FINAL REPORT Evaluation of Seawater Desalination Projects ...

EVALUATION OF SEAWATER DESALINATION PROJECTS
PROPOSED FOR THE MONTEREY PENINSULA
Table 11– Regulatory Requirements (continued)
Project
Regulatory
Requirement
Agency
Coastal Water
Project
Monterey Bay
Regional
Seawater
Desalination
Project
Sand City
Desalination
Project
Seawater
Desalination
Vessel
Section 2081 of the
Fish and Game
Code
California
Endangered
Species Act (CESA)
Section 10 of the
Rivers and Harbors
Act of 1899
California
Department of Fish
and Game
State of California
US Army Corps of
Engineers
Prohibits “take” of any state-listed species that the State Fish and Game Commission
determines to be endangered or threatened.
Allows for “take” incidental to otherwise lawful development projects.
Permits to authorize certain structures or work in or affect navigable waters of the United
States
Regional Water
Quality Control
Board (RWQCB)
State of California
Central Coast
RWQCB
Develops and enforces water quality objectives and implementation plans that will best
protect the beneficial uses of the state’s waters, recognizing local differences in climate,
topography, geology, and hydrology. This mission is accomplished through the provisions
of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. Section 316(b)
of the Federal Clean Water Act.
Operations in U.S.
waters; Navigation
U.S. Coast Guard TBD TBD TBD Yes
Applies to all parts
of a project in
contact with the
seafloor outside of 3
nautical miles
Clean Air Act
Air quality
permitting
Facilities Siting
Permits
Local Coastal Plans
U.S. Minerals
Management
Service
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
Monterey Bay
Unified Air Pollution
Control District
State Lands
Commission
Local Agencies
No No No Yes
No No No Yes
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Approve leases for new facilities and intakes using once-through cooling (OTC) systems
and imposing certain conditions on lease renewals and extensions for existing facilities.
The Commission resolved that intake of large volumes of water for OTC has impacts on
coastal organisms by entrainment and impingement
Identify the location, type, densities, and other ground rules for future development in the
coastal zone.
TBD = to be determined by each regulatory agency
1
Must comply but no permit or approval needed.
2
Section 316(b) of the Federal Clean Water Act requires the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that the location, design,
construction, and capacity of cooling water intake structures reflect the best technology available to protect aquatic organisms from being
killed or injured by impingement (being pinned against screens or other parts of a cooling water intake structure) or entrainment (being
drawn into cooling water systems and subjected to thermal, physical, or chemical stress).
3
Although the HDD seawater withdrawal system may not require a NPDES permit, this will have to be determined.
4
Review of and comments on USACE and USFWS permits by the U.S. Coast Guard and NOAA Fisheries.
Monterey Peninsula Water Management District 7-4