Thermal

Pollution of the
Waters of the
State of TN

Effects of Current and

Planned Nuclear
Generating Plants on the
Tennessee River
 What is Thermal Pollution?
„ Increase in the normal temperatures
of natural waters caused by
intervention of human activities.

„ Temperature is a physical
characteristic of water which is
regulated under the Clean Water Act
and the TN Water Quality Act.
 Thermal Pollution

Suffocated
fish

Altered food web

Low Decreased fish

dissolved population
oxygen
Waste Heat from Power Plants
 Nuclear Power Plants
„ Nuclear power plants use
water as a cooling agent.
„ After the water is used, it
is put back into a water
supply at 9-20oC warmer

This 1988 thermal image of the Hudson River highlights

temperature changes caused by discharge of 2.5 billion
gallons of water each day from the Indian Point power plant.
The plant sits in the upper right of the photo — hot water in
the discharge canal is visible in yellow and red, spreading
and cooling across the entire width of the river. Two
additional outflows from the Lovett coal-fired power plant are
also clearly visible against the natural temperature of the
water, in green and blue.
Red – reservoirs Yellow – Fossil Plants Purple – Nuclear Plants
The water level at Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tenn., in June
was below average. TVA officials say unless the area gets
unexpected rainfall this summer, lake levels are unlikely to rise.
July 7, 2007

Two gallons of water are needed

by coal and nuclear power plants
for every kWh they produce.
Drought Conditions Worsen Across
the Scorched South
 Effects of Increased Water
Temperature
„ Thermal shock – aquatic life adapted to
a certain water temperature can go into
shock when the temp is changed even 1
or 2 degrees C.
„ Oxygen dissolved in water decreases
„ Increases the rate of photosynthesis,
which increases the amount of plant
growth, developing eutrophic conditions
„ Increases the metabolic rate of fish,
which increases their need for oxygen
 Biotic Effects of Thermal Pollution
„ Changes in the environment may also result in a
migration of organisms to another, more suitable
environment, and to in-migration of organisms that
normally only live in warmer waters elsewhere. As a
result one has the problem of compromising food chains
of the old and new environments. Biodiversity can be
decreased as a result.

„ Changes of even one to two degrees Celsius can cause

significant changes in organism metabolism and other
adverse cellular biology effects. Principal adverse
changes can include rendering cell walls less permeable
to necessary osmosis, coagulation of cell proteins, and
alteration of enzyme metabolism. These cellular level
effects can adversely affect mortality and reproduction.
 Under Drought Conditions

„ Less water is absorbing more heat.

„ Water flow is lower and slower.
„ Insufficient water to function as a heat
exchanger.
„ Water gets hotter.
„ This summer, Chickamauga Lake had at
times temperature of 89 degrees, making
the cooling of the Sequoyah Plant inefficient.
Dissolved Oxygen vs Temp
Fish Oxygen Use vs. Temperature
Fish: Response to Temperature
Solid dot:
Upper lethal
Limit for a
Given species

Open dot:
Best T for
spawning

Solid blocks:
Preferred
Temperature
Range
 The
Future
is
Now
Wanted Water Quality Board Actions
1. The Water Quality Board requests TDEC conduct
a study of the cumulative water quality impacts
of the thermal pollution caused by existing and
proposed power generating plants on the
Tennessee River, including the climatic scenarios
of prolonged drought and warmer temperatures.

2. The Water Quality Board requests that TDEC

participate in the environmental scoping of the
impacts upon the waters of the State of TN of
the proposed TVA Bellefonte, AL nuclear power
plants and report periodically to the Board.