RA-18-103, Annual Sea Turtle Incidental Take Report - 2018

Annual Sea Turtle Incidental Take Report - 2018

ML19022A262
Person / Time
Site:	Oyster Creek
Issue date:	12/13/2018
From:	Dostal J Exelon Generation Co
To:	Crocker J Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, US Dept of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Service
References
RA-18-103
Download: ML19022A262 (9)

Text

Exelon Generation 50 CFR 402.14(i)(3)

December 13, 2018 Fed_Ex Airbm #8060 4380 9230 RA-18-103 National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Region Protected Resources Division One Blackburn Drive Gloucester, MA 01930 Attention: Julie Crocker, Section 7 Coordinator Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-16 NRC Docket No. 50-219

Subject:

Annual Sea Turtle Incidental Take Report - 2018

Dear Ms. Crocker:

Enclosed is a copy of the 2018 Annual Sea Turtle Incidental Take Report for the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station. The report is submitted in accordance with Terms and Conditions No. 8 of the Incidental Take Statement of the 2011 Endangered 'Species Act Section 7 Consultation Biological Opinion.

If you have any questions concerning this submittal, please contact Jerry Chrisman, at (609) 971-4470.

Sincerely, Enclosure c: NRC Document Control Desk Administrator, Region I NRC Project Manager NRC Decommissioning Inspector

• lon Generation Enclosure to RA-18-103 Annual Report of Sea Turtle Incidental Takes - 2018 Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-16 Docket No. 50-219 Exelon Generation December 2018 2

Introduction This Annual Report of Sea Turtle Incidental Takes provides a summary of the incidental takes of all species of sea turtles at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station (OCNGS) during 2018.

The annual report is required by Terms and Conditions No. 8 of the Incidental Take Statement of the 2011 Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultation Biological Opinion. This report covers all incidental takes and sightings of sea turtles that occurred during 2018.

Incidental Take Reports documenting the circumstances of incidental sea turtle captures were completed following the (4) sea turtle incidental takes at OCNGS during 2018. Details regarding these incidents were provided to the NMFS and USNRC within 30 days of each occurrence. Sea Turtle Incidental Take Reports 2018-1 through 2018-4 are summarized in . Photographs and necropsy information for the four turtles have already been supplied with the individual reports and therefore are not included in this report.

Incidental Take Date mme (condition and species}

2018-1 Monday, June 4, 2018/0835 (live Loggerhead) 2018-2 Tuesday, July 17, 2018/0849 (deceased Kemp's Ridley) 2018-3 Thursday, July 26, 2018/2009 (live Loggerhead) 2018-4 Monday, August 6, 2018/1140 (deceased Kemp's Ridley)

Comparison of Annual Sea Turtle Incidental Takes with Prior Years The (4) incidental takes during 2018 at OCNGS are less than the average of approximately (6) incidental takes per year recorded since 2011, but is comparable with the quantity of sea turtles collected during the past 3-years. The annual abundance of sea turtles in this vicinity appears to be highly variable, unpredictable, and unrelated to the operation of OCNGS.

There are several factors that may influence the number of sea turtle incidental takes that occur at the OCNGS:

o,. Historically, after the Barnegat Inlet was deepened during dredging operations in the early 1990s, there was a resulting increase in the tidal volume of water entering and

• exiting the inlet on a single tidal cycle, as well as a slightly greater tidal range at Oyster Creek. Incidental takes of sea turtles also began to occur at OCNGS after the dredging, and may partially explain the occurrence of the turtles. The Barnegat Inlet is the only tidal inlet near Oyster Creek which provides access to the Atlantic Ocean.

• ' Physical factors, such as an oceanic front or an oceanic eddy occurring closer to Barnegat Inlet, may also play a part in the prevalence of sea turtles near Oyster Creek because oceanic fronts have been shown to be used as a migratory and forage habitat by sea turtles (Polovina et al, 2000).

• Experience has also shown that the passage of a severe storm or pressure system near Barnegat Inlet can cause major increases in winds, waves, tides and tidal prism in shallow estuarine waters*such as Barnegat Bay. These events could increase the likelihood of slowly swimming organisms such as sea turtles occurring in the estuary.

o It is likely that the local variability of sea turtle abundance is also related to biological factors including the abundance of organisms on which sea turtles prefer to feed, including crabs such as blue crabs, horseshoe crabs, and calico crabs, as well as sponges and various types of algae.

• The lower than average number of incidental takes in the past 3-years may have be based on unfavorable physical_ conditions or lack of prey. This recent trend parallels a similar trend of generally decreasing sea turtle strandings reported by the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN) along this portion of the coast.

• Increased regulatory protection of sea turtles under the Endangered Species Act also began in the early 1990's which contribute to the overall abundance of sea turtles in the region.

Many years of environmental sampling conducted near OCNGS have repeatedly demonstrated that the abundance of various marine organisms can vary considerably from year to year. This is particularly true for seasonal migrants, whose abundance in Barnegat Bay is highly dependent upon physical and biological factors along the migratory route. Therefore, the ,.

observed annual variation in sea turtle incidental takes at OCNGS is not considered to be significant.

In the most recent OCNGS Biological Opinion and ITS, issued in November 2011, NMFS determined that no more than (71) Kemp's Ridley sea turtles, (6) Loggerhead sea turtles, and (11) Atlantic Green_ ~ea turtles are likely to be directly affected by interaction with OCNGS during the remainder of the OCNGS operating license (i.e., through 2029). The cumulative numbers of post-2011 incidental takes are listed below and can be used for comparison with the allowable species totals during the remainder of the OCNGS operating license. Please note - l,;_

that OCNGS surpassed the limit of (6) Loggerhead sea turtles in 2018.

Cumulative Total Sea Turtle Takes To-Date Kemp's Ridley Loggerhead Green TOTAL 1992 to20l0 50 II 8 69 2011 6 I I 8 2012 4 0 1 5 2013 7 2 0 9 20l4 7 I 0 8 2015 8' 0 4 12 2016 I 1 I 3 20l7 2 I I 4 20l8 2 2 0 4 TOTAL ( 1992 to 2018) 87 19 16 122

As of September 17, 2018, Oyster Creek has terminated operations of OCNGS.

Therefore, based on the significant reduction to intake canal flow velocities, incidental sea turtle takes are not anticipated in the future. As a result, a request for re-initiation of the biological opinion has been submitted to the NRC. Although support from the MMSC may not be needed, OCNGS has confirmed ongoing support in 2019 from the MMSC for both transfers of live sea turtles for rehabilitation and as the primary facility for necropsies. Additionally, OCNGS has continued to observe exceptional efforts by the dedicated and capable MMSC staff for the care and rehabilitation of sea turtles transferred to the Brigantine facility.

OCNGS's continuous objective is to protect sea turtles that arrive at the plant and to return as many to safety as possible. OCNGS's program for the protection of threatened and endangered sea turtles has been successful based on the cumulative sea turtles incidentally capture d at OCNGS that have been rehabilitated and released as healthy to the Atlantic Ocean.

References Polovina, J.J., D.R. Kobayashi, D.M. Ellis, M.P. Seki, and G.H. Balazs. 2000. Turtles on the edge: Movement of loggerhead turtles ( Caretta caretta) along oceanic fronts in the central North Pacific, 1997-1998. Fish. Oceanogr., 9: 71-82.

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Enclosure to RA-18-103 AlTACHMENT 1 2018 Incidental Take Reports 6

OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT:

Brian Observer's full name Scott Radwin Gre Marshall Briedin er Matthew Ross Brian Re orter's full name Scott Radwin Peeter Must Briedin er Matthew Ross S ecies Identification Lo erhead Site of Impingement CWSorDW S: DWS DWS cws DWS Ba Number: 6 5 4 4 Date animal observed: 4-June-18 17-Jul -18 26-Jul -18 6-Au -18 Time animal observed: 08:15 08:49 19:47 11:26 Date animal collected: 4-June-18 17-Ju -18 26-Jul -18 6-Au -18 Time animal collected: 08:35 08:49 20:09 11:40.

CONDITIONS AT COLLECTION:

Tidal Sta e:

Cloud conditions:

Preci itation: None None/Sunn Intake water tem erature: 10.0*c 21*c 20.2*c 20.0*c Other conditions None None None None Number of CW pumps runnin : 4 4 4 4 Number of DW pumps runnin : 2 2 2 2 Reactor power level at observation: 100% 92% 87.6% 70%

Reactor power revious 48-hours: 100% 92% 87.7% 70%

Date of last screen ins action: 4-June-18 17-Ju -18 26-Jul -18 6-Au -18 Time of last screen ins ection: 08:00 04:15 16:05 09:00 ENVIRONMENTAL DEPARTMENT:

Date Brigantine MMSC contacted: 4-June-18 17-Ju -18 26-Jul -18 6-Au -18 Time Brigantine MMSC contacted: 08:43 09:03 20:10 11:50

Incidental Incidental Incidental Incidental Take 2018-001 Take 2018-002 Take 2018-003 Take 2018-004 Date Animal picked up bvMMSC: 4-June-18 17-Julv-18 26-Julv-18 N/A Time Animal picked up bvMMSC: 10:25 10:30 22:32 N/A State of animal when first observed: Alive Deceased Alive Deceased State of animal when Alive Deceased Alive Deceased collected:

State of animal when oicked uo: Alive Deceased Alive Deceased Alive.

Fractured Deceased turtle Right side of Deceased with with cuts to top carapace in State of animal two puncture Alive with older right and lower three spots. - -

arriving at MMSC: wounds on thoracic injury. left carapace Fractured plastron. and internal plastron on organs exposed right side in three soots.

Deceased, Euthanized by Alive, taken to taken to MMSC staff Final disposition of MMSCrehab MMSCfor due to older animal: facilitv. necrocsv. thoracic iniurv Burial - Offsite Carapace Length ..:

Curved 46.5 cm 42.0cm 67.7cm 12-in Carapace Length -

Straiaht 38.6 cm 37.25cm 64.2cm 11-in Carapace Width -

Curved: 47.0cm 41.0 cm 67.1 cm 12-in Carapace Width -

Straiaht: 42.0cm 34.0cm 54.3cm 11-in Weight - lbs. (ka\ 31.4-lbs 12.3-lbs *'73-lbs 5-lbs Existing Tag Number No tag Notaa Notaa Notaa Photoaraoh .attached Yes Yes Yes Yes Diagram of wounds, abnormalities, tag locations attached Yes Yes Yes Yes Description of Animal Loggerhead Kemps Ridley Loggerhead Kemps Ridley

Incidental Incidental *incidental Incidental

.. Take 2018-001 Take 2018-002 Take 2018-003 Take 2018-004 All information sent to: National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Region; Protected Resources Division; Attention: Yes Yes Yes Yes Endangered Species Coordinator; One . ;

Blackburn Drive; Gloucester, MA 01930

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