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Project No.: 0172.07.029.030 DISTRIBUTION 

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Project Name: Steam Electric Detailed Study 

TELEPHONE CALL RECORD 

 Outgoing Call 

Date: 1/7/10 Time: 10:00 am EST 

Company Name: Constellation Energy 

 Brandon Shores Generating Station

Contact Name: Catherine Stewart 

Phone No.: (410-787-5782)

Name: Kurt Blohm and TJ Finseth Eastern Research Group 

GENERAL SUBJECT : Constellation Energy’s Brandon Shores Generating Station Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) and FGD 

Wastewater Treatment Systems

 

TOPICS DISCUSSED AND ACTION TAKEN 

On Thursday, December 24, 2009, I contacted Catherine Stewart of Constellation Energy (Constellation). I 

explained to Ms. Stewart that I was contacting her to collect information regarding the operation of the FGD 

system and the FGD wastewater treatment system at the Brandon Shores Generating Station to inform EPA’s 

decision on which plants to sample as part of the effluent guidelines rulemaking for the steam electric industry. 

I asked Ms. Stewart if she would be able to answer some questions regarding Brandon Shores’ FGD system and 

FGD wastewater treatment system. Ms. Stewart stated that she would like me to prepare a list of the topics that 

will be discussed during the call prior to the meeting so that she could gather the appropriate plant and corporate 

personnel to answer the questions. On December 28, 2009, I sent Ms. Stewart the list of discussion topics. She 

then informed me that Constellation Energy would be available for a conference on Thursday, January 7th, 

2010. 

On Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 10:00 A.M, Kurt Blohm and TJ Finseth of ERG participated in a conference 

call with Catherine Stewart, Amy Heatherington, Heather Lentz, Bill Kennedy, and Grace ___ of Constellation 

Energy and Brandon Shores Generating Station (collectively referred to as “Brandon Shores”). The following is 

a description of what was discussed during the call. 

Brandon Shores stated that the FGD system on Unit 1 began operation in November 2009 and that the FGD 

system on Unit 2 is planned to be installed in February 2010. Brandon Shores confirmed that both FGD systems 

are limestone forced oxidation systems. Brandon Shores is currently using a chemical defoamant in the Unit 1 

FGD system and expects to use the same defoamant in the Unit 2 FGD system when it begins operating. 

Brandon Shores noted that they had not intended to use a defoamant based on the design of the FGD system, 

but after it began operation, the plant determined that a defoamant was needed. 

Brandon Shores stated that Units 1 and 2 both operate SCRs, which were installed sometime in 2000 or 2001. 

Brandon Shores operated the SCRs only during the ozone season until January 2009, at which time; the plant 

started operating the SCRs year round. 

Brandon Shores confirmed the following description of the FGD wastewater treatment system: 

The FGD purge stream is transferred to an equalization tank. The effluent from the equalization tank flows to 

Reaction Tank 1 where the plant adds lime and organosulfide (TMT-15). From Reaction Tank 1, the 
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wastewater flows to Reaction Tank 2 where the plant adds ferric chloride. The effluent from Reaction Tank 2 is 

tansferred to a solids contact clarifier where a flocculating polymer is added. The underflow from the clarifier is 

pumped back to the first reaction tank or is transferred to a sludge holding tank. The overflow from the clarifier 

is treated with hydrochloric acid to adjust the pH to between 6.8 and 7.0. The waste stream is then diluted with 

service water at a ratio of approximately 1:1. The service water is added to lower the TDS concentration and 

control the temperature of the waste stream before it enters the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) portion of the 

wastewater treatment system. After the waste stream is diluted with service water it is transferred to the SBR 

influent equalization tank where bisulfite is added to eliminate any free chlorine. Additionally, a chemical 

defoamant and a carbon source are added to feed the biomass present in the SBRs. The effluent from the SBR 

influent equalization tank flows into one of the three SBR tanks. Filter feed pumps transfer the effluent from the 

SBRs to the sand filters. Brandon Shores has the ability to add ferric chloride and aluminum chlorohydrate in to 

the wastewater after the sand filters. The effluent from the sand filters is pumped to two treated storage effluent 

tanks. From the effluent tanks, the wastewater is transferred to a diffusion box where it is commingled with 

cooling tower blowdown at a ratio of approximately 1000:1. The wastewater then enters the retention basin, 

which discharges into a canal that Brandon Shores shares with Herbert A. Wagner Generating Station 

(Wagner). The discharge canal flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Brandon Shores and Wagner have a shared 

NPDES permit because they are located on the same site. 

Brandon Shores stated that the FGD wastewater treatment system is not yet operating but will begin operating 

very soon. The plant is still growing biomass for the SBR system. Brandon Shores is currently sending the FGD 

purge stream generated from the Unit 1 FGD system to a primary flocculating clarifier, which is separate from 

the clarifier used in the FGD wastewater treatment system. The overflow from this clarifier is transferred to the 

FGD absorber return tank and used as make-up to the absorber. The flocculating clarifier is being used to 

remove solids and fines while the plant prepares the FGD wastewater treatment system to begin treating the 

FGD purge stream. 

Brandon Shores stated that Siemens designed the FGD wastewater treatment system. The purpose of the FGD 

wastewater treatment system is to remove the following pollutants from the purge stream prior to discharge in 

the retention basin: TSS, pH, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Hg, Ni, Ag, Zn, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and BOD. 

Brandon Shores stated that the FGD wastewater treatment system was designed to treat only the FGD purge 

stream; Brandon Shores does not plan to use the treatment system to treat other wastewater streams. 

Brandon Shores stated that the design flow rate through the FGD wastewater treatment system is 275 gpm. 

Brandon Shores noted that the scrubber blowdown from the absorber has an instantaneous flow rate of 910 

gpm, but it is generated intermittently on 12 minute cycles. Therefore, the flocculating clarifier is currently 

treating and recycling the 910 gpm generated intermittently by the FGD system since it does not flow through 

an equalization tank. 

Brandon Shores stated that they have a one-week planned outage which will be occurring in Spring 2010. 

Brandon Shores stated that they would like to review the notes prepared by ERG for accuracy.