ML13248A456

Report of Impingment of Atlantic Sturgeon

ML13248A456
Person / Time
Site:	Salem
Issue date:	08/05/2013
From:	Wagner L Public Service Enterprise Group
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
LR-E13-0117
Download: ML13248A456 (10)

Text

PSEG Nuclear LLC P.O. Box 236, Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038-0236 0 PSEG NuclearLLC LR-E13-0117 EPP 5.4.2 Appendix B U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555-0001 CERTIFIED MAIL RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED ARTICLE NUMBER: 7011 3500 0000 5084 9308

SUBJECT:

REPORT OF IMPINGEMENT OF ATLANTIC STURGEON SALEM GENERATING STATION UNIT NO. 1 DOCKET NO. 50-272 The Nuclear Environmental Event Report, "Report of Impingement of Atlantic Sturgeon" is being submitted pursuant to the requirements of Section 5.4.2 of Appendix B, Environmental Protection Plan, to the Operating License for the Salem Generating Station, PSEG Nuclear LLC (PSEG).

Please find enclosed a letter and two attachments with further information regarding this impingement event.

If you have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Kenneth Strait, Manager - Biological Programs at (856) 339-3929.

Sincerely, Lawrence M. Wag-ner Plant Manager - Salem PSEG Nuclear LLC Attachments (2)

LR-E13-0117 Document Control Desk REPORT OF IMPINGEMENT OF ATLANTIC STURGEON In accordance with Section 5.4.2 of Appendix B, Environmental Protection Plan, to the Operating License for the Salem Generating Station, PSEG Nuclear LLC (PSEG) hereby transmits notification of a nonroutine event, and documents the occurrence and removal of an Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhinchus) from the Salem Generating Station circulating water intake structure trash bars.

Consultation pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) between NRC and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on the effects of the operation of Salem Station on threatened and endangered species has been ongoing since 1979. The most recent revision to the Biological Opinion and Incidental Take Statement issued in January 1999 exempts the specified annual take of shortnose sturgeon and sea turtles. In advance of relicensing for Salem Station, consultation pursuant to Section 7 of the ESA between NRC and NMFS was reinitiated in 2009. On April 6, 2012, the NMFS listed five Distinct Population Segments of Atlantic sturgeon as threatened or endangered under the ESA. In May 2012, NRC requested consultation on the effects of the continued operation of Salem Station on Atlantic sturgeon. The NMFS issued a draft Biological Opinion and Incidental Take Statement (ITS) in July 2012 that, when finalized, will authorize a specified incidental take of both Atlantic sturgeon and shortnose sturgeon associated with operation of the Salem Station circulating water intake system.

Pursuant to Section 5.4.2 of the Environmental Protection Plan for Salem Station, nonroutine events which require reporting to other federal agencies shall be reported in accordance with the other agencies' reporting requirements. Accordingly, enclosed please find two (2) attachments. Attachment 1 provides the information requested by the NMFS in Appendix II to the current ITS and in Appendix B, Part 2, to the revised draft ITS. Attachment 2 is a copy of a Sturgeon Salvage Form verbally requested by the NMFS.

There are no commitments contained in this letter.

Page 2 of 4

LR-E13-0117 Document Control Desk cc: Mr. William Dean, Administrator - Region I U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 Mr. John Hughey, Licensing Project Manager - Salem U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission One White Flint North 11555 Rockville Pike Mail Stop 0-4D-3 Rockville, MD 20852 USNRC Senior Resident Inspector - Salem Mail Code X24 Mr. P. Mulligan, Manager Bureau of Nuclear Engineering New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection PO Box 420 Mail Code: 33-01 Trenton, NJ 08625-0420 Ms. Lynn Lankshear National Marine Fisheries Service Protected Resources Division 55 Great Republic Drive, Suite 04-400 Gloucester, MA 01930 Ms. Karen Greene National Marine Fisheries Service 74 Magruder Road Highland, NJ 07732-4054 Mr. Dave Jenkins Endangered and Nongame Species Program New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection 1 Van Syckels Road Clinton, NJ 08809 Salem Commitment Coordinator Mail Code X25 Page 3 of 4

LR-E13-0117 Document Control Desk bc: Salem Site Vice President Salem Plant Manager Director - Regulatory Affairs Manager - Nuclear Environmental Affairs Regulatory Assurance Manager - Salem Records Management Page 4 of 4

ATTACHMENT 1 (Sturgeon)

Observer's full name:James Carll and Colin Barrett Reporter's full name:James Carli Species Identification (Key attached):Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus)

Site of Impingement (Unit 1 or 2, CWS or DWS, Bay #, etc.):SGS Unit 1; CWI bay 13A Date animal observed: 8 1 3 Time animal observed: 08:15 Date animal collected: 8 1 3 Time animal collected:08:25 Date rehab facility contacted: Time rehab facility contacted:

Date animal picked up: Time animal picked up:

Environmental conditions at time of observation (i.e., tidal stage, weather):

Air Temp.- 22.50C; Sal.- 5.Oppt; Wind- SE; Sky- Overcast; Wave- Moderate; Tide- Flood 1 (90.8) 08 0 0 Date and time of last inspection of screen: :

0 Water temperature (°C) at site and time of observation: 2 5 .50 Number of pumps operating at time of observation: Unit 16 Unit 2 6 Average percent of power generating capacity achieved per unit at time of observation:

Unit 1 100 Unit 2 100 Average percent of power generating capacity achieved per unit over the 48 hours5.555556e-4 days <br />0.0133 hours <br />7.936508e-5 weeks <br />1.8264e-5 months <br /> previous to 10 0 observation: Unit 1 100 Unit 2 Sturgeon Information:

Species Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus)

Fork length (or total length) FL(915mm)/ TL(1,067mm) Weight 4.4 kg Condition of specimen/description of animal Specimen was observed by Salem yard crew during routine trash rack cleaning at Salem CWIB. It was determined to be dead prior to retrieval. Closer inspection of specimen indicates that it has been deceased for an unknown period of time. Injuries include damage to the top of head/skull, which appears to be partially severed from the rest of h-dy, Fish Decomposed: NO QLIGHTLY MODERATELY SEVERELY Fish tagged: YES

• Please record all tag numbers. Tag #

Photograph attached: QyD / NO (please label species, date, geographicsite and vessel name on back of photograph)

ATTACHMENT 1 (Sturgeon) continued Photographs View shows full size and condition of an Atlantic Sturgeon, (Acipenser oxyrinchus), collected on 8-7-13 at 08:25am by Salem yard crew during routine trash rack cleaning at PSEG Salem CWIS.

Ventral view of fish, showing narrow width of the mouth.

Atlantic sturgeon, collected on 8-7-13, showing damage to dorsal portion of the head. The head appears to have been crushed, which has partially severed the skull. The break spans the entire width of the head, just behind the eyes.

Another dorsal view, showing the damage to the head. Despite some slight decay, no other obvious damage to the specimen was observed.

ATTACHMENT 1 (Sturgeon) continued Draw wounds, abnormalities, tag locations on diagram and briefly describe below L R Description of fish condition:

The sturgeon was deceased upon collection/retrieval by PSEG Salem Yard Crew personnel. Observations made by Environmental Consulting Services, Inc. personnel indicated that the specimen had been dead for an undetermined amount of time. Most apparent external Injury Includes damage to the top of the head, which appears to have been crushed, partially severing the skull from the rest of the body. The break extends the entire width of the head, crossing just behind the eyes. No other visible external damaae to the body was observed. a

STURGEON SALVAGE FORM For use in documenting dead sturgeon in the wild under ESA permit no. 1614 (version 05-16-2012)

INVESTIGATORS'S CONTACT INFORMATION UNIQUE IDENTIFIER (Assigned by NMFS) I Name: First Douglas Last Potts Agency Affiliation PSEG subcontractor Email dpotts~ecsi-del.com DATE REPORTED:

Address 100 South Cass Street, Middletown, DE 19709 Month 08 Day 07 Year 2013 Area code/Phone number (302) 378-9881 DATE EXAMINED:

Month 08 Day 07 Year 2013 I~ ____________________________

SPECIES: (check one) LOCATION FOUND: LlOffshore (Atlantic or Gulf beach) ZInshore (bay, river, sound, inlet, etc)

El shortnose sturgeon River/Body of Water Delaware River City Hancocks Bridge State NJ

[] Atlantic sturgeon Descriptive location (be specific Removed from Circulating Water Intake Structure (CWUS)

El Unidentified Acipenser species Check 'Unidentified' ifuncertain. intake trash racks, intake bay 13A, during routine trash rack cleaning at the Salem Generating See reverse side of this form for Station, PSEG Nuclear LLC.

aid in identification. Latitude 390 27'38.17 N (Dec. Degrees) Longitude 750 32'10.08 W (Dec. Degrees)

CARCASS CONDITION at SEX: MEASUREMENTS: circle unit time examined: (check one) I] Undetermined Fork length 91.5 cm M 1 = Fresh dead LI Female EL Male Total length 106.7cm 17 2 = Moderately decomposed How was sex determined?

LI Necropsy Length M actual El estimate 171 3= Severely decomposed Mouth width (inside lips, see reverse side) 3.0 cm

[-1 4 = Dried carcass LI Eggs/milt present when pressed LI Borescope Interorbital width (see reverse side) 7.0 cm

[] 5 = Skeletal, scutes &cartilage Weight 2 actual El estimate 44kg TAGS PRESENT? Examined for external tags Including fin clips? N Yes L No Scanned for PIT tags? N Yes [I No Tag # Tag Type Location of tag on carcass CARCASS DISPOSITION: (check one or more) Carcass Necropsied? PHOTODOCUMENTATION:

111 =Left where found L]Yes MNo Photos/vide taken? Z Yes 0I No 172 = Buried 0]3 = Collected for necropsy/salvage Date Necropsied: Disposition of PhotosNideo PSEG Nuclear 04 = Frozen for later examination Environmental Affairs and Nuclear I-5 = Other (describe) Necropsy Lead: Regulatory Afflars personnel.

SAMPLES COLLECTED? Li Yes Z] No Sample How preserved Disposition (person, affiliation, use)

Comments: The deceased Atlantic Sturgeon was collected from the Salem Circulating Water Intake Structure during routine trash rack clealng at 08:25am on August 7, 2013. Positive identification was made by Environmental Consulting Services personnel at 08:30am. Photos, length measurements, and inspection for external/PIT tags was made, and none were found. The State of New Jersey DEP. Division of Fish and Wildlife. and National Marine Fisheries have been notified of the Indicental take. The fish was taken and preserved (frozen) at the ECSI office after processing. Possession of the specimen was then transferred to the State of Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, at the direction of NMFS.

Distinguishing Characteristics of Atlantic and Shortnose Sturgeon (version 07-20-2009)

Characteristic Atlantic Sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus Shortnose Sturgeon, Acipenser brevirostrum Maximum length > 9 feet/ 274 cm 4 feet! 122 cm Mouth Football shaped and small. Width inside lips < 55% of Wide and oval inshape. Width inside lips >62% of bony interorbital width _ bony interorbital width

• Pre-anal plates Paired plates posterior to the rectum &anterior to the 1-3 pre-anal plates almost always occurring as median anal fin. structures (occurring singly)

Plates along the Rhombic, bony plates found along the lateral base of No plates along the base of anal fin anal fin the anal fin (see diagram below)

Habitat/Range Anadromous; spawn infreshwater but primarily lead a Freshwater amphidromous; found primarily infresh marine existence water but does make some coastal migrations

• From Vecsei and Peterson, 2004 ATLANTIC Describe any wounds / abnormalities (note tar or oil, gear or debris entanglement, propeller damage, etc.). Please note if no wounds / abnormalities are found. The Sturgeon was deceased upon collectionlretrieval by Salem Yard Crew Personnel during routine trash rack cleaning at the CWIS building. Observations made by Environmental Consulting Services Inc. personnel indicate that the specimen is slightly decayed and has been dead for an undetermined amount of time, Indicating that initial injury/death was most likely not the result of raking activities or other plant operations. The most apparent external injury includes damage to the top of the head, which appears to have been crushed, partially severing the skull from the rest of the body. The break extends the entire width of the head, crossing just behind the eyes. No other visible external damage to the body was observed. No external tags were observed, and the existence of PIT tags was not indicated during processing of the specimen.

Data Access Policy: Upon written request, information submitted to National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) oil this form will be released to the requestor provided that the requestor credit the collector of the information and NOAA Fisheries. NOAA Fisheries will notify the collector that these data have been requested and the intent of their use.

SUbmit completed forms (within 30 days, of date of investigation) to: Northeast Region Contacts - Shortnose Sturgeon Recovery Coordinator (Jessica Pruden, Jessica.Pruden~noaa.gov.978-282-8482) or.Atlantic Sturgeon Recovery Coordinator (Lynn Lankshear, LonLanksheartnoaa.gov, 978-282-8473); Southeast Region Contacts- Shortnose Sturgeon Recovery Coordinator (Stephania Bolden, Stephania.Boldenrfoaa.gov. 727-824-5312) or Atlantic Sturgeon Recovery Coordinator (Kelly Shotts, Kelly,Shotts~noaa.gov 727-55.1-5603).