ML20010B726
| ML20010B726 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Byron  |
| Issue date: | 08/11/1981 |
| From: | Jacobsen B COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO. |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20010B725 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8108170471 | |
| Download: ML20010B726 (9) | |
Text
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RESULTS OF FOLIAR SURVEY BYRON GENERATING STATION-1980 i
Prepared By Barry J. Jacobsen, Ph.D.
Plant Pathologist for Commonwealth Edison Company l
P.O.'767 l-Chicago, Illinois 60690
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Introduction l
The operation of the evaporative cooling towers to be used at the Byron generating station may introduce a caline aerosol into the environment surrounding the station.
The affects of saline aerosols are not well known.
Although a paper by M.;Cune, et al.y would suggest that adverse effects to. plant communities could be anticipated under high relative hamidity if salt concentrations and particle size and density were high enough.
Damage associated would be similar to salt injury, with foliar necrosis, stunting, and premature loss of affected foliage being the most common symptoms.
To assess the effects of aerosol effluent from the Byron station evaporative cooling towers, Commonwealth Edisen Co.
(CECO) instituted an annual foliar survey in 1977.
This report is the fourth survey.
The previous three surveys were done by Espey, Huston & Assoc., Inc., Austin, Texas.
This and previous surveys should provide adequate baseline data to access effects of aerosol effluents after the cooling towers become operational in 1983 or 1984.
Methods and Materials The 1980 foliar survey involved analysis of aerial infrared photographs (Cibachrome print) taken by Aero-Metric Engineering 1McCune, D. D. Silbercc", R. Mondl, L. Weinstein. P. Freudenthal, and P.
Giardina. 1977.
Studies cn1 the effects of saline aerosols of cooling tower ori in on plants.
J. Air Pol. Cont. Assoc.
e 27:319-324.
l
Inc., Sheboygen, Wisconsin, on July 17, 1980, and ground truth work done on August 11, 21, 22, and 23 of 1980.
The color-infrared prints covered approxicately 15 square miles centered approximately on the Byron station.
The photographs were generally of high quality and were without cloud shadows and were taken near 12:00 noon (CST) when sun angle is optimal for infrared photography.
The infrared photographs provided an accurate means of identifying dead, dying, or stressed foliage on the basis of color signature differences.
Different crop and plant types were also identified from color signature differences.
Intensive analysis of infrared photographs and ground truth surveys were made for an area bounded by the Dayville Road on the west, Pleasant Grove Road on the south, Whitaker Road on the north and Merrill Road on the east.
Also ground surveys were conducted on abnormalities which appeared on photographs taken beyond two miles east of the plant site.
Photographs used are numbered 6-12 through 6-1, 5-12 through 5-1, 4-12 through 4-1, 3-12 through 3-1, 2-12 through 2-1.
These photographs detail sections 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23 and 24 of Rockvale Town-ship and 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 of Marion Township.
These were chosen because it is most likely that saline aerosol injury would occur in these predominantly downwind sites when the plant becomes operational.
Although not well covered by the low s'(-
level aerial photographs, section 1 of Rockvale Township and section 6 of Marion Township were surveyed by ground.
Results No damage resembling salt injury was noted in the survey.
Abnormal crop or plant. signatures noted in aerial photograph were due to weeds, plant diseases, poor fertility or soil type difference, hail and construction or soil compaction injury, or water damage.
Tree death or decline noted in forested sections of photo-graphs 2-1 and 2-2 were judged to be due to oak wilt, deeny, and lightening damage.
The dead maple tree in the yard at the intersection of German Church and Whitaker Roads was judged to be due to "non-station related" damage. (Photo 2-5).
Ground surveys in this immediate area identified hail and contact herbicide injury to corn and other plant life in the area.
This hail damage and foliage spraying apparently took place after the photos were taken.
Oak wilt, Dutch Elm Disease, and decline due to decay were seen in wood lots north of Whitaker Road (Photos 2-6, 7, 8).
Abonormalities seen in corn fields in these same photos were judged to be primarily planter problens.
IIcil injury, Stewarts disease and Holcus leafspot were also noted in these same fields.
Abnormalities seen in corn fields, photos 2-9,10,11, and 12, were due primarily to soil type differences and early season insect inj ury.
Severe foliar burn resulting,.
from roadside spraying, was seen in ground surveys along Razorville Road.
This damage was not seen in the photographs so damage likely occurred after July 17, 1980.
Some decline is expected in this area in the future.
Line patterns in fields immediately west of the railroad tracks shown in photo 3-3, 4 were due to field drainage tiles.
Wood lots in photo series 3-1 through 3-12 had problems similar to those in photo series 2.
Corn in photo 3-6 (east side) while normal in the photograph showed significant hail injury in the ground survey.
Corn in this area had the same diseases evident in photo series 2.
Saybean fields had considerable amounts of green foxtail and all had some foliar damage due to Septori brown spot, Brown stem rot, Downy mildew and bacterial blight.
Trees in the motocross area showed signs of root inj ury and soil compaction associated with motocross trails.
Continual decline rnould be expected on this site.
Tree problens seen in photo series 4-1 through 4-12 were similar to those above.
The forested area just east of the station is a good example.
Sumacs showed diebach due to Botryosphaeria canker disease, Dutch Elm Disease was evident as dead elms, several tree species showed decline due to decay problems.
Leafspot diseases were evident en elm, hickory, and walnut.
Timber stands in photo series 5-1 through 5-12 showed 1,
problems similar to those found in other photo transects.
The dead trees shown in the upper right quadrant of photo 5-3 is an excellent example of the typically poorly managed timber stands in the area.
Many trees were declining due to heart rot and over maturity.
Dieback of trees along the power line in this photo series was due to Dutch Elm Disease, possibly oak wilt (photo'5-6) and over maturity with associated decay problems. -The alfalfa-filed in photo 5-6 showed evidence of stand thinning from Phythophthora root rot.
The timber stand in photo 5-7 was extensively surveyed.
Dutch Elm Disease killed trees were evident in several areas of the stand.
Other trees showed signs of decline due to decay (cottonwood, hickory, and oak).
Sumacs along the edge of the timber stand showed signs of disback from Botryosphaeria canker.
Leaf spot diseases were seen on several tree species including hawthorn (scab and cedar apple rust), elm (Gnomonia leaf spot) walnut (several leaf spots), ash (anthracnose), and hickory (leaf blotch and powdery mildew).
Corn in photo 5-7 and 5-8 showed several diseases including smut, common rust, and He. inthosporium carbonum leaf spot.
None of the diseases were of economic importance.
Some wind lodging and corn root worm damage was evident in the corn.
filed immediately east of the plant.
Soybean fields in these
photos also had several disease problems including downy mildew, bacterial blight, and brown stem rot.
The latter disease was barely. evident, however if soybeans are cropped in.the same fields next year, considerable plant death and yield loss will be evident next year.
Neither the downy mildew or bacterial blight are expected to cause any measurable yield loss.
Other plants which showed abnormalities in these three ground surveys included wild grape (black rot and downy mildew diseases) wild bramble (Septoria leaf spot), wild cherry (powdery mildew, defoliation from tent catepillar, and chlorosis perhaps induced by herbicide uptake from the corn field or a virus infection), multiflora rose (Mycosphaerella leaf spot) and '
clover (powdery mildew and anthraconose), wild plum (insect defoliation) and hackberry (nipple gall mite damage to leaves).
Road duct damage to vegetation was evident along the right-of-way of the gravel road which exits the southwest corner of the plant.
Damage is caused by the limestone dust and will not persist.
Abnormalities in photo series 6-1 through 6-12 were similar to those previously reported.
Decline of pines in photo 6-7 near the intersection of the Deerpath Road and German Church Road was found to be due to Diplodia tip blight.
I. this same catalpa was declining.
No obvious cause was discernable area 4 although Vertici111um wilt is suspected.
The arn on Holcomb at the second residence east of German Church Road also showed _j
decline possiblf from decay and/or root damage.
The alfalfa in photo 6-6 showed stand thinning from Phythophthora root rot and crown rot.
Cor.clusions In conclusion, no evidence of salt damage was seen in the survey.
Continued decline of trees in the motocross area is expected based on use pattern and tree species present.
In general, timber stands were poorly managed with many.over mature trees and much decline due to decay.
Continued problems are expected with alfalfa until growers utilize Phythophthora resistant varieties.
Salt type damage noted near the cement plant in previous reports was not evident in 1980.
Remaining yellow bud hickory trees showed renewed vigor and growth.
Trees affected by construction of the pipeline from the river are generally recovering.
Some dieback may be evident particular2y in oaks in future years. -
1 ILLINOIS Environmental Protection Agency 2200 Churchill Road, Springfield, Illinois 62706 217/782-1696 t
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316(b) Demdnstration, Comonwealth Edison Company NPDES Permit No. - Byron Station June 13, 1979 Mr. John Hughes Director of Water Quality Commonwealth Edison Company Box 767 Chicago, Illinois 6v90
Dear Mr. Hughes:
This letter is in response to your letter of March 12, 1979 in regard to the impingement study to be conducted at' the Byron Station.
We find your general proposal acceptable. As proposed monitoring should cover a contiguous twelve month period beginning in October of 1981 (based on the service date of Unit #1). A sampling frequency of twice a week is acceptable. The final report is to be submitted 120 days af ter the 12-month study (February, 1983).
We request the submittal of the detailed study plan by October 1,1980.
Very t"uly yours, V10Lwclt William H. Busch, Manager Field Operations Section Division of Water Pollutien Control WHB:KRR:b1d/8882a/22 cc: Richard Monzingo, Comonwealth Edison l
Al Manzardo, USEPA l
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