Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Darn Cold - Ice Event Due at Pickering

Lake Ontario never freezes over, like Lake Erie, but it can get a frosting when it's this cold. This is bad for Pickering Nuclear Power Plant, which sucks all its water in a silt-clogged trench. When lots of slushy ice comes in, it clogs up all the screens and the plant has to shut down.

The last time this happened ten years ago, the management thundered to us to never let it happen again! Despite many protests, we put in this most useless ice boom in the channel, which has to be put in every year. Needless to say, the ice boom worked perfectly! There hasn't been any ice for ten years.

Now it may be tested. I've said that the water is so shallow, and so fast that the frazzle ice will just be shoved underneath. The happy people say all the ice will be held by the boom, much like the Niagara ice boom. Now it comes to a test! We all wait to see if Pickering has to shut down, and in doing so, will also test the brand spanking new emergency power plant, which may or may not be working. Who would have thought that ice could be so much fun!

1 comment:

Harold Asmis said...

Day 3 and still holding, although the plant across the lake has derated for some reason. I'm looking for south winds.