Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant
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The Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant located on the Chesapeake Bay in Lusby, Calvert County, Maryland. The plant has two Combustion Engineering pressurized water reactors.
In 2000, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission extended the license of the plant for 20 additional years, making Calvert Cliffs the first nuclear plant in the United States to receive such an extension. The plant was visited by President George W. Bush in June 2005, the first time a president had visited a nuclear power plant in nearly three decades.
Constellation Energy, owner of Calvert Cliffs, intends to build a new nuclear reactor either at this site or at Nine Mile Point. See Nuclear Power 2010 Program.
[edit] Other Information
The water around the plant (see lower-right-center of photograph) is a very popular place for anglers. The plant takes in water (from the fenced in area) to cool its reactors. It is pumped out 12 °F warmer than the bay water (unlike many other nuclear power plants, Calvert Cliffs does not use utilize water cooling towers to return the hot water to its original temperature, structures which are often associated with nuclear power plants). The warmer water encourages faster growth (relative to the surrounding area) of the small shellfish, plankton, and others at the base of the food chain. These attract the larger fish which are in turn sought after by the anglers. However, as the water comes out very quickly and creates a sort of artificial rip current, it can be a dangerous place to fish.
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