ML19221A800
| ML19221A800 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 02/28/1979 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| References | |
| NUREG-0555, NUREG-0555-05.6.2, NUREG-555, NUREG-555-5.6.2, SRP-05.06.02, SRP-5.06.02, NUDOCS 7907090150 | |
| Download: ML19221A800 (6) | |
Text
Section 5.6.2 February 1979 ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARD REVIEW PLAN FOR ES SECTION 5.6.2 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF STATION OPERATION -
TRANSMISSION SYSTEM IMPACTS:
AQUATIC REVIEW INPUTS Environmental Report Sections 2.2 Ecology 3.9 Transmission Facilities Environmental Reviews 2.4.2 Aquatic Ecology 3.7 Power Transmission Systems 5.2.1 Hydrological Alterations Standards and Guides Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 Federal Water Pollution Concrol Act of 1948 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958 Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 Endangerea Species Act of 1973 State water quality standards Other The site v~isit Responses to requests for additional information Consultation with local, State, and Federal agencies REVIEW OUTPUTS Environmental Statement Sections 5.6.2 Environmental Impacts of Station Operation - Transmission System Impacts: Aquatic Other Environmental Reviews 5.10 Measures and Controls to Limit Adverse Impacts Durirg Operation 6.5 Environmental Measurements and Monitoring Programs: Biological 9.3.4 Alternative Transmission Systems 10.1 Unavoidable Adverse Environmental Impacts 79 5.6.2-1
February 1979 I.
PURPOSE AND SCOPE The purpose of this environmental standard review plan (ESRP) is to direct the staff's identification, quantification, and evaluation of the impact: of transmission facility operation to selected aquatic environments. The scope of the review directed by this plan will be limited to consideration of unique envi-
- ronments, e.g., habitats containing known or expected populations of threatened or endangered species or wildlife preserves containing unique aquatic resources, designated as such by Federal and State agencies. When such environments are identified, the review will include consideration of the aquatic impact of opera-tion and maintenance of transmission lines and corridors, substations, and switching yards in sufficient detail to allow the reviewer to assess the magnitude of poten-tial impacts. When adverse impacts of sufficient magnitude are identified, the reviewer will recommend consideration of alternative operating and maintenance practices to mitigate or avoid environmental impact.
This review will be initiated only when the reviewer for ES Section 2.4.2 determines that there are unique aquatic onvironments that could be impacted by transmission system operation or maintenance.
II.
REQUIRED DATA AND INFORL' ION The kinds of data and information required will be affected by site-and station-specific factors, and the degree of detail will be modified according to the anticipated magnitude of the potential impact.
The following data or information will be required only when unique aquatic habitats such as critical habitat for threatened and endangered species have been identified by the reviewer for ES Section 2.4.2.
A.
A description of any unique aquatic habitats in the vicinity of proposed transmission facilities (from the applicant on request).
B.
Physical, chemical, and biological factors known to influence distribu-tion and abundance of aquatic life in the ioentified unique habitats (from the general literature).
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February 1979 C.
Endangered and threatened species that are known or expected to be present, together with any specific habitat requirements or community interrela-tionships (from the ESRP for ES Section 2.4.2).
D.
Maintenance practices that are anticipated to adversely affect aquatic biota (from the ER ar1 the general literature).
III.
ANALYSIS PROCEDURE The following analysis will be required only when unique environments (as defined in the Purpose and Scope section of this ESRP) have been identified by the reviewer for ES Section 2.4.2.
The reviewer will identify operational and maintenance activities associated with transmission facilities and will consider those that could adversely affect those sensitive aquatic resources identified by the reviewer for ES Section 2.4.2.*
The resources to be considered include marshlands, wetlands, impoundments, and water bodies.
Potential impacts to these resources include heating of water bodies, siltation and turbidity resulting from increased runof f and erosion, runoff of defoliants and herbicides, and high-energy electrical fields associ-ated with underwater transmission facilities.
The reviewer will consult with the reviewer for ES Section 5.2.1 for any needed hydrological data.
When potential ic. pacts are anticipated, the reviewer will i nventory the sensitive aquatic biota vulnerable to the identified operation and maintenance practices and will predict the environmental impacts to these aquatic biota.
The reviewer should be familiar with the provisions of standards anc guides pertinent to the operation and maintenance of transmission facilities and corridors and will compare proposed transmission system operation and maintenance with these provisions.
A See Part II. 8 of the ESRP for ES Section 2.4.2.
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February 1979 IV.
EVALUATION Evaluation of each identified impact will result in one of the following determinations:
The impact is minor and mitigation is not required. When all impacts are of this nature, the reviewer will accept transmission system operation as proposed.
The impact is adverse but can be mitigated by specific design or proce-dure modifications that the reviewer has identified and determined to be practical.
For these cases, the reviewer will consult with the project manager and the reviewer for ES Section 9.3.4 for verification that the reviewer's recommended modifications are practical and will lead to an improvement in the benefit-cost balance.
The reviewer will prepare a list of verified modifications and recommended measures and controls to limit tt.e corresponding impact. These lists will be provided the reviewer for ES Section 5.10.2.
O The impact is adverse, cannot be successfully mitigated, and is of such magnitude that it should be avoided. When impacts of this nature are identi-fied, the reviewer will inform the reviewer for ES Section 9.3.4 that an analysis and evaluation of alternative designs or procedures is required. The reviewer will participate in any such analysis and evaluation of alternatives that would avoid the impact and that could be considered practical. If no such alternatives can be identified, the reviewer will be responsible for providing this information to the reviewer for ES Section 10.1.
^
The reviewer will determine compliance with applicable regulations and standards.
B.
The reviewer will determine whether the proposed operation and maintenance procedures are those generally recognized as environmentally responsible. The following are examples of such procedures:
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5.6.2-4
February 1979 1.
Maintenance of ground cover in rights-of-way to avoid runoff and siltation 2.
Avoidance of use of herbicides and defoliants in close proximity to waterways 3.
Burying underwater transmission lines 4.
Avoiding unnecessary renoval of vegetation that shades streams.
V.
INPUT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMEM When no unique aquatic habitats have been identified, the input to the envi-ronmental statement wiil consist of only a statement to that effect. When such habitats have been identified, this section of the environmental statement shcald be planned to accomplish the following objectives:
(1) public disclosure of aquatic impacts resulting from operation of the transmission system, (2) presenta-tion of the basis for the staff analysis, and (3) presentation of staf f conclusions and reccanendations for operation of the trcnsmission system to minimize or avoid impacts to aquatic biota.
The following information will usually be included in ES Section 5.6.2:
A.
A description of the transmission facilities, substations, switching yards, corridors, and rights-of-way to be operated and maintained, as they relate to aquatic impact, by reference to ES Section 3.7.
Management practices should be described.
B.
A description of "important" biota and their life stages found in or near the above described transmission facilities locations, by reference to ES Section 2.4.2.
An assessment of the impact on "important" biota for the proposed transmis-sion system design and maintenance procedures. When adverse impacts of sufficient magnitude have been identified, the input will include the reviewer's recommendations for mitigating actions or alternative practices to limit or avoid the impacts.
5.6.2-5 108 265
February 1979 The reviewer will provide inputs or ensure that inputs will be made to the following ES sections:
A.
Section 5.10.
The reviewer will provide the reviewer for ES Section 5.10 with a list of recommended measures and controls to limit adverse impacts.
B.
Section 6J. The reviewer will provide a list of recommended preopera-tional monitoring programs to obtain baseline data for subsequent operational monitoring programs.
C.
Sectioi 9.3.4.
The reviewer will advise the reviewer for ES Sec-tion 9.3.4 when a1 :ernative transmission '" stem operation is recommended and will assist in det<:rmining appropriate alternatives.
D.
Section 10 1 The reviewer will provide the reviewer for ES Sec-tion 10.1 a list of unavoidable aoverse impacts of transmission system operation.
VI.
REFERENCES 1.
General Environmer.tal Guidelines for Evaluating and Reporting the Effects of Nuclear Plant Site Preparation, Plant and Transmission Facilities Con-struction, Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc., Washington, D.C.,
1974.
2.
Federal Power Commission, Electrical Power Transmission and the Environment, Washington, D.C.,
1970.
3.
J. A. Sherk, Jr., and L. E. Cronin, The ?ffects of Suspended and Deposited Sediments on Estuarine Organisms. fn Annotated Bibliography of Selected References, U.S. Army Corps o' Engineers, Washington, D.C.,
1970.
a.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Water Programs, Processes, Procedures, and Methods to Controi Pollution Resulting from all Construction Ac'tivity, EPA 430/9-73-007, U.S.E.P.A., Washington, D.C.,
1973.
5.
U. S. Dept. of the Interior and the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Environmental Criteria for Electrical Transmission Systems, Supt. of Docu,r.ents, G.P.O.,
Washington, D.C.,
1970.
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b 5.3.2-6