Cooling Water Intakes -​ Final 2014 Rule for Existing Electric Generating Plants and Factories

This rule covers roughly 1,065 existing facilities that are designed to withdraw at least 2 million gallons per day of cooling water. The EPA estimates that 521 of these facilities are factories, and the other 544 are power plants.

• The facilities are required to choose one of seven options to reduce mortality to fish and other aquatic organisms.
• Facilities that withdraw at least 125 million gallons per day must conduct studies to help their permitting authority determine whether and what site-specific controls, if any, would be required to further reduce mortality of aquatic organisms.
• New units added to an existing facility are required to reduce mortality of aquatic organisms that achieves one of two alternatives under national entrainmententrainmentWhen aquatic organisms, including eggs and larvae, are pulled from a water body into an industrial facility cooling system, passed through the heat exchanger, and then discharged back into the source water body. standards.
• The EPA consulted with the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service pursuant to the Endangered Species Act.

Rule Support Documents

• Final Rule - Federal Register Notice (August 15, 2014)
  • Final Biological Opinion and Appendices re: Cooling Water Intakes Final Rule (pdf) (7.47 MB, May 19, 2014)
    Issued by the Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service based on consultation with the EPA, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act.
  • Fact Sheet: Final Regulations to Establish Requirements for Cooling Water Intake Structures at Existing Facilities (pdf) (354.44 KB, May 2014, 821-F-14-001)
    Summary of final 2014 rule for existing electric power plants and factories
  • Technical Development Document for the Final Section 316(b) Existing Facilities Rule (pdf) (12.54 MB, May 2014, 821-R-14-002)
    Engineering analysis of technologies & costs for final rule
  • Economic Analysis for the Final Section 316(b) Existing Facilities Rule (pdf) (8.72 MB, May 2014, 821-R-14-001)
    Economic cost and impact analyses for final 2014 rule on cooling water intakes, covering existing electric power plants and factories
  • Benefits Analysis for the Final Section 316(b) Existing Facilities Rule (pdf) (5.8 MB, May 2014, 821-R-14-005)
    Analysis of environmental impacts and benefits of regulation of cooling water intakes at existing electric power plants and factories
• Proposed Rule (2011), related notices

The supporting record for the final rule is available at Regulations.gov. The docket number for the rule is EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0667.