DCL-2015-517, Submittal of Marine Mammal Stranding Report for a Sea Lion (Zalophus Californianus)

Submittal of Marine Mammal Stranding Report for a Sea Lion (Zalophus Californianus)

ML15097A261
Person / Time
Site:	Diablo Canyon
Issue date:	03/24/2015
From:	Cortese K Pacific Gas & Electric Co
To:	Viezbicke J Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, US Dept of Commerce, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
References
DCL-2015-517
Download: ML15097A261 (4)

Text

E Pacific Gasand Electric Company' Diablo Canyon Power Plant P.O. Box 56 Avila Beach, CA 93424 PG&E Letter DCL-2015-517 Certified/Return Receipt

1. 7010-1060-0000-4204-2681 March 24, 2015 Justin Viezbicke California Stranding Network Coordinator NOAA Fisheries 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200 Long Beach, California 90802-4213 Marine Mammal Stranding Report (Sea Lion) Diablo Canyon Power Plant

Dear Mr. Viezbicke:

Enclosed is a NOAA Fisheries Marine Mammal Stranding Report for a dead sea lion (Zalophus californianus)discovered in the Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) intake structure forebay. The sea lion was discovered by plant operations staff on March 14, 2015 against the Unit 1 intake 1-2 debris bar rack.

As authorized in a letter dated June 3, 1994 from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS),

DCPP removed the dead sea lion from the intake structure and transported it offshore. The small sea lion, likely a pup, was approximately 40 inches in length, with an estimated weight of about 30 pounds. The animal had moderate decomposition, no photographs of the carcass were taken.

Most of the head and neck area was gone. There was no indication of cause of death due to the decomposition. It appears that this animal died in the vicinity of the power plant, and drifted up against the intake bar racks. Intake flows are not a challenge to live sea lions, and they frequently swim in and out of the intake structure. There was no indication of an adverse impact to the marine mammal due to power plant operations. It is most likely that the sea lion's death is attributable to natural causes.

Verbal notification of this incident was reported to NOAA Fisheries on March 16, 2015 (Monday following weekend discovery).

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the enclosed report, or require additional information, please contact Jim Kelly of my staff at (805) 545-3194.

Sincerely, Kenneth W. Cortese Manager- Chemistry and EnvironmentalOperations 2015517/jlk/bkc Enclosure (1)

PG&E Letter DCL-2015-517 Justin Viezbicke, NOAA Fisheries March 24, 2015 Page 2 cc w/enclosure: Alan B. Wang NRR Project Manager U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission One White Flint North Mail Stop 08B1 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852-2738 Thomas Hipschman Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Diablo Canyon Power Plant 104/5 Regional Administrator U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region IV 611 E. Lamar Blvd., Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-4125 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 Marine Region California Department of Fish and Wildlife 20 Lower Ragsdale Dr. Suite 100 Monterey, CA 93940

MARINE MAMMAL STRANDING REPORT - LEVEL A DATA FIELD #: NMFS REGIONAL #: NATIONAL DATABASE#:

(NMFS USE) (NMFS USE)

COMMON NAME: California Sea Lion GENUS: Zalophus SPECIES: californianus EXAMINER Name: James Kelly Affiliation: Pacific Gzas and Electric Company Address: P.O. Box 56, Avila Beach, California 93424 Phone: (805) 545-3194 Stranding Agreement or Authority:

LOCATION OF INITIAL OBSERVATION OCURRENCE DETAILS 0l Restrand GE#

State: Ca, County: San Luis Obispo Group Event: 0l YES X NO (NMFS Use) city: Avila Beach If Yes, Type: 0l Cow/Calf Pair El Mass Stranding # Animals:. El Actual El Estimated Body of Water Pacific Ocean Findings of Human Interaction: El YES U NO F1Could Not Be Determined (CBD)

Locality Details: Diablo Canyon Power If Yes, Choose one or more: El 1. Boat Collision [D 2. Shot 0l 3. Fishery Interaction Plant - Intake Structure Bay 1-2 El 4. Other Human Interaction:

Lat (DD): 35 12' 44" N How Determined (Check one or more): X External Exam El Internal Exam El Necropsy Long (DD): 120 51' 13" w 13Other:

K;Actual El Estimated Gear Collected? El YES X NO Gear Disposition:

How Determined: (check ONE) Other Findings Upon Level A: El YES X NO El Could Not Be Determined (CBD)

X GPS El Map 0l Internet/Software If Yes, Choose one or more: El 1. Illness El 2. Injury El 3. Pregnant El 4.Other.

How Determined (Check one or more): El External Exam El Internal Exam El Necropsy 0 Other:

INITIAL OBSERVATION LEVEL A EXAMINATION 0l Not Able to Examine Date: Year.2015 Month: 03 Day: 14 Date: Year: 2015 Month: 03 Day: 18 First Observed: El Beach or Land X Floating El Swimming CONDITION AT INITIAL OBSERVATION (Check ONE) CONDITION AT EXAMINATION (Check ONE)

El 1. Alive El 4. Advanced Decomposition El 1. Alive El 4. Advanced Decomposition El 2. Fresh dead El 5. Mummified/Skeletal El 2. Fresh dead El 5. Mummified/Skeletal X 3. Moderate decomposition El 6. Condition Unknown N 3. Moderate decomposition El 6. Unknown INITIAL LIVE ANIMAL DISPOSITION (Check one or more) MORPHOLOGICAL DATA El 1. Left at Site El 6. Euthanized at Site SEX (check ONE) AGE CLASS (Check ONE)

El 2. Immediate Release at Site El 7. Transferred to Rehabilitation:

El 1. Male El 1. Adult El 4. Pup/Calf El 3. Relocated Date: Year__ Month: Day: El 2. Female El 2. Subadult El 5. Unknown Facility:_______________

El 4. Disentangled El 8. Died during Transport D 3. Unknown K 3. Yeariing El 5. Died at Site El 9. Euthanized during Transport X Whole Carcass El Partial Carcass El 10. Other_

CONDITION/IDETERMINATION (Check one or more) Straight length: 40 El cm N in El actual K estimated El 1. Sick 7. Location Hazardous Weight: 30 El kg IN Ib El actual X estimated El 2. Injured E a. To animal PHOTOSMDEOS TAKEN: El YES [] NO El 3. Out of Habitat El b. To public PhotoNideo Disposition:

E 4. Deemed Releasable El 8. Unknown/CBD El 5. Abandoned/Orphaned El 9.Other El6. Inaccessible CARCASS STATUS (Check one or more)

El 1. Left at Site K 4. Towed: Lat Long_ __ El 7. Landfill TAG DATA Tags Were: El 2. Buried El 5. Sunk: Let _ Long_ _ El 8. Unknown Present at Time of Stranding (Pre-existing): El YES [E NO E 3. Rendered E 6. Frozen for Later Examination E 9. Other Applied during Stranding Response:. El YES El NO SPECIMEN DISPOSITION (Check one or more)

ID# Color Type Placement* Applied Present El 1. Scientific collection El 2. Educational collection (Cirde ONE)

D DF L El El K 3. Other. Towed offshore LF LR RF RR Comments:

D DF L El E_

_________________LF LR RF RR NECROPSIED 9 NO El YES El Limited El Complete D DF L E E LF LR RF RR El Carcass Fresh El Carcass Frozen/Thawed

• D=Dorsal; DF= Dorsal Fin: L= Lateral Body NECROPSIED BY:

LF= Left Front; LR= Left Rear, RF= Right Front; RR= Right Rear Date: Year: Month: Day:

NOAA Form 89-864; OMB No.0648-0178; Expires 01/31/2014 PLEASE USE THE BACK SIDE OF THIS FORM FOR ADDITIONAL REMARKS

ADDITIONAL REMARKS ADDITIONAL IDENTIFIER: (if animal is restranded, please indicate any previous field numbers here)

The sea lion carcass was found against the 1-2 bar rack in the Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) intake structure.

It had apparently died nearby, and drifted onto the bar rack in the intake flow. The carcass was removed by divers and towed offshore where it was released. There was no indication of an adverse impact to the animal attributable to power plant operations.

DISCLAIMER THESE DATA SHOULD NOT BE USED OUT OF CONTEXT OR WITHOUT VERIFICATION. THIS SHOULD BE STRICTLY ENFORCED WHEN REPORTING SIGNS OF HUMAN INTERACTION DATA.

DATA ACCESS FOR LEVEL A DATA UPON WRITTEN REQUEST, CERTAIN FIELDS OF THE LEVEL A DATA SHEET WILL BE RELEASED TO THE REQUESTOR PROVIDED THAT THE REQUESTOR CREDIT THE STRANDING NETWORK AND THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE. THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE WILL NOTIFY THE CONTRIBUTING STRANDING NETWORK MEMBERS THAT THESE DATA HAVE BEEN REQUESTED AND THE INTENT OF USE. ALL OTHER DATA WILL BE RELEASED TO THE REQUESTOR PROVIDED THAT THE REQUESTOR OBTAIN PERMISSION FROM THE CONTRIBUTING STRANDING NETWORK AND THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE.

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT INFORMATION PUBLIC REPORTING BURDEN FOR THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION IS ESTIMATED TO AVERAGE 30 MINUTES PER RESPONSE, INCLUDING THE TIME FOR REVIEWING INSTRUCTIONS, SEARCHING EXISTING DATA SOURCES, GATHERING AND MAINTAINING THE DATA NEEDED, AND COMPLETING AND REVIEWING THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION. SEND COMMENTS REGARDING THIS BURDEN ESTIMATE OR ANY OTHER ASPECT OF THE COLLECTION INFORMATION, INCLUDING SUGGESTIONS FOR REDUCING THE BURDEN TO: CHIEF, MARINE MAMMAL AND SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION DIVISION, OFFICE OF PROTECTED RESOURCES, NOAA FISHERIES, 1315 EAST-WEST HIGHWAY, SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND 20910. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THE LAW, NO PERSON IS REQUIRED TO RESPOND, NOR SHALL ANY PERSON BE SUBJECTED TO A PENALTY FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH, A COLLECTION OF INFORMATION SUBJECT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT, UNLESS THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION DISPLAYS A CURRENTLY VALID OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET (OMB) CONTROL NUMBER.

NOAA Form 89-864; OMB No. 0648-0178; Expires 01/31/2014