FPL has a real problem at Turkey Point. It hasn't been able to cool, the cooling canal system. The consequence -- if the temperature reaches high enough -- will be a mandatory plant shutdown, forced by NRC regulations because of the rising risk to the public.
The aging reactors were recently uprated, approved by the NRC, to produce more power despite the well-known fact that the cooling canals have been failing for years. In other words, more heat needs to be removed through cooling canals designed to work like a self-contained radiator.
FPL says, "it's the hotter climate" (though in its application to the NRC for the NEW nuclear reactors it is saying that sea level rise will be small). Small contradiction. Meanwhile FPL has a major problem in its existing reactors: the self-contained radiator is no longer a radiator and it is no longer self-contained.
The latest problem -- we noted yesterday -- required response through an emergency order last week from the South Florida Water Management to withdraw an enormous amount of water from the Biscayne aquifer to attempt to cool the canal system.
Partly as a result of the temperature, at least 102 degrees, toxic algae is clogging the canals. FPL asked for and received permission to spray the canals with chemicals. So much for its good environmental stewardship at Turkey Point.
No one knows -- but FPL -- what is in the water exactly. FPL won't disclose it to the public although the public is subsidizing its request for 100 million gallons per day of fresh water.
FPL pledges there is no connectivity with the waters of Florida and Biscayne National Park, but there is plenty of evidence the canals are not containing the water. The Department of Interior is up in arms. In a tough-worded letter dated August 29th to the District, Biscayne National Park superintendent Brian Carlstrom wrote:
The environmentalists are up in arms. On August 28, the Everglades Law Center wrote on behalf of National Parks Conservation Association and Tropical Audubon, requesting that Miami-Dade County Commissioners hold a hearing on the water draw-down: "This is a significant amount of fresh water and a request for approval of a project of this magnitude requires broader analysis of the potential impacts, an opportunity for public participation and consideration by the Board of County Commissioners. The issuance of a permit on this application will have potentially significant impacts on the health of Biscayne Bay, Biscayne National Park, wetlands in the area and regional fresh water supply."
FPL's request to the water management district, highlighted yesterday, requires elaboration to the public and the people to ask FPL for the elaboration are Miami-Dade County Commissioners.
The plant operator is requesting the District provide 100 million gallons per day from the Biscayne aquifer. That's not far off the amount that the entire county -- 2.2 million residents -- uses in a day and disposes through the South Dade Water Treatment Plant, only a few miles from Turkey Point.
100 million gallons per day is about 600 full sized swimming pools. In the next forty five days -- until October 15 (who knows what happens then?), FPL will have taken the equivalent of 27,000 swimming pools filled with fresh water for its cooling canala.
Isn't it time that someone on the Miami-Dade County Commission showed the guts to ask of FPL: what the hell is going on? What's IN the cooling canal water and algae? Where ARE the monitoring wells in Biscayne Bay and what ARE they showing?
FPL Turkey Point operates like a state secret. Its lobbyists at County Hall ride roughshod over career staffers. Enough is enough. SOMEONE on the Miami-Dade County Commission needs to stand up, call FPL to account and to EXPLAIN exactly what is going on at Turkey Point, what is IN the water and why FPL -- through its proposed administrative order with the District -- is trying to dodge accountability for the RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPE showing up in the plume of water creeping towards and UNDER Homestead. Just ASK the damn questions!
Something is not working at FPL Turkey Point, but short of a lawsuit or a disaster -- how will the public ever know?
