California coastal power plants have been instructed to reduce their impact on marine wildlife by phasing out a process known as "once-through" cooling. In its circulation of billions of gallons of ocean and estuary water every day, this process has been inadvertently destroying countless fish, larvae and eggs, as well as causing the loss of 6２,０００ endangered delta smelt every year.

Following a nine-hour public hearing, the Water Resources Control Board voted unanimously to adopt new regulations for the state’s １９ power plants, which are being offered alternative cooling methods such as closed-cycle cooling systems or other structural changes.

Many thanks, California state regulators for your commitment to protecting the health of aquatic habitats. May such eco-friendly processes become the norm for the flourishing of all life in California's waters, and beyond.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/05/04/state/n152538D73.DTL
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100504-722438.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines