ML13133A003

Annual Non-Radiological Environmental Operating Report - 2012

ML13133A003
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	05/08/2013
From:	James Shea Tennessee Valley Authority
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML13133A003 (13)

Text

Tennessee Valley Authority, 1101 Market Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402 May 8, 2013 10 CFR 50.4 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1 Facility Operating License No. NPF-90 NRC Docket No. 50-390

Subject:

Annual Non-Radiological Environmental Operating Report - 2012 Enclosed is the subject Annual Non-Radiological Environmental Operating Report (ANEOR) for the period of February 7, 2012 through February 6, 2013. This report is being submitted as required by Section 5.4.1 of Appendix B, "Environmental Protection Plan," of the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (WBN) Unit 1, Operating License.

There are no regulatory commitments in this letter. If you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact Donna Guinn, Site Licensing Manager, (423) 365-1589.

Respec ly, J. .ea Vi P sident, Nuclear Licensing

Enclosure:

Annual Non-Radiological Environmental Operating Report - 2012 cc (Enclosure):

NRC Regional Administrator - Region II NRC Senior Resident Inspector - Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1 Printed on recycled paper

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Page 2 May 8, 2013 DKG:JHH Enclosure bcc (Enclosure):

NRC Project Manager - Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1 R. J. Bankes L. B. Belvin T. P. Cleary S. M. Douglas B. M. Duckett D. H. Gronek D. K. Guinn J. H. Hough C.M Robinette E. D. Schrull J. W. Shea P. D. Swafford P. R. Wilson EDMS, WT 3B-K

Enclosure Annual Non-Radiological Environmental Operating Report - 2012 E-1

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT ANNUAL NON-RADIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENTAL OPERATING REPORT FEBRUARY 7, 2012 THROUGH FEBRUARY 6, 2013 E-2

TABLE OF CONTENTS I. IN T R O D UC T IO N ......................................................................................................... E -4 II. REPORTS PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED AS SPECIFIED IN THE WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM PERMIT .......................................................... E-4 III. SPECIAL BIOLOGICAL MONITORING REPORTS ..................................................... E-5 IV. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PLAN NONCOMPLIANCES ................................. E-6 V. CHANGES MADE TO APPLICABLE STATE AND FEDERAL PERM ITS AND CERTIFICATIO NS ............................................................................. E-8 VI. CHANGES IN FACILITY DESIGN OR OPERATION ................................................... E-9 V II. N O N-R O U T IN E R EPO RTS ....................................................................................... E-1 1 VIII. CHANGES IN APPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION P LA N S P E C IF IC AT IO NS .......................................................................................... E -11 E-3

I. INTRODUCTION The Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (WBN) Annual Non-Radiological Environmental Operating Report is provided for the period of February 7, 2012 through February 6, 2013. This report was prepared in accordance with Appendix B to facility operating license NPF-90, "Environmental Protection Plan (EPP)", Section 5.4.1, "Routine Reports." This report includes a summary of:

A. Reports previously submitted as specified in the WBN National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Number TN0020168.

B. All special reports submitted per EPP Section 4.1, "Environmental Monitoring."

C. All EPP noncompliances and the corrective actions taken to remedy them.

D. Changes made to applicable state and federal permits and certifications.

E. Changes in station design that could involve a significant environmental impact or changes to the findings of the Final Environmental Statement (FES).

F. Non-routine reports submitted per EPP Section 4.2, "Unusual or Important Environmental Events."

G. Changes in the approved EPP.

REPORTS PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED AS SPECIFIED IN THE WBN NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES) PERMIT The following reports were submitted as specified in the WBN NPDES Permit Number TN0020168 and the Tennessee Storm Water Multi-Sector General Permit (TMSP)

Number TNR051343 and TNR050000:

A. As required by the NPDES permit, Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) were completed and submitted monthly to the TDEC no later than 15 days after the completion of the reporting period.

B. The "Winter 2011 Compliance Survey for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Outfall 113 Passive Mixing Zone" was submitted to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) on February 11, 2012. The "Summer 2011 Compliance Survey for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Outfall 113 Passive Mixing Zone" was submitted to TDEC on April 2, 2012. The "Winter 2012 Compliance Survey for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Outfall 113 Passive Mixing Zone" was submitted to TDEC on November 20, 2012.

C. The annual Biocide/Corrosion Treatment Report was completed and submitted to TDEC prior to the February 15, 2013, deadline.

D. The annual sampling and analysis required by the TMSP for storm water was performed and the annual report was submitted to the TDEC prior to the March 31, 2012, deadline.

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REPORTS PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED AS SPECIFIED IN THE WBN NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES) PERMIT (continued)

E. DMR Quality Assurance (QA) Laboratory Performance Evaluation Study 32 was completed by and submitted to Environmental Resource Associates, the TDEC, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prior to the August 24, 2012, deadline. All analyte performance evaluations were "acceptable".

Il1. SPECIAL BIOLOGICAL MONITORING REPORTS A. EPP Section 4.1.1, "Aquatic Monitoring"

1. Routine semi-annual Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET), a.k.a. chronic biotoxicity tests, were conducted on plant effluents and the appropriate reports were submitted as part of the DMR for Outfall Serial Numbers (OSNs) 101 and 113, in May and November as required by the NPDES permit. All TVA test results were valid for all sampling outfalls and dates and for both IC25 tests (P. promelas and C. dubia).

2. An annual report on the "Biological Monitoring of the Tennessee River near the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant 2012", indicating no adverse impact to aquatic life due to WBN operation, will be submitted to the TDEC with the NPDES permit renewal. This report is not required in accordance with Part III,Section I of the WBN NPDES Permit, but was a recommendation in the "Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Supplemental Condenser Cooling Water System Fish Monitoring Program, 2001" report to be consistent with other required annual reporting programs at Tennessee and Alabama nuclear plants. TVA determined in January 2013 that these reports would be submitted with the permit renewals versus the historical annual basis.

3. In accordance with the provisions of Tennessee Code Annotated Section 69-7-301 et seq., the Water Resources Information Act, WBN submitted the Water Withdrawal Registration Form for Calendar Year (CY) 2012 to the TDEC prior to the February 15, 2013 deadline.

Although federal agencies are not subject to laws and regulations promulgated by state governments unless Congress has clearly waived the federal government's sovereign immunity, in 2003 TVA voluntarily agreed as a matter of policy to provide the registration information in order to assist both TVA and TDEC in carrying out their water management responsibilities.

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III. SPECIAL BIOLOGICAL MONITORING REPORTS (continued)

B. EPP Section 4.1.2, "Maintenance of Transmission Line Corridors" Listed below are the 500 kV transmission lines associated with WBN and information regarding the maintenance that was performed on each line:

500 kV Line Identifier Maintenance Performed Bull Run - Watts Bar (Note Below) There was not any Chemical or Herbicide utilized on these lines within the period.

Watts Bar - Roane There was not any Chemical or Herbicide utilized on these lines within the period.

Watts Bar - Volunteer There was not any Chemical or Herbicide utilized on these lines within the period.

Watts Bar - Sequoyah 1 (Note Below) There was not any Chemical or Herbicide utilized on these lines within the period.

Watts Bar - Sequoyah 2 There was not any Chemical or Herbicide utilized on these lines within the period.

Note:

The transmission line designated as Bull Run - Sequoyah in previous versions of this report has been split into the following transmission lines; 1) Watts Bar-Sequoyah 1, 2) Bull Run - Watts Bar.

IV. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PLAN NONCOMPLIANCES WBN received zero Notice of Violations (NOV) from February 2012 to February 2013.

In accordance with the NPDES permit, the following noncompliances were reported to the TDEC.

A. On March 13, 2012, WBN reported to TDEC in the February DMR that due to a pressure release valve failure, the basement of the Make-Up Deionized Building (MUDI) was flooded with treated water at approximately 12:01 a.m. on February 23, 2012. To expedite the repair and to prevent a forced shut down of the nuclear plant, this flood water was pumped to the Yard Holding Pond. As the approved discharge path for MUDI effluent is OSN 103, WBN analyzed for OSN 103 parameters as follows: TSS=2.9mg/L, O&G=<5.6 mg/L, pH= 7.45, and flow=145,600 gallons. The valve failure was documented in the Corrective Action Program as Problem Evaluation Report 513799, and the defective valve has been repaired.

B. WBN reported to TDEC on the applicable DMRs' that due to a temporary power outage for the flow meter and erroneous low flows of zero, OSN 103 flows were calculated for the months of April 2012 through February 2013.

C. On August 13, 2012, WBN reported to TDEC on the August DMR that temperature data for July 8, 2012 was unavailable due to an interruption in operation of the Outfall 113 monitoring station. Therefore the values provided for Temperature Water Degrees Centigrade, Temperature Difference Between Samples and Upstream Degrees Centigrade, and Temperature -C, Rate of Change were estimated based on the operation of the plant and observed temperature trends on days immediately before and after July 8, 2012.

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IV. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PLAN NONCOMPLIANCES (continued)

D. On August 21, 2012, TVA provided TDEC a written notification of discharges at the intake bay on August 13, 2012. Verbal notification was provided by telephone to the Chattanooga Environmental Field Office the date of occurrence.

The discharge was also reported in the monthly DMRs' until repairs were completed at the end of October 2012. A summary of the sequence of events is as follows:

On August 13, 2012, at approximately 1330 the Intake Pumping Station (IPS) trough was observed overflowing during a chlorination treatment. The overflow was caused when three of four strainer pumps were placed into service for backwashing at the Emergency Raw Cooling Water (ERCW) pumps. The IPS trough is not designed for this capacity. The majority of the discharge was overflowing onto gravel below with a small amount reaching the intake bay water. Additionally a small amount of overflow water ran down the intake structure wall into the intake bay water. When first observed, the overflow was sampled and analyzed for Total Residual Oxidant (TRO). Analysis showed that the effluent running down the wall was 0.05 mg/L and the intake bay at the point of effluent discharge was <0.05 mg/L (the NPDES permit limit is 0.1 mg/L). The chemical feed was then stopped. The overflow discharge was then sampled and analyzed for OSN 101 parameters. The flow control valve was fixed in the open position, and for safety reasons could not be repaired until the unit outage scheduled to begin September 10, 2012.

The trough was carrying approximately 1,350 gpm of backwash water to the yard holding pond and visual estimates observed a small percentage of this flow splashing and dripping to the intake bay. Because of the need to reinitiate water treatment chemical injection, TVA informed Dr. Dick Urban, the TDEC Chattanooga Field Office NPDES Program Manager, on August 21, 2012, of the ongoing discharge. WVA requested approval to restart chemical biocide treatment of the process water to protect the system during operation until the system was repaired. The chemical treatment regime was described and noted as previously approved through the NPDES permit process. Dr. Urban agreed that TVA could restart the chemical treatment process for the temporary period before the valve was repaired. This minor discharge had no impact on water quality at the intake bay. At no time was there a threat to public drinking supplies, to human health, or the environment.

E. During the scheduled refueling outage, a maintenance inspection of the Outfall 101 diffusers, on September 16, 2012, indicated some repair needs including the access door missing from the end of one of the diffuser pipes, essentially negating the diffusing action. Until the repair of the Diffuser A pipe was completed, all flows were directed to Diffuser B. No impacts to the environment have been observed, and no harm to the environment occurred before the repairs were completed on November 20, 2012.

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IV. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PLAN NONCOMPLIANCES (continued)

F. On November 2, 2013, TDEC approved TVA's request to progress with the High Flow Calibration. This required the use of Diffuser A for a period of approximately 4-5 hours in order to achieve the high flow conditions from the outfall. TVA and TDEC agreed that the cooler ambient temperatures and the short period of "undiffused" flow should have no adverse impacts on the environment and that the calibration should proceed as scheduled. After calibration, Diffuser A was closed until repairs were made.

V. CHANGES MADE TO APPLICABLE STATE AND FEDERAL PERMITS AND CERTIFICATIONS A. NPDES Permit TN 0020168

1. On November 20, 2012, WBN requested an amendment to the current raw water treatment plan to include PolyAcrylic Acid (PAA) with the trade name of OptiSperse PWR6600. Use of PAA in the industry has been shown to improve equipment reliability via improving steam generator heat transfer efficiency thus significantly reducing the operational costs.TVA is confident that this change request to the raw water treatment program would allow the same high level of protection for aquatic life in the Tennessee River while increasing the flexibility of plant equipment treatment options.

2. In accordance with 40 CFR § 122.22, TVA updated the NPDES signatory authority noting Timothy P. Cleary as the current Watts Bar Site Vice President.

3. Due to concerns that the Supplemental Condenser Cooling Water (SCCW) system does not meet seismic qualifications, SCCW was removed from service December 5, 2012, through December 17, 2012, December 19, 2012, through December 31, 2012, and January 2013 through February 2013, while an evaluation was performed. The leakby was analyzed for all NPDES parameters as described in the permit and these results are included in the monthly DMRs.

4. On January 18, 2013 and February 28, 2013, TVA submitted to TDEC the thirty day and sixty day notifications (respectively), and the lab analysis for the exceedance of the benchmark monitoring requirement for total recoverable (Fe) iron and total suspended solids (TSS) for Storm Water Outfall No. 10 (SW-1 0). The likely cause of the exceedances(s) of the benchmark monitoring requirements for Fe and TSS is elevated background iron concentration in the soil around the storm water outfall (based on historical sampling) and the high rainfall on the collection date.

WBN's Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) was reviewed and the use of additional Best Management Practices (BMPs) were investigated. Per the WBN SWPPP, there are no paved surfaces in this drainage area. Ground cover consists of wetlands, shrubs, and grass. It was determined that no additional modifications or additions to the SWPPP or additional BMPs were required at this time.

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V. CHANGES MADE TO APPLICABLE STATE AND FEDERAL PERMITS AND CERTIFICATIONS (continued)

B. Air Permits

1. TDEC approved the Air Permit Number 463822 with an effective date of January 9, 2013 and an expiration date of September 1, 2022.

2. As required by WBN Air Permit Numbers 448529 and 957606P, WBN submitted the annual compliance status report for the CY 2012 on March 25, 2013. WBN emitted 0.26 tons of sulfur dioxide in CY 2012 and did not exceed 99.9 tons during any period of 12 consecutive months.

WBN also emitted 15.44 tons of nitrogen oxides in CY 2012 and did not exceed 99.9 tons during any period of 12 consecutive months (supporting documentation was enclosed). Also, enclosed were certifications that all shipments of #2 diesel fuel oil received at WBN for the CY 2012 met ASTM D975-90 specifications for ultra low sulfur content.

3. In accordance with 1200-3-9-.02(1 1)(b)21 (i) of the Tennessee Air Pollution Control Regulations, TVA updated the NPDES signatory authority noting Timothy P. Cleary as the current Watts Bar Site Vice President.

VI. CHANGES IN FACILITY DESIGN OR OPERATION In accordance with EPP Section 3.1, "Plant Design and Operation," facility design and operational changes were reviewed for potential effect on the environment as described below. A review of facility design and operational changes proposed from February 7, 2012, through February 6, 2013, was performed. Projects considered as having potential impact on the environment included those that:

• Could have caused waste stream generation/alteration.

• Required the acquisition/modification of permits.

• Involved the use of hazardous material.

• Required physical construction.

The review, performed in accordance with the guidelines of TVA's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Program, documented that design and operational changes did not involve an unreviewed environmental question. The following criteria were used to identify those projects with a potential for environmental effects:

A. Waste stream generation/alteration Air, Hazardous Waste, Solid Waste, Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Asbestos, Wastewater B. Permit Acquisition/Modification NPDES, Air, Inert Landfill, Other (316b, 404, etc.)

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VI. CHANGES IN FACILITY DESIGN OR OPERATION (continued)

C. Hazardous Materials Hazardous Materials that are environmentally unfriendly and are likely to generate a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous or Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) waste D. Physical Construction Involved:

Erosion/Sedimentation Effects, Transportation Effects, Noise Effects, Groundwater Effects, Surface Water Effects, Floodplain Effects, Wetland Effects, Prime Farmland Effects, Unique Natural Features Effects, Aquatic Ecology Effects, Terrestrial Ecology Effects, Protected Species Effects, Sensitive Habitat Effects, Visual Effects, Historical, Cultural and Archeological Effects, Changes in Site Land Use, or Controversy.

E. Temporary Alterations There were no temporary alterations conducted during this period that met the environmental impact criteria.

Out of the design and operational changes made during this report period, only 19 were processed as having potential impact on the environment during the screening process.

The appropriate environmental reviews were completed and all changes were found to be within the scope of existing environmental permits and in compliance with NEPA regulations. The 19 required the completion of a Categorical Exclusion Checklists (CECs) to document that the change(s) did not have an impact on the quality of the human environment and that no extraordinary circumstances were created by the change. The 19 site changes reviewed are as follows:

(1) 25879 Transfer of Watts Bar Fossil Transformer to WBN (2) 26050 WBN Tritium Tank Construction Trailers (3) 26064 Celebration Tent (4) 26117 WBN EDC 59336 Passive Underground Pathways (5) 26308 Relocate Sealand 48C and 2 10'X20' Sealands (6) 26309 Excavated Material Disposal - WBN Tritium Tank (7) 26553 Central Alarm Service HVAC Modification (8) 26618 Installation of Balanced Magnetic Switch on each of the lift gates near North Access Control Portal (9) 26627 The addition of a new personnel fence and sidewalk adjoining the Service Bldg to gain access to the Turbine Bldg (10) 26768 U1R1 1 Outage Trailer for TriTool, Inc (11) 26852 Installation of new N2 (Nitrogen) Piping (12) 27090 New Triplewide Trailers by Unit 2 Cooling Tower (13) 27203 Move Emergency Preparedness Siren #76 at WBN (14) 27288 Generic CEC for the Location, Relocation, Addition, and Removal of Trailers/Sealands inside the Protected Area at WBN (15) 27358 Emergency Preparedness Siren Replacement - WBN (16) 27418 Installation of Storm Water Monitoring Point #12 and Access Road (17) 27540 Area between Ul & U2 Cooling Towers for Future Sealand/Trailer Installation E-1 0

VI. CHANGES IN FACILITY DESIGN OR OPERATION (continued)

(18) 27782 DCN 60714 Security Project - Strategic Protection (Force on Force - FoF)

(19) 27892 Relocation of Nine Siren Sites at WBN All other facility design and operational changes made during this report period with a potential impact on the environment were found to be within the scope of existing environmental permits and in compliance with regulations.

In summary, there were no facility designs or operational changes from February 7, 2012 to February 6, 2013, which resulted in an unreviewed environmental question.

VII. NON-ROUTINE REPORTS No non-routine reports for EPP Section 4.2 were issued during this reporting period.

VIII. CHANGES IN APPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PLAN SPECIFICATIONS No changes were made to Appendix B, EPP, of the WBN operating license during the reporting period.

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