ML17037C356

Letter Regarding an Application for a Construction Permit and Facility License Authorizing Construction and Operation of a Reactor and Transmitting a Copy of the Fish and Wildlife Service Report on Radiological and Non-Radio ..

ML17037C356
Person / Time
Site:	Nine Mile Point
Issue date:	12/21/1967
From:	Morris P US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
To:	Pratt M Niagara Mohawk Power Corp
References
Download: ML17037C356 (12)

Text

Docket Ho. 50-220 DEt: 31 t967 Niagara Mohawk. Power Corporation 300 Erie Boulevard Hest Syracuse, New York 13202 Attention: Hr. Minot H. Pratt Vice President & Executive Engineer Gentlemen:

This refers to your application for a construction permit and facility license which would authorise construction and operation of a nuclear power reactor at the Nine Mila Point site located in Oswego County, New York.

>Te are transmitting a copy of the United States Department of the Interior Fish and Uildlife Service Report. This report contains com-ments and recommendations on both radiological and non-radiological effects of the proposed reactor facility for your information. In particular, we would like to call your attention to the recommendations nade by the Fish and Wildlife Service. He request that you xeview the xeportmnd submit your 'comEIents on the radiological matters discussed by the Fish and Qildlife Service.

Copies of this report are also being sent to appropriate state and local". officials. The radiological safety aspects of this report will be considered 9n the analysis of the safety of the pro)ect by the regulatory staff and by the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards.

Our conclusions will be included inthe public safety evaluation.

Those matters that deal with radiological consequences of plant operation noted in the Fish and Uildlife Sexvice Report are within the Jurisdiction of the Commission. HoweVer, as recommended in the Service's report, copies of your reports on the results of the radiological surveys should be submitted to the Secretary of the Interior OFFICE W SUIINAME >

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Form ABC-318 (Bev. M3) VS. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OfFICE I 1~2 I4<29

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Niagara mohawk OEC S 1 mar Power Corporation I

the Commission has no jurisdiction with respect to the As you know, non-radiological matters referred to in the Service's report.

However, we wish to call these matters to your attention in order that you may have the benefit of the Service's recommendations 'con-cerrdng potential non-radiological effects upon the environment,'

Sincerely yours~

Onyoal gian<<bY Feter A. Marrs Peter A. Norris, Director Division of Reactor Licensing

Enclosure:

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Report dated 12/6/6?

cc! Oliver Townsend, director Distribution Office of Atomic 6 Space AEC Do'c. Rm.

Development Formal Executive Department euppl. 6 <<<<E State of New York REG Reading P, 0. Box 7036 DRL Reading Albany, New York 12225 RPB-2 Reading Orig: VStello Arvin E. Upton, 1?squire R. S. Boyd LeBoeuf, Lamb & Leiby S. Levine 1821 Jefferson Place, N.R. J. F. Newell Hashington, D, C. 20006 ,

R. L. Ferguson H. Steele (2)

Uilliam H. White, Chief CO (2)

Division of River Basin Studies OGC Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Pildlife U. S. Department of the Interior washington, D. C. 20240 OFFICE P P7 97 ~ RD ......D ~ DD .....DRL ..DRL SURNAME W des.co.. ....SLe. .d .EZar s...

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12/11/67 12/ /67 12/ /67 12/2z /67 12/ 2.//67 Form ABC-318 <Rev. 943) VS. GOVOIN MOITPRINTING OPFICE: 1~2 I 4%20

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~illj~>>~ UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

0 FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE WASHINGTON, D. C>> 20240

~ih. Harold L. Price Director of Regulations QEC 6 -1967 U. S. Atomic Ener~~ Cormnission Vashington, D. C. 20545

Dear ifr. Price:

This is in response to ~ir. Boyd's letter of July 11 requesting our connnents on the application by the Niagara Ilohawlc Power Corporation for a provisional operating license for its Nine i~lile Point Nuclear Power Station, Lalce Ontario, Oswego County, Nevfork; Docket No. 50-220.

Ke limine liile Point Nuclear Station is located on the southeast shore of La!ce Ontario, seven miles northeast of 'the City of Oswego, and 36 miles north-northwest of Syracuse. The plant will employ a direct-cycle boiling water system reactor designed for a power output, of 1,538 thermal megawatts, and a net electrical output of 500 megawatts.

A radioactive waste disposal system, and other on-site facilities re-quired for a complete and operable nuclear power plant, are provided.

Condenser cooling water vill be pumped, at the rate of 600 c.f.s. at full capacity, from the bottom of Lalce Ontario about two-tenths of a .

mile offshore through an enclosed intake structure and a screennouse with trash racks and traveling vater screens, and discnarged to the bottom of tne lake about one-tenth of a mile offshore. Inlet ports are eouipped with galvanised steel grillwork having'2-inch by 3-inch spacing. Tne ports are equipped to accommodate electrical if

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screening for fish protection found necessary after the plant begins ooeration. The net neat rise through the condenser, at the

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-assumed 100 percent load factor and circulating water flow, will be about 25 P.

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Chemical treatment srill be used to control the development of algae in the circulating vater system, if necessa'ry. Tne need for chemical treatment is considered unlikely, however, because fine silt in the circulating water vill proba'oly scour the channels sufficiently to effect adequate control.

Lake Ontario supports both commercial and sports fisheries of con-siderable magnitude. Tne dominant fish species, in order of greatest quantity in the commercial landings, include whitefish, carp, bullheads, yellow perch, smelt, American eel, sunfishes, and valley'e.

The principal sport fishes include smallmouth bass, yellow perch, walleye, bullheads and northern pike. iishing pressure is moderate in the general project area, and moderate to heavy in Henderson aced Saclcetts Harbors and in iifexico Bay.

he aoplicant has developed an environmental survei11ance program in which radiological monitoring of the biota depends upon the amount of radioactivity being released. For example, if the resulting one-year average concentration in the lake is less than'/10 of the 1~urn Permissible Concentrations established by the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 20), no samples would be taken for analysis. Vixen the average concentration of radioactivity exceeds 1/10 of the haximum Concentrations, xadionuolide surveillance would be main- 'ermissible tained and biological samples would be collected periodically for radiochemica1 analysis. When biological sampling is indicated, would include fish, clams, snails, fresh water shrimp (Gammarus),

or-'anisms insect cases, and sponges.

Although the proposed radiological monitoring program itself appears to be satisfactory, the concept of having sampling frequency dependent only upon the amount of radioactivity released is not sound. Since the concentrations of radioactive effluent may be averaged over a 52-week period in order to conform to the Code of Federal Regulations, conceivable that concentrations will substantially exceed Maximum it is Permissible Concentrations during some portions of this time period.

Zf the rate of dilution were the only consideration, these limits would be adequate criteria for determining the,ma~urn safe rate of discharge.

However, radioactive isotopes are concentrated by organisms which re-quire many of the stable fozms of these elements for their normal metabolic activities, and some organisms concentrate radioisotopes not noxmally required but which are chemically similar to elements essentia1 fox me abolism.

The radioactive content of the biota should be considered in estab-lishing the rates of discharge of effluents, rather than using only the

'-Iaximum Permissible Concentrations as criteria for discharge rates.

Tne radiological program should be modified and copies of the results of these surveys should be provided to the Secretary of the Interior soon as the data are compiled.

'de recommend that the.Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation be required to:

1. Conduct radiological surveys of the environment in the vicinity of the plant every three months during the first of reactor operation and every'six months thereafter 'ear or until it has been conclusively demonstrated that no significant adverse conditions exist.

2. Collect and analyze samples for con4ained radioactivity as follows Water and sediment samples should be collected within 500 feet of the reactor effluent outfall.

B. Aquatic plants and the animals (fish, clams, snails, G~nmarus, insect cases, and sponges) mentioned in the Safety Analysis Report should be collected as near as possible to the re-actor effluent outfall.

C. Samples of biological material should be analyzed for both beta and gamma radio-activity. Mater and sediment samples need be measured only for gamma radioactivity;

3. 'Lake modifications in project structures and operations to reduce tne discharge of radioactive waste to acceptable levels if it is detexmined from the surveys that the re-lease of radioactive material from the project results in harmful concentrations of radioactivity in fish and wild-life Ne understand nuclear it is the Comr~ission's opinion that its regulatory authority plants involves only those. hazards associated with over power radioactive materials. However, we recommend and urge that, before the permit is issued, thermal pollution and other detrimental effects to fish and wildlife which may result from plant construction and operation be called to the attention of the applicant. l1easures designed to minimize detrimental effects of thermal pollution, pumping and other pro-

ject operations on fish and wildlife resources should be developed by the applicant in cooperation with the New York Conservation Department,,

Division of Fish and Game and the U. S. Fish and Mildlife Service.

'1e are particularly concerned with the possibility of damages to aquatic life from heated effluent'. Large volumes of heated water discharged into the lake may not only be detrimental to fishery resources directly

'out may also affect these resources indirectly through changes affecting  !

the environment.

Ecological surveys, to measure biological and ecological changes ip the lake, should be carried out prior to and during plant operation so~that comparative data will be available for analysis. These surveys should be planned in cooperation with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife.Service, the Federal Mater Pollution Control Administration, and the New York Con-servation Department, Division of Fish and Game. Xf these surveys esta'o"ish that the heated water discharged into Lake Ontario results in changes in tne environment tnat are significantly detrimental to fish and wildlife, as determined by the above named agencies, corrective measures should be taken to reduce the temperature of the effluent to acceptable levels.

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Another potential hazard to fishery resources in the lake is the cooling-water intake. Unless the intake is adequately screened, fish and other aquatic organisms may be drawn in and destroyed'. Suitable fish protective facilities. should be installed to prevent'oss of fish through the intake structure.

~m view of the Administration's policy to maintain, protect, and im-prove the quality'f our environment and most particularly the water and air media, we request that the Commission urge the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation to:

l. Cooperate with the Fish and >lildlife Service, the Federal iiater Pollution Control Administration, the New York Conservation Department, Division of Fish and Game, and other interested State agencies in developing plans for ecological surveys, initiate these surveys prior to reactor operation, and continue them on a regular basis or until it has been demonstrated conclusively that no significant adverse conditions exist.

2. 34eet with the above mentioned Federal and State agencies to discuss new plans and to evaluate results of existing surveys.

3. Construct, operate and maintain such fish protective facilities over the intake structure as are needed to prevent significant damage to fishery resources.

4. Nake such modifications in project structures and oper-ations as may be determined necessary as a result of the surveys.

Tne opportunity for presenting our views on this project is appreciated.

Sincerely yours, Commis s ner 4"

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