Siting Considerations in Evaluating Coastal Desalination Facilities

Thursday August 15, 2013Leila Monroe, Senior Attorney Oceans Program, NRDCPresentation prepared on behalf of the Natural Resources Defense Council, California Coastkeeper Alliance, and the California Coastal Protection Network

Photos thanks to Francesca Koe & Clinton Bauder

Coastal Desalination will add stress to CA’s Busy Coast & Ocean

North Central California Marine Protected Areas

& Proposed

Coastal Desalination Facilities

Southern California Protected Areas & Proposed Coastal Desalination Facilities

Sunset Beach in Orange County often floods during King Tides

Poseidon/Huntington Beach site at AES Huntington Beach Power Station

Sea Level Rise & Coastal Erosion Map with Poseidon/Huntington Beach project

GHG Emissions & Energy Constraints: Where NOT to site Coastal Desalination Facilities

Important geographic data to consider in siting of coastal desalination facilities:

• MPAs and ASBS’s within or adjacent to Intake Source Zone

• Overlay of MPA Map with Existing OTC Intakes.

• Map of Brine Disposal – Discharge Pipe vs. Brine Disposal

• Hazard Zones:o Sea Level Rise – Sequential Maps over Discrete Time Periodso Seismic Overlayo Tsunami Run-up zone

• Site-specific geotechnical studies to evaluate alternatives, and where BAT, e.g. sub-seafloor intakes, can be utilized

• Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Constrained local energy capacity areas

Thank You.

Leila MonroeSenior Attorney, Oceans Initiative Natural Resources Defense Council111 Sutter Street, 20th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94104Phone: 415-875-6100lmonroe@nrdc.org

Photo, Clinton Bauder