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<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>Mirant plants
attract attention in Delta crisis<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>Contra Costa Times
– 3/15/06<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>By Mike Taugher<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>CONTRA COSTA TIMES<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>A pair of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Contra</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Costa</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
power plants that at one time killed tens of millions of fish a year are being
scrutinized by researchers investigating potential causes of the ecological
crash in the Delta.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>The plants in <st1:City w:st="on">Antioch</st1:City>
and <st1:City w:st="on">Pittsburg</st1:City> are cooled with water from <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Suisun</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>,
which is an important habitat for rearing fish and the place where scientists
think some of the main problems leading to the crisis might be found.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>Although a consultant reported in 1979 that as many as
86 million smelt and smelt larvae were sucked into the two power plants each
year, that was at a time when the now-aged plants were run much harder and
there were more fish in the water. Those numbers included both Delta smelt,
which are protected under the Endangered Species Act, and longfin smelt.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>But what has happened since then is unknown because
the plants' owner, Mirant Corp., has not provided information about the effects
of the plants' operations. Scientists want to know how much water is drawn into
the cooling systems, how many fish are in that water and how much the
discharges are warming the bay's water.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>"I want to get some data to really give me a
sense of what's going on out there," said Chuck Armor, operations manager
of the state Department of Fish and Game's Central Valley/Bay-Delta branch.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>Despite delays in providing information, the company
is now cooperating more with regulators as its Endangered Species Act permits
expire, according to officials.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>Officials say the company did not meet the conditions
of the permits issued in 2002. Those conditions included a requirement for
Mirant to install a screen to keep fish out of one of the power plants. If the
screen worked, Mirant was expected to do the same at the other plant.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>The conditions also required Mirant to monitor the
number of fish being killed at the plants.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>But Mirant never installed a screen and the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service says that it appears the company never monitored fish
killed at the intake pipes, either.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>"As far as we know, that hasn't been done,"
said Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Jim Nickles. "There is nothing
happening that will reduce the impacts. We're definitely concerned about
that."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>Nickles said his agency is working with Mirant to
draft another permit, but he could not comment on any possible enforcement
actions in connection with the company's failure to meet the permit conditions.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>In response to a series of specific questions asked by
the Times, including queries about the lack of a fish screen and monitoring
data about the number of fish killed at the plants, the company e-mailed a
two-sentence response.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>"Mirant Delta is committed to doing its part to
protect the environment, while maintaining power system reliability for
residents of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> area. Mirant Delta is
also working directly with all associated agencies to ensure the safety of
wildlife habitats in the Bay," the company said.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>The recent decline in populations of open-water Delta
fish began in about 2001 or 2002 and represents a steep drop in what was
already a decades-long general decline among Delta fish populations. Delta
smelt, longfin smelt, threadfin shad and young-of-year striped bass all are at
or near record lows.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>Scientists say the cause of the problem is likely a
combination of toxic pollution, invasive species that are competing for
resources with native fish, and water pumping operations. One leading theory
holds that invasive clams now carpeting the bottom of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Suisun</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
are consuming the food needed by young fish. The clams, which arrived about 20
years ago in ship ballast from <st1:place w:st="on">Asia</st1:place>, might be
taking advantage of increased salinity in the fall when less water flows into
the Delta.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>Scientists say it is possible that, if the root of the
problem is in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Suisun</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, the power plants
could be adding to the problem.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>Environmentalists and anglers, meanwhile, are
especially focused on the massive pumping stations at Byron and Tracy that
deliver water to the <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">San Joaquin</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Valley</st1:PlaceType> and <st1:place w:st="on">Southern California</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>Jerry Johns, deputy director for the state Department
of Water Resources, which operates the pumps at Byron, said the state and
federal pumps are heavily scrutinized. But he notes that the Mirant pumps are
almost completely ignored, even though the power plants take water out of more
sensitive habitat.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>"It seems that we have fish counts four times a
day (at the state pumps), but we have zero information about how many fish are
being entrained (sucked up) right in the heart of Delta smelt area," Johns
said.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>Combined, the two power plants' pumps can draw 3,240
cubic feet per second, or about 75 percent as much as federal pumps in <st1:City
w:st="on">Tracy</st1:City> that irrigate the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">San Joaquin</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Valley</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.
It is unknown how much power those plants are generating and how much water
they are using to cool them.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'>Mirant, based in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Atlanta</st1:City></st1:place>,
bought the power plants from Pacific Gas and Electric in 1999. It reaped a
windfall during <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>'s
deregulation experiment, but is now in bankruptcy.#<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><em><i><font size=3 color=gray
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Byron
Leydecker</span></font></i></em></st1:PersonName><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Chair, Friends of <st1:place w:st="on">Trinity
River</st1:place></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Advisor, California Trout, Inc</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>PO Box</span></font></i></em></st1:Street><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'> 2327</span></font></i></em></st1:address><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>Mill Valley</span></font></i></em></st1:City><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'>, <st1:State w:st="on">CA</st1:State>
<st1:PostalCode w:st="on">94942-2327</st1:PostalCode></span></font></i></em></st1:place><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 4810 ph</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 9562 fx</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="mailto:bwl3@comcast.net">bwl3@comcast.net</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="mailto:bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org">bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="http://www.fotr.org">http://www.fotr.org</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><u><font size=3 color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:blue'>http:www.caltrout.org</span></font></u><font
color=lime><span style='color:lime'> </span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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