Revocation of water permit may delay third reactor, groups say (North Anna -Va.)

[underpants]

Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch

Judge Margaret Spencer of Richmond Circuit Court ruled on Friday that Dominion Virginia Power's water-quality permit violates the federal Clean Water Act and remanded the permit to the Virginia State Water Control Board for review.

The permit allows the power company to dump heated water from its North Anna power station into cooling lagoons at Lake Anna.

"It's difficult to square the permit with state and federal law," which prohibits thermal pollution in public waters, said Louis Zeller, science director of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League. The league contested the permit.

Virginia Power will appeal the ruling, said Jim Norvelle, a spokesman for the company. He also said he does not believe the ruling would affect construction of a third reactor if the company decides it should be built.

Norvelle said the company believes the federal Clean Air Act does not apply to North Anna because the heated water, which is used in a cooling process in the nuclear plant, flows into a private body of water owned by Virginia Power.

Read more: http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/article/ANNA24_20090223-222412/213942/