EPA reducing fish kills at power plants, factories

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled new standards Monday aimed at reducing the billions of fish, crabs and shrimp killed by cooling water systems at power plants and factories each year.

The regulations will force more than 1,000 power plants and factories that withdraw at least 2 million gallons of water a day from adjacent waterways for cooling to take steps to minimize its toll on aquatic wildlife. Marine animals, many of them juvenile, die by either being pinned or by being exposed to heat, chemicals and other stress after they are sucked inside the system. The EPA estimates 2.1 billion fish, crab and shrimp die annually.