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An Electronic Newsletter 

of EEA's Environmental

Consulting Activities

Spring 2005

EEA, Inc.

55 Hilton Avenue,

Garden City, New York

(516) 746-4400, (212) 227-3200

(800) 459-5533

additional New York offices:

Stony Brook

(631) 751-4600

Altamont

(518) 861-8586

e-mail addresses:

General:

mailto:eea@eeaconsultants.com

Individual:

First initial and last name

@eeaconsultants.com

 

EEA services include 

Phase I ESAs, Haz-Mat

Testing and Remediation, Wetlands

Delineation 

and Creation, Natural

Resources Inventories,

Marine Ecology Studies,

Air Quality and Noise

studies, and Environmental

Management System (ISO 14000)

implementation. 

 

Visit our web site at

http://www.eeaconsultants.com/

Feasibility Study Completed

Since December 2004, a team of staff scientists, engineers, and hydrologists

have been researching the use of substratum intakes that could be drilled into

the saline aquifer beneath Long Island Sound. Led by EEA’s Dr. Roy

Stoecker, the method will utilize the bottom of the Long Island Sound as a giant

sand filter bed to result in an effective reduction of 100 percent in entrainment

and impingement of marine life. The network of directionally drilled well

screens will capture saline groundwater from the sandy layers underneath the

Sound to be used as cooling water. Significant thermal efficiency benefits are

thought to result from the availability of cooler water during the summer peak

generating demand. The resulting study, the first of its kind, was recently

completed and submitted to Keyspan. Other members of the study team

included:

Michael K. McEachern, P.G. - MC Environmental,.

Hydrogeology

Robert Holzmacher, P.E. J.R. Holzmacher P.E., LLC.

Well and Hydraulic Engineering,

James Rumbaugh, Environmental Solutions – Groundwater Modeling

This study determines the feasibility of pumping up to 700,000 gallons per

minute from a Substratum Intake Structure (SIS) consisting of horizontal wells

drilled beneath Long Island Sound from land on the Keyspan Northport

(5,000MW) facility. If the SIS proves to be feasible, it will provide both

energy and regulatory compliance benefits over competing technologies

without significant construction or operational environmental impacts.

ENR Gives Substratum Intake System a Boost

Only two weeks after presenting the Substratum Intake System to USEPA

officials in Washington, Engineering News Record (ENR) provided some of

KEYSPAN Generation LLC Studies the Substratum Intake System http://www.eeaconsultants.com/news/spring2005/

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For information or quotes,

contact:

Phase I ESAs

Richard Fasciani

Phase II/III Haz-Mat

Testing and Remediation

Nicholas Recchia, CPG

Dredge Management Testing

Jeffrey Shelkey

EAS/EIS Studies

Janet Collura, CWS

Wetlands Studies and Design

Laura Schwanof, RLA

Marine Ecology

Teresa Rotunno

Terrestrial Ecology

Denise Harrington, AICP

Air Quality and Noise

Victor Fahrer, P.E.

Environmental Management

Systms (ISO 14000)

Robert Clifford

Director of Strategic Planning

James McAleer

EEA, Inc. –

Founded in 1979

Principals

Leland M. Hairr, Ph.D.

that impetus when it reported in April that Keyspan scientists considered the

concept promising.

“We’re grateful to ENR for the national press coverage” said Dr. Stoecker;

“few people know that our system represents one of the few options to meeting

the standards and the intent of EPA Regulations under 316 (a) and (b). We

hope the industries impacted under 316 will take the time to fully examine how

effective the system can be without dealing a crushing blow to power

generation efficiencies. There are few win-win situations for both the economy

and the environment in our business. This, clearly, could be one of them”. See

ENR News Article.

The plan was to conduct the study in a phased, methodical, cost effective

manner concentrating on the elements most likely to have possible fatal flaws

before proceeding to the more straight forward engineering subtasks. The

overall major elements of this feasibility study are as follows:

Hydrogeology Investigation

Groundwater Modeling

Conceptual Engineering and Cost Projections

Regulatory Agency Consultation

Report and Recommendations for Future Studies

Over the past two years, Team staff scientists, engineers, and hydrologists have

been researching the use of substratum intakes that could be drilled into the

saline aquifer beneath Long Island Sound. This method will utilize the bottom

of the Long Island Sound as a giant sand filter bed to result in an effective

reduction of 100 percent in entrainment and impingement of marine life. This

large network of directionally drilled well screens will capture saline

groundwater from the sandy layers underneath the Long Island Sound to be

used as cooling water. Significant thermal efficiency benefits will also result

from the availability of cooler water during the summer peak generating

demand period. Using water from a saline aquifer (as opposed to surface

waters) has several obvious environmental and operational advantages:

No entrainment of zooplankton or fish eggs and larvae. Since the well

screens are buried beneath the sand substrate no biological forms would

be entrained into the plant.

No impingement of adult fish and larger invertebrates on the traveling

screens.

No necessity for biocides since the incoming water will be essentially

sterile.

No thermal plume during the summer months because the substrate

water will be significantly colder than the surface waters. This also

obviates the need for additional circulation pumps as dilution water

sources.

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President 

Allen Serper, M.S., P.E.

Vice President 

Roy R. Stoecker, Ph.D.

Vice President

Increased thermal efficiency and reduced maintenance compared to

surface water intake systems and greatly increased efficiency compared

to cooling towers.

Ability to quickly revert to surface water intake if necessary.

Installation utilizing directional drilling with no marine environmental

impacts.

No major permits required (e.g., water well, tidal wetlands)

Minimal alterations to present plant cooling system.

Conceptual Diagram of SIS - Substrate Intake System

Hydrogeology Investigation 

The first phase was to gather available subsurface geologic data from the

power plant, from U.S. Geological Survey reports, bottom studies, including

those involving sub-bottom borings, and offshore seismic studies. Available

data were used to determine the presence of favorable water-bearing strata

necessary to provide the huge volumes required at a typical power plant

site. A key element of this subtask was to determine substrate water

temperature as well as the seasonal temperature variations of the overlying

surface waters presently utilized for cooling at the plant.

Groundwater Modeling

This subtask involved substrate groundwater modeling to predict the

optimal depth of the intake screens. Groundwater modeling also gave

invaluable information on how the water withdrawal would change the

substrate aquifer characteristics and the expected replenishment time

scenarios. The model also can be utilized to assist in the conceptual

engineering layout, e.g., how far apart, vertically and horizontally, the well

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screens should be separated

Conceptual Engineering and Cost Projections 

This investigation subtask involved conceptual level design engineering of

substrate intake screen lengths and diameters, location of booster pumps,

manifolds and similar features of the SIS concept. This subtask was

conducted in consultation with site engineers to ensure that all SIS

engineering recommendations are feasible from a utility and plant

viewpoint.

Following the conceptual engineering layout, estimates of capital and

operating costs for the SIS concept were prepared. This subtask will also

be conducted in consultation with site engineers familiar with plant

construction cost schedules. Cost savings from increases in thermal

efficiency will be calculated, assuming the substratum water is lower in

temperature than the surface water normally circulated.

Regulatory Agency Consultation 

If requested, a formal presentation of the SIS investigations and findings

will be made to concerned regulators including the Regional and Federal

representatives.

Report and Recommendations for SIS Development 

The last subtask of the feasibility study was a detailed report with results

and expected benefits of an SIS construction and operation. In addition, if

all tasks are successfully implemented, a field investigation plan will be

developed that would cover additional exploratory drilling, aquifer testing,

and the information that would be necessary to design a working prototype

horizontal well. This subtask will include preparation of the design

specifications, bid documents, and deliverables needed to proceed with

installation and testing of a prototype intake structure. 

Presently, Keyspan is reviewing the report and deciding on whether to

undertake more detailed programs such as a pilot study and a

demonstration project. For more information on the Substratum Intake

System contact jmcaleer@eeaconsultants.com

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In September of 2004, EEA’s

Dr. Roy Stoecker presented SIS

to the New York State

Department of Environmental

Conservation Thermal Energy

Task Force in Albany, NY and

later that month to the Electric

Power Research Institute

(EPRI) Cooling Water Intake

Technologies Conference in

Worchester, MA. Both

presentations were well

received and generated

considerable interest

In February and March 2005,

Dr. Stoecker presented the SIS

concept to USEPA regional and

subsequently headquarter

officials in Washington

concerned with cooling water

issues.

Typical Northeast Power Plant

 

Patent Status

In September 2003, EEA filed an application with the United States Patent

Office. The concept is considered patent pending. 

25 Years of Service to Government and Industry

In August of 2004, EEA, Inc. (Energy & Environmental Analysts, Inc.) and

the founding principals, Leland Hairr, Ph.D., President, Roy

Stoecker, Ph.D., Vice President, and Allen Serper, P.E., Vice President,

celebrated 25 years as environmental consultants. EEA’s client list includes

many Fortune 500 companies, as well as state and municipal agencies. A

partial list is available at our site at www.eeaconsultants.com

 

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Aerial View of a Typical SIS Design

Related EEA Newsletters:

ENTRAINMENT and IMPINGEMENT? What's That? Power Plants and Cooling Water Intake

Structures (CWIS). Winter, 2004.

SUBSTRATUM INTAKE SYSTEM. An Innovative Water Intake System for

Power Generation Facilities. Spring, 2004.

05/03/05

KEYSPAN Generation LLC Studies the Substratum Intake System http://www.eeaconsultants.com/news/spring2005/

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