Abstract |
EPA is considering issuance of a NPDES permit to TUGCO for discharge of cooling water from two 750 MW power generating units into Duck Creek, a tributary of the Navasota River. Approximately 3,393 acres will be utilized for the power plant site, including 2,330 acres for a cooling reservoir (Twin Oak Reservoir) constructed on Duck Creek. Make-up water to fill or supplement the reservoir will be pumped via a 12-mile (109-acre) pipeline from Lake Limestone. Wastes such as bottom ash, fly ash, and other solids will be disposed in on-site landfills. Adverse effects from mining and reclamation include many of the above as well as an overall leveling of topography; possible decreased acreages of prime farmland; minor reduction in hunting and recreational opportunity; lowering of groundwater levels locally; possible acid leaching; and potential disturbance and mitigation of historic or prehistoric sites. |