UNITED
STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
AGENCY
WASHINGTON,
D.
C.

Engineering
and
Analysis
Division
Office
of
Science
and
Technology
Office
of
Water
MEMORANDUM
DATE:
December
30,
2002
SUBJECT:
Observations
of
Foam
in
Discharge
Canals
of
2
Power
Plants
FROM:
Dana
A.
Thomas,
Ph.
D.

TO:
W­
00­
32
Docket
On
a
recent
(
12/
26/
02)
personal
visit
to
Tampa
Electric
Company's
Manatee
Viewing
Center
at
the
Big
Bend
Station
in
Apollo
Beach,
FL,
I
observed
foam
in
the
discharge
canal
clearly
flowing
out
of
the
discharge
pipe.
Inside
the
discharge
structure,
I
observed
large
amounts
of
foam
accumulate
before
being
discharged
into
the
canal.
On
an
EPA
site
visit
to
the
Chalk
Point
facility
in
Maryland
on
5/
1/
02,
I
observed
the
same
sort
of
foam
in
the
discharge
canal.
At
both
locations,
foam
was
not
present
elsewhere
in
the
waterbody.
The
presence
of
foam
in
a
waterbody
is
indication
of
high
levels
of
dissolved
organic
carbon.
