ML19305D697

Forwards Proposed Revisions to Preoperational Environ Surveillance Program. OL Stage Environ Rept Will Be Amended in Future to Include Changes

ML19305D697
Person / Time
Site:	Waterford
Issue date:	04/11/1980
From:	Aswell D LOUISIANA POWER & LIGHT CO.
To:	Ballard R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Shared Package
ML19305D698	List: ML19305D697 ML19305D701
References
LPL-13622, NUDOCS 8004150420
Download: ML19305D697 (5)

Text

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9 142 DELAAONDE STREET P O W E R & L 1 G H T! p O. eOx 6008

• NEW ORLEANS. LOUISIANA 70174* [504) 366-2345 bIUi SY D L ASWELL April 11, 1980 vo ,u,,.oc.% e co, LPL 13622 3-A42.ll.02 R. L. Ballard, Chief Environmental Projects Branch 1 Division of Site Safety and Envionmental Analysis United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D. C. 20555

SUBJECT:

Waterford SES Unit No. 3 Docket No. 50-382 Revisions To The Aquatic Monitoring Program

Dear Mr. Ballard:

Our experience with the preoperational aquatic monitoring program portion of the Environmental Surveillance Program, described in Supplement No. 6 of the Waterford 3 - Construction Permit Phase Environmental Report (Docket No. 50-382), has shown that the program can be improved to increase the utflity of the data being obtained. The enclosed document, entitled

" Proposed Revisions to the Preopert_;;ional Environmental Surveillance Program", describes our findings concerning the program and contains the proposed program revisions to accomplish this improvement.

We are proceeding with the implementation of this proposed program for the forthcoming monthly sampling program which commences in August 1980. The OL stage Environmental Report will be amended in the future to include the program changes.

We would be pleased to discuss any comments or questions you might have on I any of these revisions.

Yours very truly, Coo %

D. L. Aswell W ES DLA:RWP:bms cc: M. W. Stevenson E. L. Blake, Jr.

P. Cota 8 004150 'D ,

EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY

l The Louisiana Power & Light Company (LP&L) has monitored baseline condi-tions in the Mississippi River since 1973 in accordance v1th the sam-pling schedule and specifications of Supplement No. 6 of the Construc- . ,

tion Phase Environmental Report (CPER) . The sampling schedule contained in the CPER requires one year of intensive monthly sampling for the year imediately preceding tSe unit fuel load date. This intensive sampling program is to commence in mid-1980.

l The specifications, which were used in the previous monitoring f

efforts, have been evaluated for their utility in obtaining the desired base- ,

line informatier. on the river's aquatic ecology. This evaluation has resulted in proposed revisions to these specifications for use in the upcoming monthly sampling program. The revisions incorporate and are consistent with the analytical results presented in the Operating License Stage Environmental Report and the 316(a) and the 316(b) Demonstrations.

Basically the revisions improve the program by focusing the monitoring effort  !

on those aquatic communities which previous monitoring experience has shown ,

to be more abundant, and.more important, and therefore more likely to be affected by the operation of Waterford 3. In this manner, the data obtained from the program will be more meaningful and representative of the river's aquatic eco-  !

logy. Also, based on previous monitoring experience, an evaluation of the i

program sampling gear used was performed to insure that the gear used is suit-  ;

able to the actual physical conditions encountered in the river. Thus, the i proposed program selects those sampling gears which have proven to be most successful in previous sampling efforts. The sampling frequency and sample replications are also modified to adjust sample procurement commensurate with <

l the anticipsted seasonal variations in aquatic communities and with the vari- l abilities is measurements of certain comunities, respectively. ll l

l l

l 1

A detailed discription of : (1) each aquatic community, (2) the rationale for the:;e proposed modifications, and (3) the present monitoring program methods and materials is contained in the attachment entitled " Proposed Revisions to the Preoperational Environmental Surveillance Program". A summary comparison of the methods and materials of the present and the ,

proposed program is presented in Table A. As shown in this table, the pro-posed program continues monitoring each aquatic community sampled in the CPER program, at a level commensurate with the anticipated degree of impact i on that community associated with the operation of Waterford 3.

l I

t l

P i

l

Sheet 1 of 2 TABLE A COMPARATIVE

SUMMARY

OF Tile CPER AQUATIC MONITORING PROGRAM AND Tile PROPOSED PROGRAM l

l CPER Proposed Aquatic Community Sampling Mhthod Program Program _ Comment 7)

1. Algae Phytoplankton Grab Samples X -( Substitute diatometers Benthic Algae Sediment Analysis X -

Not necessary for impact assessment.

1 Primary Pro- Crab Samples X -

Low productivity and large variability

, ductivity in measurements make this a poor impact assessment tool.

Diatometers -

X Used as indicator of seasonal trends La the algal community. Long incubation time samples a larger river volume than previous grab samples did.

2. Zooplankton 243u Net X X Surface tows only due to homogeneous distribution of zooplankton, 1

76u Net (start X Station Yo only.

1978) j

3. Benthos Smith-McIntyre X X Most efficient sampling gear.

Sled Dredge X -

Inefficient due to river's physical cur-ditions, and a duplication of Smith-McIntyre sampling.

CPER Proposed 1)

Aquatic Community Simpling Hethod Program Progran Comment

4. Fish Electrofishing X X Host efficient sampling gear.

Gill netting X - As efficient as electroffshing, but is more costly and does not obtain significantly more information than electrofishing.

Surface trawl X - Eliminated due to the difficulties encountered in using this sampling gear in the physical car-ditions of the Mississippi River. Also, elec-trofishing is an equivalent sampling gear.

Impingement (1976, X No revisions proposed 1978)

5. Ichthyoplankton Pumps a X Pumps substituted for nets as basic sampling gear. Pumps sample more discrete depths. Nets used at one station to provide comparison with previous program.

Nets X X (Optional - as only sampling gear)

6. Water Quality /

Water Character-istic Profiles Grab samples X X Constitutents whose concentrations are consist-ently at or below detection limits have been deleted.

(1) Algae, zooplankton, benthic invertebrates and fish (adults) are sampled at three stations (upstream, near-field and downstream of Waterford 3) ; ichthyoplankton are sampled at five stations; impingement is moni-tored at the Waterford 1 & 2 intakes, water characteristic profiles are sampled at nine stations and water chemistry is sampled at two stations.

(2) X's denote that the particular sampling effort is included in the program.

(3) - s denote that the particular sampling effort is not included in the program, i

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