FIGURE 44.3 Thermal pollution. Nuclear reactors, such as the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, use water to generate steam. To cool this steam, they either use cooling towers or empty the water into holding ponds. In both cases, the water must be cooled before it is returned to the natural source of water such as a lake or river. In 2013 the owners of Vermont Yankee announced they would not seek to renew their license.
(CJ Gunther/epa/Corbis)