ML19346A335
| ML19346A335 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Big Rock Point, Palisades File:Consumers Energy icon.png |
| Issue date: | 05/31/1981 |
| From: | ECOLOGICAL ANALYSTS, INC. |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19346A333 | List: |
| References | |
| CPC12, NUDOCS 8106190161 | |
| Download: ML19346A335 (10) | |
Text
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Attachment A O
EA Report CPC12 i
1981 CORSICULA ASSESSMENT FOR PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT Prepared for Consumers Power Company 1945 Parnell Road Jackson, Michigan 49201 Prepared by Ecological Anal:/sts, Inc.
Midwest Regional Office 1500 Frontage Road Northbrook Illinois 60062
.%y 1981 8106199 %
4 CON 1'ENTS
Page 1.0~ INTRODUCTION 1
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 3
3.0 FIELD AND ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES 4
4.0 RESULTS 6
5.0 O!$CUS$10N 7
6.0 LITERATURE CITED 8
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
This report was prepared in response to Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Of fice of Inspection and Enforcement Bulletin 81-03: Flow Blockage of Cooling Water and Safety System Components by Corbicula sp. (Asiatic Clam) and Mytilus so.
(mussel). As noted in the Culletin, Corbicula poses a significant biofouling threat by colonization and subsequent blocking of fire protection, cooling systems or other safety related water circulation systems. Although Corbicula have not been reported in the vicinity af Palisades Nuclear 91 ant, surveys specifically for Corbicula have not been conducted. Because of the lack of data and the species' propensity to extend its range, Consumers Power Company sponsor 3d a detailed field study of the Palisades Nuclear Plant site on Lake Michigan in response to Bulletin 81-03. Objectives of the field evaluation were two-fold. The first objecive was to determine the presence or absence of the asiatic clam in the vicinity of Palisades Nuclear Plant.
Secondly, the field survey was designed to provide sufficient infomation on available aquatic habitats to allow an evaluation of the potential for future intrusion into Lake Michigan source waters based upon available. literature and infomation on life history and habitat requirements.
The rtin text of this report is divided into four sections. Section 2.0 prestents a brief review of pertinent literature on the life history of Corbicula and its biofouling potential. Section 3.0 details the field and analytical procedures employed in the study. Results of the field study conducted on 14 May 197 are preserted in Section 4.0.
Section 5.0, Discussion, reviews the results of the study relative to available infomation on i
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i distribution and habitat rcomirments of Corbicula in an evalsation of potential intrusion of this nuisance species into the I.ake Michigan source waters.
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1 2.0 LITERATURE REVIE'd Corbicula was introduced into the west coast of the United States in the 1930's ar.d has since spread across the southern states of this country (Sinclair 1971).
It has been reported as far east as the Potomac River system by Britton (1981) and as far north as the Minnesota and St. Croix Rivers by Cummings and Jones (1978) and Fuller (1978), respectively.
It has recently been reported to occur in Lake Erie (Clarke 1981). This is the first record of Corbicula in the Great Lakes system.
Corbicula has becane a significant biofouling problem. Power plants in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Maryland and Tennessee have been forced to halt or rwouce operations because of Corbicula infestations (Britton 1981). The most recent significant biofeuling infestation at a nuclear power p! ant occurved in 1980 at Arkansas Power and Light Company's, Arkansas Nuclear One.
Large densities of Corbicula in the reactor cooling system restricted the flow of cooling water and forced a shutcown.
In the electric utility industry, lost operating time and expensive repairs because of Corbicula infiltrations have been substantial. The possibility of reduced cooling water. flow for a nuclear plant's safety related water circulation system could be serious, so the concern of the NRC regarding Co-bicula near nuclear power plants is warran ted.
In the Midwest, Corbicula is most frequently collectad in riverine habitats with continuous current; however, this species has also been found in lake environments. Corbicula is primarily found in stable silty sand substrates, but is also present in sediments with large portions of clay and gravel.
Rubble substrates, unstr.ble sand or floculent sediments are usually not inhabited by Corbicula.
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3.0 FIELD AND ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES On 14 May 1981 a detailed :trvey of the aquatic habitats was conducted near Palisades Nuclear Plant. Biologists employed a variety of techniques to determine the presence or absence of Corbicula in the nearshore area.
Sampling was most intense in the discharge tone because of the proclivity of Corbicula to inhabit thermal discharges in northern latitudes (Cummings and Jones 1978, and Lewis 1981). Qrantitative Ponar (232 sq cm) grab samples were collected along four transects positioned parallel to the shoreline.
The most nearshore transect was situated in the discharge crib and the three offshore transects were spaced at approximately 25 yd intervals lakeward (Figure 1). Seven to ten Ponar grab samples were collected along each transect, screened on a U.S. Standard No. 30 mesh sieve and examined in the field for presence of Corbicula. A composite sample of sediment materials from approximately 10 of the grabs was retained for examination in tne laboratory under a dissection microscope (10 to 70X magnifications). In addition to the quantitative collections, qualitative hand-picking and mussel raking (Lewis 1981) was conducted along the shoreline from the dis-charge to a distance of approximately 1/4 mi. north of the Plant. Detailed field notes recording habitat types and biota observed were maintained.
Depths sampled by both qmintitative and qualitative techniques ranged from less than 1 ft to 12 ft and habitats included gravel-rubble sediments in the discharge, stable sand offshore habitats, and the shifting sand sediments in the surf mone.
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4.0 RESULTS Quantita tive Poner grab samples collected in the Palisades Nuclear Plant discharge and area immediately offshore from the discharge contained only sparse numbers of benthic invertebrates. No _Corbicula were observed in over thirty grab samples from this area. Substrates in the discharge crib were gravel and rubble sustaining susstantial current. The area imnediately offshore from the discharge was scoured sano probably subject to frequent shifting due to wind-driven wave action. The only zoobenthos cbserved was a single midge-fly larvae (Chironomidae). The gravel-rubble substrates in the discharge and the scoured, shifting sand substrates offshore of the discharge offered an extremely harsh habitat for benthic forms. Sphaeriid clams, which are abundant in Lake Michigan and possess habitat requirements and preferences similar to Corbicula, were not observed in the area.
Qualitative hand-picking and raking with a mussel rake along the shore north of the Plant yielded few macroinvertebrates. The only fauna observed were small numbers of worms, midges and amphipods. No Corbicula or molluscs of any type were observed. The sparse nearshore fauna was typical of the harsh shifting sand substrates found throughout large portions of the Great Lakes.
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5,0 DISCUSSION Intensive sampling of Lake Michigan on 14 May 1981 yielded no evidence that Corbicula presently occurs or has occurred near the Palisades Nuclear Plant. Furthermor e, results of the t indicated that this portion of the lake provides unsuitable habitats for future colonization by this introduced species. The coarse gravel-rubble substrate of the dischacge crib would not supply a likely habitat for the occurrence of Corbicula. Likewise, the shifting sand sediments in the nearshore zone were not suitable for colonization by Corb_icula.
In addition, a factor limiting the potential intrusion of Corbicula is low ambient water temperatures that occur in this region of Lake Michigan. The maximum everage monthly temperature durir.g 1980 was only 65.5 degrees Fritrenheit and mean winter temperatures were at or near freezing (Consumers Power Co.1981).
In a study of the New River, Virginia, Corbicula populations were greatly reduced or eliminated during severe winter conditions when the water temperature was O degrees centigrade for about a two-week period (Graney et al.1980). The relatively low tempera-ture rise in the mixing zone following condenser passage is also Delow optimal 1ouer limits for Corbicula.
In summary, Corbicula is not now apparent near the Palisades NJclear Plant and because of tne lack of suitable habitats and low ambient temperatures that prevail near the Plant, the species will probably not occur in this portion of Lake Michigan in the near future.
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6.0 LITERATURE CITED Bri tton, J.C. (Ed.) 1961. Corbicula newsletter. Vol. 6(1), pp. 1-15.
Cl a rke, A. H. 1981. Corbicula fluminea, in Lake Erie. Nautilus 95(2):
83-84.
Consumers Power Company, 1981. Palisades Nuclear Plant. 1980. Monthly operating reports submitted to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Cummings, S. E. and J. A. Jones. 1978. Occurrence of Corbicula manilensis Phillipi in t's lower Minnesota River.
J. hinn. Acad. of Sci. 44t3):
13-14 Fuller S.L.H.
1978. Fr'eshwater mussels (Moliusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae) of the Upper Mississippi River. Cbservations at selected sites within the 9-ft channel navigation project on behalf of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Prepared for USAC0E by Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Penn. 401 pp.
Graney, R. L., D. S. Cherry, J. H. Rodgers, Jr., and J. Cairns, Jr. 1980.
The influence of thermal discharges and ' substrate cc.nposition on the population structure and distribution of the Asiatic clam, Corbicula fluminea, in the New River. Virginia. Nautilus 94(4): 130-135.
Lewi s, R.3.
1981. Survey of freshwater mussels (Pelecypoda: Unionacea) at selected sites in Pools 11 through 24 of the Mississippi River. Prepared
- er USAC0E Rock Island Of strict by Ecological Analysts, Inc., Northbrook, Illi nois. 188 pp.
Sinclair, R.M.
1971. Annotated bibliography on the exotic bivalve Corbicula in North America, 1900-1971. Sterkiana 43:11-18.
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