ML082381272

Brunner Island Power Plant

ML082381272
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	08/14/2008
From:	State of PA, Dept of Environmental Protection
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML082381272 (3)

Text

PPL Brunner Island - York Haven PA Pagel of3 PPL BRUNNER ISLAND Welcomes You The Brunner Island power plant makes electricity by Brunner Island fishing access to change burning coal, our nation's most abundant energy Because fishing is a popular activity around PPL's Brunner source. Burning coal produces steam that turns a Island power plant, PPL would like to make you aware of turbine that spins a generator to make electricity. changes to public access areas to the Susquehanna River. PPL's Bi plant hi northea It starts with coal. The Brunner Island plant burns For safety reasons, now that construction of a cooling tower commu more than 3 million tons of coal per year. Coal is for the power plant has begun, public access for fishing no believe crushed into a fine powder and burned in large longer will be allowed at the upper end (see map) of the good ar boilers, where water is heated to make steam. discharge channel and on the east side of the discharge neighbc Brunner Island has three boilers. channel in the area of the Susquehanna Aquacultures fish generat farm.

enough The steam passes through turbines. Each turbine has 1 millio rings of fan-like metal blades. As steam passes over Access to several popular fishing spots along the the plat the blades, the turbines turn very fast. Susquehanna River and the lower end of the plant discharge water q channel still is permitted seven days a week, from dawn to investir dusk. >> Click here for a map. million The turbines have-a central metal shaft that is improv connected to a generator, where an electromagnet spins inside a ring of copper wire to produce The cooling tower project will help reduce river water electricity. temperature at times of the year when reductions will have Our em the greatest benefits for fish and aquatic life. 240 in i commu When the steam has done its work, it is cooled by When construction is completed in 2010, PPL will move the spare ti water from the Susquehanna River, turns back into plant security fence several hundred yards to the south so recreati water, and is pumped back to the boiler to begin the that the cooling tower and nearby water treatment facilities commu cycle all over again. environ will be inside the fence, permanently restricting public access http://www.pplweb.com/ppl+generation/ppl+brunner+island.htm 8/14/2008

PPL Brunner Island - York Haven PA Page 2 of 3 to those fishing areas. where',

hike thr for loca Scrubbers are environmental controls that remove nearly all of the sulfur dioxide from the emissions of ENVIRONMENTAL coal-fired power plants.

, Spotlight They work by spraying a mixture of crushed limestone and water onto the exhaust gas before it goes out the Cooling tower to reduce water discharge temperatures plant's chimney. The limestone and water react with Giving I at Brunner Island is PPL's the sulfur in the plant's exhaust to form synthetic gypsum, which will be collected and shipped to a busines company that manufactures drywall. Construction of a cooling tower at the Brunner Island power importa plant began in January, and it is expected to go into service live nea Two scrubbers are being built at the Brunner Island in spring of 2010. At that time, the plant will have the most plant ar plant. These scrubbers will handle all of the exhaust innovative cooling tower in the PPL Generation fleet.

from the plant's three boilers. The scrubber for Unit 3 We lool' will be completed in 2008. The scrubber for Units 1 "Unlike the large concrete structures often associated with partner and 2 will be completed in 2009. power plant cooling towers, the one at Brunner Island will, at constru 65 feet high, have a much lower profile and won't crowd the why PPI Work on the scrubbers is now about 25 percent skyline," said Dennis Murphy, vice president and chief partner complete. operating officer of PPL's Eastern Fossil and Hydro School Generation. funded Scrubbers will remove about 100,000 tons of sulfur prograr dioxide per year from emissions at Brunner Island. Townsh Sulfur dioxide contributes to acid rain and respiratory "Made of durable fiberglass, the mechanical draft type develop problems. cooling tower will be about the length of three football for East fields," he said. "And it will have a more modern, sleek Townsh design compared with conical power plant cooling towers."

In addition to improving air quality, the scrubbers will enable the Brunner Island plant to operate for many Part of, years to come. When completed, the tower will cool a half-million gallons of plant's water every minute. The water will fall through thousands of econorr thin plastic sheets as it's cooled by numerous fans. The school, cooler water will then be returned to the Susquehanna River.

tax pay

$500,0(

Built in the 1960s, Brunner Island uses water from the river for cooling purposes. Water gains heat through its use in the plant, and is returned to the river warmer than when it was taken out of the river.

Two schools, Orendorf Elementary and Shallow Brook Intermediate, received PPL Project Earth The $125 million project will remove more than half of the Environmental Education grants. Orendorf Elementary added heat in the summer, when low river flows and higher will use the grant money to prepare its Envirothon temperatures have the greatest impact on aquatic life.

Club for the York County Envirothon. Shallow Brook Intermediate will use the grant money for an orienteering program that combines science with "Clean, white water vapor rising from the tower will be the physical education. only visible byproduct of the cooling system," Murphy said.

"PPL is committed to operating the Brunner Island plant -

As a corporation, and as individuals, we understand and all of our generating facilities - responsibly while our responsibility to do the right thing. Read PPL's minimizing the environmental impact."

Corporate Resp nsi bi lity Report.

HELPFUL LINKS Northeastern YorkScolDsrt IAT THE

.--- Preserve.

Ospreys, peregrine falcons, eagles and barn owls are soaring throughout Pennsylvania's skies, thanks in part to PPL Corporation's efforts to help restore the once-dwindling populations of raptors. And now PPL is offering the public a bird's-eye view of the birds of prey that nest at the http://www.pplweb.com/ppl+generation/ppl+brunner+island.htm 8/14/2008

PPL Brunner Island - York Haven PA Page 3 of 3 company's power plants and other facilities.

PPL is launching a Web_ site and webcam so the public can watch the falcons that have taken up residence on the emissions stacks at PPL's Montour power plant in north central Pennsylvania. The peregrine falcons began nesting at Montour in 2007, and this year have four eggs that are expected to hatch around Mother's Day.

In addition, the Web site, birdsof.pfpreyatppl.c m-, will provide updates and photographs on all the birds of prey that live at PPL facilities.

Newsletter Archives I Terms and Conditions I Privacy statement 1 2007 PPL Corporation http://www.pplweb.com/ppl+generation/ppl+brunner+island.htm 8/14/2008