Document ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0667-0092
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2010-12-30T05:00Z

Site Description Report

Callaway Power Plant

	Highway CC

	Fulton, MO 65251

March 4, 2009

Background and Objectives

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the process of
developing 316(b) cooling water intake structure requirements that
reflect the best technology available (BTA) for minimizing adverse
environmental impact for all existing power plants and manufacturing
facilities. As part of this process, EPA staff is visiting electric
generators and manufacturers to better understand the cooling water
intake structure (CWIS) technologies in use at facilities, including the
site-specific characteristics of each facility and how these affect the
selection and performance of CWIS technologies.  EPA is also visiting
facilities to better understand cooling water use and specific issues or
technologies that can affect 316(b) compliance.  As part of its site
visit to the Labadie Power Plant, EPA also collected information on
Ameren’s Callaway Power Plant.

Facility Description

Callaway is located about 10 miles southeast of the town of Fulton in
central Missouri.  The facility operates under NPDES permit MO0098001;
the permit was reissued on February 13, 2009 and will expire on February
12, 2014.

Electricity Generation and Transmission

Callaway is a 1300 MW nuclear generating station with one reactor.  It
began operations in 1984 on a 7354 acre site and provides approximately
18% of Ameren’s baseload generating capacity.  The capacity
utilization rate (CUR) is approximately 88%.

The original site plans called for a second reactor; Ameren may consider
adding new generating units in the future.

Cooling Water System and Intake Structure

Callaway’s CWIS is located on the shoreline of the Missouri River,
approximately 5 miles south of the facility.  It is comprised of 3
intake bays, each with one pump and one coarse mesh (1/8”) traveling
screen.  Under normal operations, only 2 of the pumps operate at a time.
 The design through-screen velocity is 0.6 feet per second (fps).  The
screens automatically rotate every 8 hours or when a pre-determined head
differential is reached, the screens are washed with a high pressure
spray, and the debris-filled water is returned to the river via a
trough.

The CWIS also has a “fish gate” along the sides of the traveling
screens; this device allows fish trapped behind the trash rack another
opportunity to escape.

Impingement and Entrainment Information

In 1985, the facility conducted impingement studies associated with its
closed-cycle cooling system.  Approximately 96% of the collected fish
were shad and drum and resulted in an annual estimate of 2000 impinged
fish.

Cooling Tower Feasibility

The facility uses a concrete hyperbolic cooling tower as part of its
closed-cycle recirculating cooling system (CCRS).  The circulating flow
for the system is 818 million gallons per day (mgd).  Makeup water is
withdrawn via the CWIS, but the facility can operate up to 12 hours
without any water withdrawals.  The design intake flow (DIF) for
Callaway’s CWIS is 60 mgd and the average actual intake flow (AIF) is
24.5 mgd.  Intake water is treated before being routed to the cooling
tower.  Approximately 4.8 mgd is blown down each day.

Debris Handling

Callaway does not have significant problems with debris, but has
specific procedures for debris, icing, and low water levels.  During
high debris and icing periods, it rotates the traveling screens
continuously.  It operates on two pumps during icing periods and one
pump during low river level periods.  Also see Section 14.0.

Repowering/Future Uses

Ameren is considering adding additional units at Callaway.

Cooling Ponds

	

There are no cooling ponds onsite.

Ownership

Callaway is owned by Ameren, an investor-owned company.

316(a)

EPA did not collect any information about thermal discharges at this
site; however, due to the use of CCRS, it is likely that there are no
issues with the thermal discharge from Callaway.  

Ash Handling

Callaway does not use coal as a fuel and therefore has no ash ponds.

Air Emissions Controls

EPA did not collect any information about air controls at this site.

Additional Information

Facility representatives noted that the CWIS has a desilting spray in
the intake bays; this device is operated for 30 minutes every 12 hours
to clean out accumulated sediment.

Facility representatives stated that the facility was designed with a
CCRS largely due to the distance from the river.  With such a long
construction and permitting period for nuclear facilities, the designers
assumed that closed-cycle cooling was a more appropriate choice for this
location.

Attachment A		Ameren PowerPoint Presentation (March 4, 2009)

Attachment A—Ameren PowerPoint Presentation (March 4, 2009)

Please see the attached materials.

 Treatment consists of flocculation and clarification.  Once treated,
the water is stored in a clear well until needed.

 Additional units would also use closed cycle cooling as applicable, but
the source of cooling or makeup water has not been determined.  Note
that radial wells could be drilled at the facility; facility
representatives stated that the TSS levels in the river water are higher
than is preferred and that installing wells may be a simpler solution
for makeup water.

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