MJB&A Issue Brief - 316(b) Cooling Water Intake Standards

Section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act requires EPA to issue regulations ensuring that the design and operation of intake structures minimize adverse environmental impacts from the withdrawal of cooling water from lakes, rivers, estuaries, or oceans. The withdrawal of large volumes of water kills aquatic organisms and their eggs by trapping them against intake screens (impingement) or by drawing them into the cooling system (entrainment). However, a variety of measures reduce this impact substantially. After several rulemakings and subsequent litigation, EPA released the final rule for existing facilities on May 19, 2014.