Langley said jellyfish have clogged large nets protecting 
cooling-water intakes. A local waterman is now dumping jellyfish from 
the outermost line of the nets twice a week, he said.

"It's not a perfect system, but it seems to be doing a good job," 
Langley said.

Chalk Point is about 30 miles upstream from the mouth of the Patuxent 
River. From there, Calvert Cliffs is about 10 miles up the bay.

There are indications that the annual infestation of jellyfish in 
Chesapeake Bay waters is worse this year than in prior years.

Langley said he could remember no other jelly-fish seasons where 
barrier nets had to be cleared as often as this year.

An online search of NRC event reports dating back to 1999 revealed no 
jellyfish problems at Calvert Cliffs prior to this month.

Jellyfish are also abundant in the lower Potomac River, but less so 
in fresher waters upstream.

That is good news for river swimmers at Colonial Beach, about 50 
miles up from the mouth of the Potomac.

"Aside from a couple of little ones, we've had no problems with them. 
They usually don't show up here until around Aug. 1," said Colonial 
Beach Mayor G.W. "Pete" Bone Jr.

Across the Potomac in Charles County, Md., environmental analyst Liz 
Spitzer said jellyfish have caused no problems at the Morgantown 
Power Plant on the Maryland side of the U.S. 301 Bridge.

Marine scientist David A. Nemazie of the Center for Environmental 
Science of the University of Maryland, said jellyfish are a "balloon 
species" whose populations can explode under optimum conditions of 
salinity and water temperature.

Ideal conditions for jellyfish often occur in summer in the 
mid-Chesapeake Bay, including saltier portions of the Patuxent, 
Potomac and Rappahannock rivers, Nemazie said.

He said jellyfish populations seem to be increasing along with 
increases of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous in the waters 
where jellyfish are found.

"Large, worldwide blooms of jellyfish are regular occurrences now. 
They used to be rare before," Nemazie said.

A Web site maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric maps 
the probability of jellyfish in the Chesapeake Bay. Its address is 
http://coastwatch.noaa.gov/seanettles.

Jellyfish are not the only marine species recently to beset the 
Calvert Cliffs power plant.

The plant reported Tuesday to the NRC that 150 to 200 cow-nosed rays 
had died on trash racks protecting water intakes of both units.

"The apparent cause was low oxygen levels in the Bay water," the 
report said. Power output was not disrupted by the death of the stingrays.

Staff reporter Rusty Dennen contributed to this story.

To reach FRANK DELANO:804/333-3834
Email: fpdelano at gmail.com