# New Richmond power plant



## mkspw (Jan 2, 2009)

Has anyone fished the New Richmond Beckjord power plant in the last couple of years? The last few times I fished the warmwater discharge was run off by the towboat operator. I was never in the way or interferred with the operation of the plant. The tugboat operators and helpers fish there all the time. They usually threaten me with Homeland Security or the Coast guard. The last time I was informed that the power company owns the river to the old water mark before the dams were put in. I had fished there for around 35 years and this seem to have started after Duke Energy bought the plant. Does the power plant have the right to run you out of navigable waters at the power plant?


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## catfishinfool247 (May 18, 2004)

I've fished it many times before but not within the last half dozen years or so, but I've never been run off by anyone except for a time when a tug was struggling to get a barge lined up near conveyor. Not sure the legalities or anything but I've heard that a tug operator has the right to clear you from any area he deems necessary to in order to properly navigate or perform his work requirements. I would also be interested in knowing what their "jurisdiction" entails?? But I gotta say I don't take many chances near barges or tugs that are not moored. I fished a Tourney one night and it got so foggy you could not even see in the morning to make it back to weigh in. Someone was running out in shipping channel and either hit barge head on or came up on rear of tug and they perished, can't remember all the details , it's been over 20 years ago


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

> Does the power plant have the right to run you out of navigable waters at the power plant?


Uhhh NO. 
The operators of the cardinal Plant by Steubenville (AEP) tried to run me and another GFO member out of their hot water discharge in Dec 2001. They said the AEP board of directors decided we could not longer fish there because "we could be terrorists".
This was right after 9/11 and everyone was trying to cover their a$%. We told them no, we aren't leaving. That this was a federal navigatable So they threatened to call the Brooke County sheriff. I told them to hold on and I'll call them. he said we are allowed as long as we do not interfere with the barges unloading coal and plant operations. He said he told the plant officials that and they know it. And we could fish there as long as we wanted "if we thought it was worth it".
To make a long story short, this went on with the plant manager, plant security, plant manager and local Ohio township police who all were quite pi&$ed off. But we were on the water and in Brooke County WV jurisdiction. 
The Ohio township police officer tried to intimidate us but he would not tell us what law we are breaking. Finally he said the Coast Guard has been called and they will deal with us. 
I called the Coast Guard and emailed them when I got home. They stated the ONLY off limits area on the river was the Beaver Creek nuclear power plant.
So if Richmond plant is coal fired, politely tell them to kiss your behind as the Ohio is a federal navigable waterway and Duke's regulations do not supersede federal law.
I have the Coast Guard's written reponse in my boat that I have carried for the last 11 years.
One more thing. The next time we fished the cardinal plant's HWD, the buoy line they strung across the discharge was gone.


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## Hook N Book (Apr 7, 2004)

If it's a nuclear fired plant, they do have a restricted area for security reasons.
Beckjord being a conventional fired plant could be different.
I'd follow Lewzers lead and contact the coast guard to get their take on what's legal or not.
The tug operator definitely does not have the authority to ask you to leave if he's not underway.


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