Population biology in the courtroom: the Hudson River controversy

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · BioScience; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/1309420· OSTI ID:7003116

Barnthouse, L W; Boreman, J; Christensen, S W; Goodyear, C P; Van Winkle, W; Vaughan, D S

In support of more than a decade of litigation, scientists devoted unprecedented effort to modeling the impact of electric power generation on the Hudson River striped bass population. When the Cornwall pumped storage facility was first proposed, opponents of the project argued that enormous numbers of striped bass eggs and larvae would be entrained with the pumped water and killed. Several years later, when the US Atomic Energy Commission held hearings to investigate the potential environmental impacts of Indian Point Unit 2, a nuclear power plant nearing completion 25 km downriver from Cornwall, it was argued that young striped bass would be entrained through the condensers with the cooling water and killed by thermal and mechanical stress. In addition, fish would be killed by impingement on the trash screens. The AEC staff recommended that a cooling tower be built at Indian Point to reduce cooling-water requirements and, therefore, entrainment and impingement mortality. The most sophisticated models failed to provide useful long-term impact predictions. However, simpler models, used to evaluate alternatives for mitigation, were instrumental in arranging a negotiated settlement.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 7003116
• Journal Information: BioScience; (United States), Journal Name: BioScience; (United States) Vol. 34:1; ISSN BISNA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560305* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Vertebrates-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANADROMOUS FISHES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
COOLING TOWERS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
ENTRAINMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FISHES
FORECASTING
HEARINGS
HUDSON RIVER
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
IMPINGEMENT
INDIAN POINT-2 REACTOR
LAWSUITS
LEGAL ASPECTS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
MORTALITY
PEAKING POWER PLANTS
POPULATION DYNAMICS
POWER PLANTS
POWER REACTORS
PUMPED STORAGE POWER PLANTS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTORS
RIVERS
STREAMS
STRIPED BASS
SURFACE WATERS
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TOWERS
VERTEBRATES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS