ML18094B407
| ML18094B407 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Salem, Hope Creek  |
| Issue date: | 04/09/1990 |
| From: | Labruna S Public Service Enterprise Group |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM) |
| References | |
| NLR-E90061, NUDOCS 9004200591 | |
| Download: ML18094B407 (5) | |
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Public Service Electric and Gas Company Stanley LaBruna Public Service Electric and Gas Company P.O. Box 236, Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 609-339-1200 Vice President - Nuclear Operations APR o 9 1990 NLR-E90061 United states Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555 Gentlemen:
BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF PLANT IMPACTS ON SEA TURTLES SALEM GENERATING STATION UNITS NOS. 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-272 AND 50-311 HOPE CREEK GENERATING STATION DOCKET NO. 50-354 Pursuant to NRC concerns over the potential impact of the Salem and Hope Creek Generating Station cooling water intakes on endangered and threatened sea turtles, PSE&G prepared a report entitled, "Assessment of the Impacts of the Salem and Hope Creek Generating Stations on.Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys kempi) and Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) Sea Turtles." - Based upon the information presented, the company concludes that there will be no significant impact from plant operations on sea turtles.
As a result of subsequent discussions with the NRC and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), PSE&G is now agreeing to incorporate the additional mitigating measures discussed below.
into the Company's programs and procedures for minimizing potential effects on these sea turtle species.
- 1)
Conduct inspections of the Salem circulating water intake trash bars at a minimum frequency of once every two hours during daylight for the calendar period of June 1 through September 30.
- 2)
Implement whatever turtle resuscitation procedures are recommended by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
- 3)
Develop a program in conjunction with NMFS to determine the attractiveness of the Salem circulating water intake to sea turtles.
- 4)
Meet with the NMFS on an annual basis to assess the status of sea turtles in the Delaware Bay and steps being taken to reduce potential impacts of the Salem intake structure.
- Document Control Desk NLR-E90061 2
APR o 9 1990 As result of the NRC and NMFS review of PSE&G's report, "Assessment of the Impacts of the Salem and Hope Creek Generating Stations on Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys kempi) and Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) Sea Turtles", it has come to our attention that several pages of this report include typographic errors or data inconsistencies.
PSE&G respectfully submits the attached corrected pages.
If you have any questions concerning this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely, Attachments c
Mr. J. c. sto'ne Licensing Project Manager-Salem Mr. c. Y. Shiraki Licensing Project Manager -
Hope Creek Mr. T. Johnson Senior Resident Inspector Mr. T. Martin, Administrator Region I Mr. Kent Tosch, Chief New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Environmental Quality Bureau of Nuclear Engineering CN 415 Trenton, NJ 08625 Dr. M. Masnik -
USNRC Elaine Chan, Esq. -
USNRC Douglas Beach National Marine Fisheries Service
SECTION 6.0 ONSITE INFORMATION 6.1 OCCURRENCE OF SEA TURTLES AT SALEM GENERATING STATION Sea turtles have been observed at Salem Generating Station and during field sampling associated with the station since 1977.
A total of 44 sea turtles have been reported since 1979 (Table 6-1 and Appendix A, Tables A-1 and A-2).
The majority of these turtles (38) have been collected from the Salem Generating Station circulating water intake (38 turtles).
The remaining six turtles were collected during station related environmental sampling (trawling) or were stranded on other areas of Artificial Island.
No strandings have been reported from either the Salem or the Hope Creek service water intakes.
6.1.1 ANNUAL COMPARISON Table 6-2 summarizes the total number of turtles of each type reported to occur on the Salem circulating water intake.
Direct annual comparisons of these data are complicated by the variations in effort between and/or within years.
During any particular year the number of sea turtles collected at the intake ranged from zero prior to 1980 to ten in 1988.
The actual number of loggerheads incidentally captured on the intake ranged between zero and eight animals annually.
Based on the levels of incidental capture observed at the intake, it is estimated that zero to nine loggerheads (mean = 3) and zero to three Kemp's ridleys (mean = 1) could be expected to be taken from the intake during any given year (95 percent confidence limits).
However, a portion of the turtles captured died of causes unrelated to the station and were just part of the river debris drawn into the station.
Also a portion of the turtles captured were alive and released back into the wild.
If we exclude animals which were moderately and severely decomposed from this calculation, zero to eight loggerheads (mean = 2) and zero to three Kemp's ridleys (mean < 1) with no evidence of previous damage would be expected to be taken from the intake during a given year.
6.1.2 SPECIES COMPOSITION Twenty-six loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and twelve Kemp's ridleys (epidochelys kempi) were captured from the circulating water intake from 1980 to 1988 (Table 6-2).
The loggerheads were all juveniles or subadults.
Carapace lengths (straight length) ranged from 29 to 81 centimeters with a mean of 53.9 centimeters (Figure 6-1).
6-1
TABLE 5-2 SEA TURTLE STRANDINGS IN COASTAL NEW JERSEY AND DELAWARE BAY REPORTED BY MARINE MAMMAL STRANDING CENTER (EXCLUDING TURTLES TAKEN FROM SALEM GENERATING STATION)
(Schoelkopf 1989)
ANNUAL DISTRIBUTION*
Year Loggerhead Ridley Leatherback 1980 9 (1) 0 2 (1) 1981 4(4) 0 13 (1) 1982 2(2) 0 13 (0) 1983 8(5) 4(0) 9(0) 1984 8 (1) 0 2 ( 0) 1985 22(4) 1(0) 7 (0) 1986 15 (1) 0(1) 2 ( 0) 1987 37(2) 1(0) 33 ( 1) 1988 13(6) 0 6 ( 1)
Totals 118(26) 6 (1) 87(4)
- Number for Delaware Bay in Parenthesis.
MONTHLY DISTRIBUTION Month Loggerhead Ridley Leatherback Jan 1
0 2
Feb 0
0 1
Mar 0
0 1
Apr 0
0 0
May 0
0 2
Jun 8
0 2
Jul 25 1
8 Aug 36 1
11 Sep 46 2
34 Oct 24 2
24 Nov 4
1 6
Dec 0
0 0
Totals 144 7
91 5-13
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- J z 120 100 80 60 40 20 0
TX GULF OF MEXICO GULF OF MEXICO D
- ALL SPECIES (N = 436)
KEMP'S RIDLEY (N = 103) 2 n
I I 21 20 1 9 1 8 1 7 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 2 11 1 0 9 8
7 6
5 4
3 2
1 STATISTICAL ZONE Figure 5-3.
Sea Turtle Strandings, U.S. Gulf of Mexico 1987 (NMFS 1988)