70-05: Thermal Criteria - A Measure to Control Thermal Pollution

The Governor's Electric Power Committee has forecasted an increase in power requirements form 13,000,000 KW in 1965 to 22,000,000 KW in 1975 and to 48,000,000 KW in 1990. The major power companies in New York State have firm plans to add 7,440,000 KW by 1973, over 70% of which will be nuclear plants. As a result of the Federal Water Quality Act, 1965, the Water Resources Commission of New York State developed, and after considerable deliberation, adopted Thermal Criteria on July 25, 1969. According to the thermal criteria, the waters of the state are classified as: Non-trout water; Trout waters; Lakes, Estuaries and Coastal Waters. There are different temperature criterions for each of the five classifications of water. These criteria are used, as guidelines and the actual criterion will be determined on site-by-site basis to protect the "best usage" assigned to the receiving waters.