Illinois EPA grants Exelon Dresden Station Provisional Variance from Discharge Requirements

Dresden Station is a nuclear-fueled steam electric generating facility located at the confluence of the DesPlaines and Kankakee Rivers near Morris. Circulating water used to cool and condense steam from the generating process is ultimately discharged into a cooling pond and then to the Illinois River. It does not come into contact with any radioactive components and does not have any impact on radiation risk.

During the variance period, Dresden Station must continuously monitor both discharge and receiving water temperatures and must visually inspect all discharge areas at least four times each day to assess the impact on aquatic life. It must also notify the Illinois EPA and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources if aquatic life is shown to be affected. If the increased discharge temperature results in adverse environmental impact, appropriate reparations must be conducted.

Exelon Generation’s Dresden Station must continue to meet all other effluent conditions in its NPDES permit, along with additional conditions contained in the provisional variance but not expressly listed above.

The Illinois EPA has determined that any environmental impact from the variance would be closely monitored, and the Agency will be notified immediately of any adverse impacts; no reasonable alternative appears to be available; no public water supplies will be affected; no federal regulations would prohibit granting the request; and the facility would face an arbitrary and unreasonable hardship if the IEPA did not grant the requested variance.

The provisional variance will run through March 31, 2012, at the latest. All other NPDES permit requirements will remain in effect.
Springfield—The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has granted the Exelon Generation’s Dresden Station a provisional variance from certain temperature limits under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued to the facility, due to recent unseasonably warm weather conditions.

Dresden Station is a nuclear-fueled steam electric generating facility located at the confluence of the DesPlaines and Kankakee Rivers near Morris. Circulating water used to cool and condense steam from the generating process is ultimately discharged into a cooling pond and then to the Illinois River. It does not come into contact with any radioactive components and does not have any impact on radiation risk.

During the variance period, Dresden Station must continuously monitor both discharge and receiving water temperatures and must visually inspect all discharge areas at least four times each day to assess the impact on aquatic life. It must also notify the Illinois EPA and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources if aquatic life is shown to be affected. If the increased discharge temperature results in adverse environmental impact, appropriate reparations must be conducted.

Exelon Generation’s Dresden Station must continue to meet all other effluent conditions in its NPDES permit, along with additional conditions contained in the provisional variance but not expressly listed above.

The Illinois EPA has determined that any environmental impact from the variance would be closely monitored, and the Agency will be notified immediately of any adverse impacts; no reasonable alternative appears to be available; no public water supplies will be affected; no federal regulations would prohibit granting the request; and the facility would face an arbitrary and unreasonable hardship if the IEPA did not grant the requested variance.

The provisional variance will run through March 31, 2012, at the latest. All other NPDES permit requirements will remain in effect.