Legislative Matter

Miami-Dade Legislative Item
File Number: 151025

Printable PDF Format

Clerk's Official Copy

File Number: 151025

File Type: Resolution

Status: Adopted

Version: 0

Reference: R-517-15

Control: Board of County Commissioners

File Name: COOLING CANAL SYSTEM AT TURKEY POINT POWER PLANT

Introduced: 4/30/2015

Requester: NONE

Cost:

Final Action: 6/2/2015

Agenda Date: 6/2/2015

Agenda Item Number: 11A22

Notes:

Title:

RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE MAYOR OR MAYOR’S DESIGNEE TO HAVE A STUDY CONDUCTED ON THE COOLING CANAL SYSTEM AT TURKEY POINT POWER PLANT ABOUT ISSUES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SALINITY LEVELS, TEMPERATURE LEVELS, AND MIGRATION OF THE PLUME OF COOLING CANAL WATER IN GROUNDWATERS; AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR OR MAYOR’S DESIGNEE TO ENTER INTO OR MODIFY A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $50,000.00; WAIVING IMPLEMENTING ORDER 3-38; AND DIRECTING THE MAYOR OR MAYOR’S DESIGNEE TO PROVIDE THE STUDY REPORT TO THE BOARD

Indexes:

TURKEY POINT NUCLEAR PLANT

Sponsors:	Rebeca Sosa, Prime Sponsor
	Daniella Levine Cava, Co-Sponsor
	Dennis C. Moss, Co-Sponsor

Sunset Provision: No

Effective Date:

Expiration Date:

Registered Lobbyist:

None Listed

Legislative History
Acting Body	Date	Agenda Item	Action	Sent To	Due Date	Returned	Pass/Fail

Board of County Commissioners	6/2/2015	11A22	Adopted				P
REPORT:	Chairman Monestime introduced the foregoing proposed resolution into the record. Commissioner Sosa presented overview of the purpose of this item to provide for a study to determine the cause of various issues occurring at the Turkey Point Power Plant and to work towards resolution. It was moved by Commissioner Sosa that the foregoing proposed resolution be adopted as presented. This motion was seconded by Commissioner Bovo, followed by discussion. Chairman Monestime opened the floor to public comments and the following individual(s) appeared: Mr. Barry White, President of Citizens Allied for Safe Energy, Inc. (CASE), 10001 S.W. 129 Terrace, Miami, appeared and informed Board members the information they were seeking already existed and was available upon request. He pointed out that the County would be unable to do anything with the information from the study since it had no authority to influence activities at the Turkey Point Plant. Mr. White advised only the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) had authority at Turkey Point. He indicated on October 14, 2014, CASE petitioned the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board for a hearing, which resulted in an evidentiary hearing being scheduled in January 2016. Mr. White stated the all the concerns raised earlier could be addressed at this hearing by the NRC. Ms. Celeste De Palma, 4500 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, representing Audubon Florida, appeared before the Board in support of the foregoing resolution. There being no other individuals to appear, Chairman Monestime closed the floor. Commissioner Levine Cava stated, although the NRC was responsible for activities at the Turkey Point Power Plant, the County was responsible for the water issues. She referenced recent legislation passed by this Board limiting drawing of fresh water for one year and requiring a report with recommendations for moving forward. Commissioner Levine Cava expressed hope that the study would help develop the next steps regarding this issue. Commissioner Diaz noted he supported Commissioner Sosa on her intent with this item to protect our waterways and concurred with her comments on the County not paying for the study. Commissioner Jordan expressed support for conducting the study and noted, although capable of performing the study, staff supported Commissioner Sosa’s approach. She stressed the point that if the study results revealed there was no consensus based on DERM, accountability remained with the County Commission to ensure enforcement was being done. There being no further questions or comments, the Board proceeded to vote on the foregoing resolution as presented.

Metropolitan Services Committee	5/13/2015	2I	Forwarded to BCC without a recommendation				P
REPORT:	Assistant County Attorney Gerald Sanchez read the title of the foregoing proposed resolution into the record. Hearing no questions or comments, the Committee proceeded to vote on the foregoing proposed resolution, as presented. It was moved by Commissioner Diaz that the foregoing proposed resolution be reconsidered. This motion was seconded by Commissioner Edmonson, and upon being put to a vote, passed by a vote of 5-0 (Commissioner Zapata was absent). Responding to Commissioner Diaz’ question regarding an item recently considered by the Board, Assistant County Attorney Abbie Schwaderer Raurell confirmed that it was essentially the same item. Commissioner Diaz recalled that the Board members previously discussed the cost to conduct the study on the cooling canal system at Turkey Point Power Plant. At Chairwoman Jordan’s request, Deputy Clerk Jovel Shaw read into the record a memorandum sent by Commissioner Sosa, as follows: “As you are aware, I do not sit on the Metropolitan Services Committee. However, it was my intention to attend the May 13, 2015, meeting in order to be present when the Committee discusses my items, particularly Item 2I (151025), concerning the cooling canal system at Turkey Point Power Plant. Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend as I will be out of the country due to a death in the family. Therefore, I am respectfully requesting that the Committee forward Item 2I (151025) and the other items under my sponsorship (2F, 2G, and 2H) to the corresponding Board of County Commissioners’ meeting, with or without recommendation. This will afford me the opportunity to be present when these items come up for discussion by the full Board. Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request.” Hearing no further questions or comments, the Committee proceeded to forward the foregoing proposed resolution to the Board of County Commissioners, without recommendation.

County Attorney	4/30/2015		Referred	Metropolitan Services Committee	5/13/2015

County Attorney	4/30/2015		Assigned	Abbie N. Schwaderer		4/30/2015

Legislative Text

TITLE
RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE MAYOR OR MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO HAVE A STUDY CONDUCTED ON THE COOLING CANAL SYSTEM AT TURKEY POINT POWER PLANT ABOUT ISSUES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SALINITY LEVELS, TEMPERATURE LEVELS, AND MIGRATION OF THE PLUME OF COOLING CANAL WATER IN GROUNDWATERS; AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR OR MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO ENTER INTO OR MODIFY A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $50,000.00; WAIVING IMPLEMENTING ORDER 3-38; AND DIRECTING THE MAYOR OR MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO PROVIDE THE STUDY REPORT TO THE BOARD

BODY
WHEREAS, the Turkey Point Power Plant is located in south Miami-Dade County, adjacent to Biscayne National Park; and
WHEREAS, the Turkey Point Power Plant uses a great deal of water, much of which is associated with the Turkey Point Power Plant�s cooling canal system, which consists of a network of approximately 5,900 acres of unlined canals; and
WHEREAS, this cooling canal system was constructed in the early 1970s to serve as a heat exchange for the power plant units at Turkey Point; and
WHEREAS, Florida Power and Light, the entity that owns and operates the Turkey Point Power Plant, has long-term monitoring data indicating that the water quality within the cooling canal system has deteriorated over time, with cooling canal salinities that are more than twice as high as what is typically found in Biscayne Bay; and
WHEREAS, the long-term monitoring data also indicates that a hyper-saline plume of cooling canal water is migrating outside the boundaries of the cooling canal system through the groundwater; and
WHEREAS, Florida Power and Light has reported that the cooling canal system is currently experiencing higher salinities and higher temperatures, and as a result of these conditions, the system is not functioning as it was intended; and
WHEREAS, Florida Power and Light has obtained certain permissions to temporarily pump surface water from the L-31E Canal into the cooling canal system in an attempt to improve water quality in the cooling canal system; and
WHEREAS, pumping surface water from the L-31E Canal into the cooling canal system can affect water resources in the surrounding area including groundwater, surface water, and Biscayne Bay, and may not be an acceptable long-term solution to the problems with water quality in the cooling canal system; and
WHEREAS, having a better understanding of the causes of the water quality problems within the cooling canal system, including recent changes in water quality that resulted in an algal bloom in the cooling canal system, would be helpful for preventing these problems from arising again; and
WHEREAS, having a better understanding of the impact of the cooling canal system on water resources of the County, including any impacts from the migration of cooling canal water into surface waters or groundwater beyond the cooling canal system, would be helpful for developing effective long term solutions to reduce, eliminate, and correct these impacts,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:
Section 1. This Board hereby directs the Mayor or Mayor�s designee to have a study and report on the cooling canal system at Turkey Point Power Plant conducted by a third party, possibly under the direction of the Division of Environmental Resources Management; enter into or modify a professional services contract to this effect, in an amount not to exceed $50,000.00, and funded through the Division of Environmental Resources Management operating funds; and if needed, waiving Implementing Order 3-38. Such a study shall examine available data, including the long-term monitoring data from Florida Power and Light, and analyze what has happened with the cooling canal system and why. The study shall address issues including, but not limited to, salinity levels, temperature levels, and the migration of the plume of cooling canal water into the groundwater beyond the cooling canal system.
Section 2. Within 120 days of the effective date of this Resolution, the Mayor or Mayor�s designee shall provide the preliminary report of this study to this Board and shall place the preliminary report on the agenda of the Board of County Commissioners pursuant to Ordinance 14-65. The preliminary report shall also be made available to the public via the County�s website. After the study is made available, interested parties and members of the public shall have 30 days to submit written comments and questions about the study to the Mayor or Mayor�s designee, who will relay those written comments and questions to the person or entity conducting the study, to be addressed in the final study report, which shall be completed within 60 days after the public comment period closes.
Section 3. Upon completion of the final study report, the Mayor or Mayor�s designee shall provide the report to this Board and shall place the completed report on the agenda of the Board of County Commissioners pursuant to Ordinance No. 14-65.