ML19209B571

Forwards Rept Re Monitoring & Mitigating Effects of Const Dewatering.Determines That Independent Monitoring Program Is Necessary.Also Forwards Natl Park Svc 790928 Ltr & USGS 790904 Ltrs

ML19209B571
Person / Time
Site:	Bailly
Issue date:	10/01/1979
From:	Whitehouse J INTERIOR, DEPT. OF, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
To:	NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML19209B572	List: ML19209B571 ML19209B580
References
NUDOCS 7910100173
Download: ML19209B571 (6)

Text

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., NATIONAL PAP.K SERVICE

.* INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL L\KESHORE ROUTE 2. 8021394 CHESTERToN, INDIANA 46304 1 October 1979 Nuclear Regulatory Commission 17920 Norfolk Avenue Bethesda, Maryland 20014

Dear Sirs:

The enclosed material relates to an emerging National Park Service posi*. ion.

As you know, the National Park Service was not asked for its comments on the March 1978 Sargent and Lundy - NIESCo plan for monitoring and mitigating the effects of dewatering.

Indeed, significant NRC correspondence involving the monitoring plan was not available to the National Park Service until February 27, 1979. Although we do not have reason to chailenge the plan at this time, we do reserve the option of opposing it as future investigations supply specific information on the subj ec t .

In fulfilling its role as a responsible land manager, the National Park Service has determined that an independent monitoring program of the dewatering issue sponsored by the STS is necessary.

That program is the subject of the :aterials which are enclosed.

In the event that construction at the nuclear plant site is resumed, the National Park Service and its hydrological advisor, the U.S.

Geological Survey, will be monitoring for any loss of resource value to park lands.

It is expected that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will fulfill its obligation to act quickly in the event of a dewatering situation to effect acceptable mitigation.

Sincerely, ,

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James R. Whiteh)use Superintendent l'25 260 M 791, 0 R '3t>

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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

,* INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKESIIORE route 2. box 1394 cutsTrnrou, nor4NA 463o4 28 September 1979 MEMORRiDUM TO: Director, Midwest Region FROM: Superintendent , INDU

SUBJECT:

Monitoring of construction dewatering at NIPSCo-Bailly The enclosed self-explanatory materials received from the U.S.

Geological Survey comprise the program for independently monitoring construction dewatering at NIPSCo-Bailly. As indicated, the program was prepared by USGS hydrological advisors at Indiana Dunes, the recognized experts in the field, in response to a request by NPS to develop an adequate moni:oring scheme to insure protection of natural resources within the lai shore boundaries.

The enclosed plan has gone through Senior Staff (regional office) review within the USGS and was endr.rsed. The staff at Indiana Dunes concurs that at this time th" plan appears to be sound and adequate to serve the purposes intsaded. Additional provisions reco= mended by INDU staff include: -

1. Assurance that there was established a system for immediate communication from NIPSCo to the NPS whenever significant changes in pumping rates occur It is suggested that, whenever possible, 30-day written notice he given before such increases in pumping. This vould balp to compensate for the delay that exists between punping increases and the appearance of trends in the data that denote a dewatering effect.

2. During the critical peried following dissipation of the fly-ash pond mound of water, and following possible resumption of construction at the nuclear plant site, more frequent collectier. of data from the observation wells may become necessary. To eliminate the time delay caused by retriering the data tape bi-weekly, it

=ay be necessary to add a temporary employee to the science staff to work full-time on the dewatering obser-vations. Provisions for this action should be made in future budget pro 3 ramming.

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3. During this critical period, the use of " alert" water levels for each well to signal any strong pcssibility of dewatering would allow immediate actic. to be taken in calculation of actual dewate: , effects, which take into account the seasenz- ,_ciation. This immediate action would minimize the time delay be-tween data recording in the field and subsequent esi-culations, in cases where the probability of dewatering is high.

The USGS plan is being provided to you for review by the regional staff. A copy of the plan is also being sent to Ray Herrmann, Chief, Division of Air and Water Resources, WASO for his comments.

Dr. Herr =ami's graduate education and thesis research related to ground-water hydrological modeling, and he is very fa.iliar with the NIPSCo-Bailly issue as a result of consultations and visits to Indiana Dunes.

If there are any revisions in the monitoring plan or recommendations on the handling of this matter, it would be advisable to make them known as soon as possible.

h.R.Whitehouse Enclosures cc: ~

R. Herrmann, UASO R. Ketchum, MWR D. Stewart, USGS D. Gillies, USGS NRC II25 262

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Indionopolis, Ind. s202 (317) 269 710 September 4, 1979 Mr. J. R. Whitehouse Superintendent Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore National Park Service 1100 NorMi Mineral Springs Road Porter, Indiana 46304

Dear Mr. Whitehouse:

In April 1979, representatives of the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service met to discuss the ground-water monitoring program conducted by the USGS and NPS in the vicinity of the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. Bailly Generating Station since January 1976.

The monitoring program has been continued to observe the effects on the ground-water system underlying the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore f rom fly-ash pond seepage and construction dewatering for the nuclear power plant at the NIPSCO Bailly site. Even though the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has candated NIPSCO to determine the magnitude of dewatering of DS property and mitigate that which occurs, NPS and USGS personnel agru that the National Park Service should obtain an independent determination of the magnitude of dewatering. It was also agreed that a procedure should be developed whereby NPS could assess dewatering on a frequent basis as construction at the NIPSCO Bailly site progresses.

Thus, at the close of the April 17 meeting, the Indiana District of the U.S. Geological Survey agreed to do the following: (1) develop a procedure for determining the magnitude of dewatering of NPS property on a continuous basis as construction at the HIPSCO Bailly site proceeds, and determine the accuracy of that procedure; (2) review the existing observation-well network in the vicinity of the NIPSCO Bailly site for adequacy and determine the need for additioaal wella or instrumentation; (3) make arrangements for periodic, independent measurement of NIPSCO wells by USGS personnel. The purpose of this letter is to address these concerns and provide the necessary technical assistance to the National Park Service regarding the dewatering issue.

i 1.25 263

The enclosed document, entitled, "USGS/NPS Plan for Determining Dewatering of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Adjacent to NIPSCO Bailly Generating Station," is the result of our efforts te accomplish the goals regarding the dewatering issue set forth in our April 17 meeting. In this document, the rationale for the plan is described in detail and then applied to water levels measured near the NIP"CO Bailly site in March 1979. Also enclosed with this letter is an application of the plan to water levels measured August 1, 1979. We welcome your constructive criticism and comments, and hope that this plan will fulfill the requirements of the National Park Service. Please do not hesitate to contact .. should you have questi'-..s regarding this matter.

Sincerely yours,

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• Dennis K. Stewart District Chief Enclosa:es w

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Adjusted Reference Water Levels for Selected USGS and NIPSCO Monitoring Wells in Unit 1, August 1, 1979*

Deviation from Adjusted ** Adjusted Reference Reference Reference Measured Water Level (5)

Well No. (1) Water Level (2) Water Level (3) Water Level (4) [(4) Minus (3))

NIPSCO 15 589.0 589.0 590.48 + 1. 5 16 596.3 596.3 604.77 + 8.5 17 593.8 593.8 601.24 + 7.4 54C 594.4 594.4 605.20 +10.8 58 594.6 594.6 607.19 +12.6 59C 595.8 595.8 613.40 +17.6 67 593.7 593.7 602.09 + 8.4 USGS 23 595.8 595.8 608.51 +12.7 25 (control well) -----

601.92 ----

26 594.4 594.4 606.24 +11.8 G-1 596.4 596.4 615.12 +18.7 G-2 597.7 597.7 611.83 +14.1 G-6 602.3 602.3 609.54 + 7.2

• Datum is NGVD of 1929 .

• • Adjustment = 601.92 - 601.90 = 0.02

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