No Coincidence?
Switch to Open-Cycle Cooling Causes Fish Population Crash
By John Torgan, Narragansett Baykeeper

In 1985, the Brayton Point Station, in Somerset, Massachusetts, converted one of its generating units from closed- to open-cycle cooling, increasing water intake by 45 percent. Immediately, fishermen began to report troubling declines in the local fish stocks, calling the once productive Mount Hope Bay “a dead zone.” Studies later demonstrated that Mt. Hope Bay experienced an unprecedented fisheries decline resulting in a staggering 87 percent reduction in overall fish abundance and diversity.

Today, Brayton Point Station remains New England’s largest and dirtiest power plant. Each day, the station withdraws nearly one billion gallons of water from the bay to cool its generators, then discharges it at temperatures of up to 95°F. Not only does this process warm the shallow waters of Mount Hope Bay, Narragansett Bay’s northeastern arm, it sucks in and destroys trillions of fish eggs and larvae each year.

Ending Brayton Point’s destructive cooling practices has been Narragansett Baykeeper’s top priority for 15 years. Working with local partners, Baykeeper has fought Brayton through litigation, education and science — pushing EPA to issue a protective permit to end once-through cooling once and for all. In 2003, EPA finally issued a strong permit, requiring Brayton to install cooling towers and to reduce use of bay water by 94 percent. Brayton’s owners unsuccessfully appealed this permit to EPA. Now the appeal is expected to continue in federal court. In the mean time, Baykeeper is working in partnership with Rhode Island’s Attorney General, Conservation Law Foundation and other partners to force Brayton Point into compliance with the new permit as soon as possible.

The Death Toll
Average annual losses of fish eggs and larvae due to existing cooling water withdrawals at Brayton Point Station include:
• 251 million: Winter Flounder
• 375 million: Windowpane Flounder
• 3.5 billion: Tautog

Stealing the Bounty
Each year a million fishermen visit Narragansett Bay, helping generate $2 billion for Rhode Island’s economy from tourism and recreation. EPA estimates that the long-term increase to New England electric rates for switching the Brayton Point plant to closed-cycle cooling would range from $0.03 to 0.13 per month to the average household.