3F1018-02, Complex - Environmental Protection Plan Report: 2018 Sea Turtle Mortality Reported to National Marine Fisheries Service

Complex - Environmental Protection Plan Report: 2018 Sea Turtle Mortality Reported to National Marine Fisheries Service

ML18277A118
Person / Time
Site:	Crystal River
Issue date:	10/04/2018
From:	Hobbs T Duke Energy Florida
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
3F1018-02
Download: ML18277A118 (4)

Text

e.i_~ DUKE Crystal River Nuclear Plant 15760 W. Power Line Street

~ ENERGY Crystal River, FL 34428 Docket 72-1035 Docket 50-302 Operating License No. DPR-72 Technical Specifications Appendix B - Part II Environmental Protection Plan (Non-Radiological)

October 04, 2018 3F1018-02 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attn: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555-0001

Subject:

Crystal River Energy Complex - Environmental Protection Plan Report: 2018 Sea Turtle Mortality Reported to National Marine Fisheries Service

Dear Sir:

Duke Energy Florida, LLC, hereby provides a copy to the NRC of a sea turtle mortality report that was submitted to the U. S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The report to the NMFS is required by NMFS's Crystal River Energy Complex (CREC) Biological Opinion.

Crystal River Unit 3 (CR-3) is currently in decommissioning and this mortality was related to CREC fossil operations, however reporting to the NRC is still required by the CR-3 Operating License, Appendix B -Part 11, Environmental Protection Plan (Non-Radiological) Technical Specifications, Section 4.1.

This letter establishes no regulatory commitments.

If you have any questions regarding this submittal, please contact Licensing Lead, Mark Van Sin) ;;~

Sicklen, at (352) 501-3045.

Terry Hobbs GM Decommissioning-SAFSTOR Crystal River Nuclear Plant TDH/mvs Attachment cc: NMSS Project Manager Regional Administrator, Region I

DUKE ENERGY FLORIDA, LLC DOCKET NUMBER 50 - 302 DOCKET NUMBER 72 - 1035 LICENSE NUMBER DPR - 72 ATTACHMENT CRYSTAL RIVER ENERGY COMPLEX -

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PLAN REPORT 2018 SEA TURTLE MORTALITY REPORTED TO NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE

Duke Energy Florida

,~ ~~~GY, 299 Arst Avenue North St. Petersburg, FL 33701 FLORIDA October 3, 2018 U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Regional Office Attn: Assistant Regional Administrator Protected Resources Division 263 13th Avenue South Saint Petersburg, Florida 33701

Subject:

Crystal River Energy Complex - Sea Turtle Mortality Report

Dear Slr:

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the Crystal River Energy complex (CREC) completed an Endangered Species Act Section 7 formal consultation process. In the Biological Opinion, issued August 8, 2002 by the NMFS, terms and conditions were included which required that If any listed species of sea turtles are apparently injured or killed in the CREC intake canal or Crystal River Units 1, 2 or 3 bar racks as a result of plant operation, a report summarizing the incident must be provided to the NMFS within 30 days of the causal mortality determination.

On September 10, 2018, a juvenile Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempi/1 sea turtle (26.67 cm curved carapace length) was recovered from the fixed trash rack at the Crystal River Fossil Units 1&2 cooling water intake structure. Site personnel followed the established procedures outlined in the Sea Turtle Rescue and Handling Guidance and authorized under Marine Turtle Permit MTP-18-042 during the recovery of the sea turtle.

Upon gross external examination, the Kemp's ridley appeared emaciated with an abraded area on the plastron, but freshly-dead with no obvious external visible signs of acute trauma. A Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network Stranding Report was completed, and the carcass was tagged and placed in a freezer for transfer to the FWC FWRI for necropsy.

With no obvious external visible signs of trauma, circumstances of discovery are critical to any final determination as to cause of death. Since fresh dead turtles tend to initially sink and only float after they undergo putrefaction, It is likely that this turtle died at or near the location of discovery.

Debilitated sea turtles can die from relatively minimal additional stress or exertion since there are often metabolic derangements and other confounding conditions in these animals. The discovery of this sea turtle on the intake trash rack just below the surface of the water leads to the conservative conclusion that Interaction with the cooling water intake structure contributed to the death of this animal, and hence the death is considered causally related to CREC operations.

Currently this is the only causally-related mortality for CREC in 2018.

BU/WING ASMARTER ENERGY fU/URE

• Duke Energy Florida, Inc. continues to implement the reasonable and prudent measures described in the current incidental take statement to minimize impacts on sea turtles from facility operation.

If you have any questions regarding this submittal, please contact David Bruzek, Lead Environmental Scientist, at (727) 820-5410.

David A. Bruzek Lead Environmental Scientist Duke Energy Florida