LR-N13-0070, Submittal of 2012 Annual Environmental Operating Report

Submittal of 2012 Annual Environmental Operating Report

ML13128A071
Person / Time
Site:	Hope Creek
Issue date:	04/26/2013
From:	Carr E Public Service Enterprise Group
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
LR-N13-0070
Download: ML13128A071 (7)

Text

PSEG Nuclear LLC P.O. Box 236, Hancocks Bridge, New Jersey 08038-0236 0 PSEG Nuclear LLC Environmental Protection Plan 5.4.1 APR 2 6 2013 LR-N13-0070 United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555 Hope Creek Generating Station Facility Operating License No. NPF-57 NRC Docket No. 50-354

Subject:

2012 ANNUAL ENVIRONMENTAL OPERATING REPORT The attached 2012 Annual Environmental Operating Report is hereby submitted pursuant to Subsection 5.4.1 of the Environmental Protection Plan (Non-radiological) for Hope Creek Generating Station. The Environmental Protection Plan is Appendix B to Facility Operating License NPF-57 (Docket No. 50-354).

There are no regulatory commitments in this correspondence.

If you have any questions or comments on this transmittal, please contact Jeffrey Pantazes at (856) 339-7900.

Sincerely, Eric Carr Hope Creek Plant Manager

Attachment:

2012 Annual Environmental Operating Report Page 1

LR-N13-0070 Document Control Desk cc: Mr. W. Dean, Administrator, Region I Nuclear Regulatory Commission 2100 Renaissance Blvd, Suite 100 King of Prussia, PA 19406-2713 Mr. J. Whited, Project Manager, Salem and Hope Creek U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission One White Flint North 11555 Rockville Pike Mail Stop 8B 1A Rockville, MD 20852 Mr. P. Mulligan Bureau of Nuclear Engineering New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection P.O. Box 420 Mail Code: 33-01 Trenton, NJ 08625-0420 USNRC Senior Resident Inspector - Hope Creek Mail Code (X24)

Hope Creek Commitment Tracking Coordinator (H02)

Page 2

LR-N13-0070 Document Control Desk Attachment (Total of 5 Pages) 2012 ANNUAL ENVIRONMENTAL OPERATING REPORT (NON-RADIOLOGICAL)

January 1 through December 31, 2012 HOPE CREEK GENERATING STATION DOCKET NO. 50-354 OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-57 PSEG NUCLEAR LLC P.O. BOX 236 HANCOCKS BRIDGE, NEW JERSEY 08038 Dated: APRIL 2013

LR-N13-0070 Document Control Desk Attachment (Total of 5 Pages)

TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Title Page

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1 2.0 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACTIVITIES 1 2.1 AQUATIC ISSUES MONITORING -

SUMMARY

AND ANALYSIS 1 2.2 TERRESTRIAL ISSUES MONITORING -

SUMMARY

AND ANALYSIS 2 3.0 EPP COMPLIANCE STATUS 2 3.1 EPP NONCOMPLIANCES 2 3.2 REVIEW 3 4.0 CHANGES IN STATION DESIGN OR OPERATION 3 5.0 NONROUTINE REPORTS 3

LR-N13-0070 Document Control Desk Attachment

1.0 INTRODUCTION

This 2012 Annual Environmental Operating Report (AEOR) for the Hope Creek Generating Station was prepared in accordance with Subsection 5.4.1 of Appendix B to Facility Operating License No. NPF-57, Environmental Protection Plan (Non-radiological). The reporting requirements of the Environmental Protection Plan (EPP) became effective April 11, 1986, with the issuance of the initial Hope Creek Operating License (NPF-57).

This is the twenty-eighth AEOR submitted for Hope Creek Generating Station. It corresponds to the reporting period January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2012.

Hope Creek Generating Station produced 9,586,248 megawatt-hours of net electrical energy during this period.

As required by Subsection 5.4.1 of the EPP, we have included summaries and analyses of all required environmental protection activities. This information is described in Section 2.0. Section 3.0 addresses the issue of EPP compliance.

Changes to station design or operation and the review for potentially significant un-reviewed environmental questions are addressed in Section 4.0.

Administrative review procedures and unusual and/or important environmental events are discussed in Section 5.0.

2.0 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACTIVITIES 2.1 AQUATIC ISSUES Subsection 4.2.1 of the EPP references the Clean Water Act as the mechanism for protecting aquatic biota through water quality monitoring. The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) relies upon the State of New Jersey, acting under the authority of the Clean Water Act, to ensure applicable requirements for aquatic monitoring are implemented. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is the state's regulatory agency.

The state of New Jersey requires as part of their New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) permit program that effluent monitoring be performed, with the results summarized and submitted monthly on Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) forms. The monitoring is intended to determine Page 1

LR-N13-0070 Document Control Desk Attachment compliance with the permit for effluent limitations (NJPDES No. NJ002541 1).

We have reviewed the DMRs corresponding to the 2012 AEOR reporting period and have determined that no significant deviations have occurred. Copies of monthly DMRs are routinely sent to the USNRC Document Control Desk and additional copies are available upon request.

On February 2, 2011, the NJDEP issued a Final NJPDES Permit that authorizes the continued discharge of cooling tower blowdown and other effluents from the Hope Creek Generating Station to the Delaware River. The Permit was effective on July 1, 2011, and contains conditions and limitations for continued compliance with the federal and state Clean Water Act (CWA) and the NJDEP regulations.

While the NRC relies on the State of New Jersey for protection of the water quality, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) maintains regulatory authority with respect to certain migratory threatened and endangered aquatic species. On May 15, 1993, the NMFS issued a revised Section 7 Consultation, Biological Opinion. The revision removed all requirements for marine life monitoring at the Hope Creek Generating Station. This revision was incorporated into the Facility Operating License No. NPF-57 through Amendment No. 60.

2.2 TERRESTRIAL ISSUES PSEG NUCLEAR LLC has been voluntarily monitoring the osprey population that nest on our transmission towers through a joint effort with the NJDEP since 1989.

3.0 EPP COMPLIANCE STATUS 3.1 EPP NONCOMPLIANCES Subsection 5.4.1 of the EPP requires a list of EPP noncompliances and the corrective actions taken to remedy them. No previously unreviewed environmental impacts attributable to the operation of the Hope Creek Generating Station were observed during 2012. Likewise, there were no instances of noncompliance with the EPP.

Page 2

LR-N 13-0070 Document Control Desk Attachment 3.2 REVIEW Subsection 5.1 of the EPP for Hope Creek Generating Station requires that an independent review of compliance with the EPP be maintained and made available for inspection. Compliance with the EPP was reviewed as part of the QA Assessment Program in 2012. No substantive findings were identified and a copy of the review is available for inspection. A biennial compliance review of the EPP is scheduled for 2013.

4.0 CHANGES IN STATION DESIGN OR OPERATION Pursuant to the requirements of Section 3.1 of the EPP, station design/operational changes during the time period covered by this report were reviewed for potential environmental impact. None of the recommended changes posed a potential to significantly affect the environment, and therefore, none involved an unreviewed environmental question or a change in the EPP.

5.0 NONROUTINE REPORTS Subsection 5.4.1 of the EPP requires that a list of non-routine reports (submitted in accordance with Subsection 5.4.2 of the EPP) be included as part of the AOER. Hope Creek Generating Station experienced no unusual or important events, in accordance with Subsection 4.1 of the EPP, that indicated or could have resulted in a "significant environmental impact" during the 2012 reporting period. There were no events reported to other Federal, State or local agencies in accordance with their reporting requirements.

Page 3