Posted on 08/08/2008 4:27:29 PM PDT by grundle
The California Coastal Commission approved a plan to build the Western Hemisphere's largest desalination plant north of San Diego -- a move aimed at relieving water shortages in the nation's most populated state.
Wednesday's decision came after a daylong debate over the merits of the $300 million Carlsbad project, which is expected to eventually produce 10 percent of San Diego County's water supply from ocean water.
Construction on the plant could begin next year and begin delivering drinking water in 2011, according to Connecticut-based Poseidon Resources Corp., which is heading the project.
Commissioners gave the plant conditional approval in November. However, final approval hinged on the commission endorsing the company's plans to make the plant carbon neutral and to restore wetlands to make up for the marine life that would get drawn in and killed through the plant's intake system.
Once complete, the plant will suck in 100 million gallons of sea water a day and produce enough drinking water for 300,000 people. The water will be filtered through reverse-osmosis to remove salt and impurities -- with half the water being used by consumers and the rest returned to the ocean.
Pressure has been mounting to find new sources of clean water as a prolonged drought continues across the state and traditional sources of water are becoming more unreliable.
Mark Massara, director of Sierra Club's coastal programs, called the desalination project "a giant step backward" for Californians. He said the ocean water that will be diverted will kill millions of fish to pad Poseidon's profits.
"It allows the privatization of public trust water supplies for public profit and will ultimately make San Diego water ratepayers slaves to the most expensive fresh water ever produced in the United States," Massara said.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessweek.com ...
The Sierra Clubbers talk like they are doing too many drugs. With the polar ice caps melting and threatening to flush many oceanside cities into the drink, what better way to stem the rising ocean tide than to drink it and water our lawns with it! This only makes sense. The Sierra Clubbers need to go hug a tree and leave this stuff to the adults.
Personally I see it this way: Sierra Clubbers don’t like people. The fewer people on the planet, the better.
This guy is a scientific idiot. The water going back into the ocean will be only about 10% saltier or so than the water going into the plant. That will be dissipated with no harm to fish at all.
I was wrong about the 10% number. The reject water will be saltier than that but not enough to harm sealife. The guy is still a scientific idiot.
You are right. who, in their right man, would want
to stop the chance for a desert like area with low
to zero rainfall, the opportunity to increase their
water accessability from deslienation of the Ocean,
which is right a few miles away??? some of these
groups and the idiots they spawn..just piss me off...
also..drill, drill, like hell..fast and furious..let
the diaperheads clean their own stalls....JK
Well heck, let's get rid of them Sahara Clubbers then!!
But, but, wherever will they find any salt water?
Western states fight over Colorado River water allotments. This could help relieve some of the demand.
Now if they were to use nuclear for power generation AND desalinization I think they’d have a real winner.
My name is Brad’s Gramma.
I am sorry to admit to youse all that one of my brothers is a flaming lib and belongs to the Sierra Club.
That said. I’ll be seeing him next week....I’ll accept $5 a pop so I can pop him one for all of us. Any takers? :)
Do to global warming causing the ice caps to break up I am setting up a company to capture the icebergs and attach large diesel motors to them and a rudder and ship the ice down to California or anywhere else in the world. I estimate about 30-40% melt rate. Anyone want to help me finance my company?
I just need about $10,000,000 in start up money.
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