ML20079N271
| ML20079N271 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Prairie Island  |
| Issue date: | 08/31/1978 |
| From: | Eberley L, Grotbeck L HENNINGSAN, DURHAN & RICHARDSON |
| To: | |
| References | |
| RTR-NUREG-1437 AR, NUDOCS 9111110139 | |
| Download: ML20079N271 (11) | |
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PRA1RIL IS!AND NUCLEAR GEN PLT
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ATTACitMENT 6 SECTION 310(a) DEMONSTR ATION FOR THE PRAIRIE ISLAND NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVE R NE AR RED WING, MINNESOTA NPDES PERMIT NO. MN0004006 L. M. OROTBECK AND L.W. EBERLEY PROJECT SUPE RVi$0RS ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORY ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT I
1 NORTHERN STATES POWER COMPANY MINN E APOLIS, MINNESOT A AUGUST 1978
'i j8 PREPARED BY
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HENNINGSON, DURHAM AND RICHARDSON,INC.
i, ECOSCIENCES DIVISION
- Y 804 AN ACAPA ETREET SANTA BARBARA CALIFORNIA 93101 L
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9111110139 700831 PDR NUREO 1437 C PDR
4 APPENDICES CONTE!!TS
'I i
APPD! DICES APPENDIX A.
DATA CATALOG A-1 e
APPE!1 DIX !. CETAILS Or NON-PISHERIES STATISTICAL A!1ALYSES B-1 APPENDIX C.
CROSS-PITERE!1CE TO STATE AND TEDEPAL PIGULATIO115 C-1 APPE!! DIX D.
CROSS-PITIFI!3CE TO REGULATORY AGENCY PIQUESTS D-1 APPEllDIX J.
GLOSSARY E-1 APPDiDIX F.
CO!NEPEON TABLES F-1 APPDIDIX G.
AGENCY CO!MJ!i1 CATION G-1 APPENDIX H.
UNPUBLISHED OR OBSCUPI RETERENCE MATERI AL H-1 APPENDIX I.
THERMAL DISCHARGE ANALYSIS I-l APPE!! DIX J.
PIGULI. TORY AGENCIES QUESTIONS AND IdlSWERS J-l APPDiDIX K.
SPECIES LISTS K-1 APPDiDIX L~
STATISTICAL A!;AEYSIS:
DISCHARGE ELECTRO TISHING STUDY L-1 APPENDIX M.
JOINT TREQUENCY TABLES:
RIVER TLOW-DLOWDOWN RI.TE M-1 n
APPENDIX N.
THERMAL SURVEYS AT PINGP N-1 1
SECTION 316(a) DEMONST 1ATION FOR THE PRAIRIE ISLAND NUCLEAR GEi4ERATING PLANT ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER NEAR RED WING, MINNESOTA NPDES PERMIT NO. MN0004006 e
t L. M. GROTDECK AND L. W. EBERLEY PROJECT SUPERVISORS ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORY ACTIVIflES DEPARTMENT 9
NORTHE RN ST ATES POWE R COMPANY MINN E APOLIS, MIN NE SOTA I
AUGUST 1978 PREPARED BY HENNINGSON, DURHAM AND RICHARDSON,INC.
ECOSCIENCES DIVISION t
804 ANACAPA STREET
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SANT A B ARBAR A, CAllFORNI A 93101 if D g nc 1
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TABLE OF CONTENTS I.
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
l A.
INTRODUCTIO!1 I-l
'4 B.
EINIRO!aENTAL CHARACTERISTICS I-l
, 3 C.
PLA!1T DESCRIPTION AND OPEFATI!1G PROCEDUFI I5 D.
THERMAL PLUME I-6 E.
BIOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF TIERMAL DISCHARGE I-6
/
T.
CO!1CLUSIO!15 I-11 q,
J II.
I!1TRODUCTIO!1 A.
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS AND RATIONALE II-l 4
8 B.
SCOPE AND ORGANICATION II-2 C.
ACY,110WLEDGEMENTS II-3 III. EINIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS A.
EfDROLOGY III-l 1.
River Basin Characteristics III-l 2.
Characteristics of the PINGP Vicinity III-6 3.
River Morphometry near PI!1GP III-12 4.
Discharge Rates III-17 B.
WATER QUALITY OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER III-19 1.
Temperature III-19 2.
Water Quality in the Vicinity of PINGP III-27 l
l e a.
General Background Information III-27 b.
Effects cf PINGP Effluent III-27 c.
Potential for Toxicity to Aquatic Biota III-35 C.
GENERAL AQUATIC BIOLOGY OF THE MISSISSIPP RIVER NEAR PINGP III-36 1.
Introduction III-36 2.
Fisheries III-37 a.
Distribution and Abundances III-37 b.
Life Histories III-51 i
i
J CONTINTS (concinued) 3.
Attraction to and Avoidance of the Thermal 1
Discharge VI-10 4.
Eifects on Spawning and Reproductive Success VI-3 3 L'
5.
Cold Shock Potential VI-37 6.
Effects on Pish (RIS) Populations VI-33 7.
Effects on Parasites and Diseases VI-41 B.
MACROINVERTEB RATES VI-42 1.
Discussion and Critique of Sampling Methods Vi-4 2 2.
Effects of Past Operation VI-44 j
a.
Results of Data Reanalysis VI-4 4 1)
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's Multiple Range Te At VI*44 2)
Student's one-Tailed t-Test VI-44 l*
3)
Multiple Regressions VI 47 i..
b.
Discussion VI-47 3.
Predicted Impacts VI-51 C.
ZOOPLANKTON 1.
Discussion and Critique of Sampling Methods VI-59 2.
Effects of Past Operation VI-60 a.
Results oi Data Reanalynis VI-6 0 l
1)
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's Multiple Range Test VI-60
^
2)
Student's One-Tailed t-Test VI-6 0 3)
Multiple Regressions VI-61 b.
Discussion VI-6 2 3.
Predicted Impsets VI-6 3 D.
PHYTOP LANKTON VI-6 4
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1.
Discussion and Critique of Sampling Methods VI-64 2.
Effects of Past Operation VI-6 4 a.
Results of Data Reanalysis VI-6 4 1)
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's Multiple Range Test VI-6 4 l
2)
Multiple Regressions VI-6 5 b.
Discussion VI 65 3.
Predicted Impacts VI-G 6 E.
PERIPHYTON VI-6 7 1.
Discussion and Critique of Sampling Methods VI-6 7 2.
Impacts of Past Operation VI-68 iii
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'N!TIVE SUtiMARY 4
I C
A.
ItiTRODUCT104 p
Thermui discharges, including power plants such as PINGP, are regu-lgj lated by state and federal laws.
All dischargers to surface waters are required by the FWPCA Amendments of 1972 ("the Act,"P.L.92-500) to obtain a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit l
from an authorized agency.
In Minnesota, the Minnesota Pollution Control 3
Agency (KPCA) has been de',ignated as lead agency to the Environmental w
Protection Agency (EPA) and administers the law using the Act and MPCA Regulation WPC 36(u) (3).
fo* this 316(a) demonstration, a predictive Type 2 approach was selected for assessing future impacts of the PINGP thermal discharge m
I upon indigenous biota.
This involves selectiet. of representative impor-tant species (RIS), including fish and invertebrates, and relies primarily on literature data for thermal tolerances and on thermal plume models to I
i estimate potential impacts.
1.ppropriatn site-specific data were b
utilized to supplement the predictive apprnach.
1 q
B.
ENVIRONtiENTAL CHARACTERISTICS
,r-PINGP is located on the west bank of the Mirsissippi River approxi-mately 2.4 km (1.5 mi) upriver from Lock and Dam No. 3 (Figure I-1).
The g*
plant intake and discharge areas are separated from the main river channel by a series of small islands that delineate the outlet channels of Sturgeon I
Lake, a backwater lake connected to the river by numerous small channels.
L The river is 300 to 370 m (1,000 to 1,200 f t) wide near PINGP, and the banks of the main channel slope fairly steeply to the bottom.
The Sturgeon Lake outlet area is quite shallow, and consequently, the intake and discharge L
. areas have been dredged to a depth of about 3.1 m (10 f t).
The thermal effluent flows approximately 610 m (2,000 ft) before entering the main channel of the river at Barney's Point.
River flows are regulated to majntain a minimum pool level for navi-gation during ice-free months (usually mid-March to early December).
The annual average discharge rate at Prescott, Wisconsin, was 16,200 efs for the period 1928 to 1976.
River flows have seasonal fluctuations with a peak in April (weekly average of 44,000 cf s) and a low in December (weekly average of 7,000 efs).
The maximum rate recorded was 228,000 efs on 18 April 1965, and the minimum was 2,100 cfs on 14 August 1936.
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The Prairie Island liuclear Generating Plant is located on the west bank 1
of the Mississippi River approximately 0.4 km (1.5 mi) upriver from L'
Lock and Dam 140. 3.
Heated effluent is discharged into the southern end of Sturgeon Lake, which is separated from the main river channel by a series of small islands, and enters the river at Barnev's Point.
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temperatures also have seasonal variations with a low of O' C (32' F) in f..
winter when the river freezes over and a hign of 29' C (85* F) in summer.
Intake temperature data **om !Jorthern States Powei Company's Red Wing Gen-erating Plant (RWGP) located 15 km (9.4 mi) downriver from PIllOP were used tc represent PI!1GP ambient river teperatures since long-term data were not available near the plant.
Daily temperature fluctuations are low in 3,
the river [1.1* C (2' T)) but may be fairly high in backwater areas.
In j
Sturgeon Lake, the average fluctuation was 2' to 3' C (3.5' to 5.4' F) with a maximum of 9.7' C (17.5* r) during ice-free months of 1974 through 1977 3
Extensive water quality analyses have been conducted by tJSP in the vicinity of pit 10P since 1969 in addition to the U.5,G.S. measurements L
conducted at Lock and Dam 11o. 3 since 1969.
Although dissolved oxygen (DO) levels never reach critically low levels, the high nutrient concen-(
trations reflect the upriver discharge of domestic westewater into the L
Mississippi River from the Minneapolis-St. Pau). Metropolitan Sewage Treat-ment Plant.
The Minnesota River also influences water quality in the t
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l Northern bald eagles and various waterfowl migrate through the Mississippi River Valley in spring and f all with sore overwintering An
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areas of open water.
The PINOP area does not appear to be an important eagle overwintering area although the discharge may enhance the nu.-1,er of mallards overwintering.
peregrine falcons, an endangered species, are being reintroduced in former nesting areas along Lake pepin approxi-mately 48 to 80 km (30 to 50 mi) downriver from PINOP.
C.
PLANT DESCRIPTION AND OPERATING PROCEDURE The PIN 3P circulating water system may be operated in four basic L'
modest closed, partial recycle, helper, or open cycle.
Closed cycle is i :/
normally used during the cooler parts of the year, and blowdown is held at approximately 150 cis. When the temperature of the mixed, makeuo and J*
recycled water reaches 29.45 C (BS' F) at the condenser, partial recycle I
is begun and increased as necessary to maintain the condenser inlet tem-perature at or below 29.4' C.
In this mode, cooling towers are still used, but the blowdown and makeup water flows are increased.
Helper cycle (no recycle) and open cycle operation are optional modes that have not u
been used in the past but could be used if needed.
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The circulating water system is not chlorinated since the condenser
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tubes are cleaned mechanically ( Amsrtap methoc'). The cooliig water system, however, is chlorinated to prevent biofouling of heat exchanger i?
surfaces, and this water is discharged to the circulating water system.
k The volume of the cooling water is only 4 percent of the circulating I
water voluma, and ch2orine may be lost to the atmosphere in the recycle canal.
Measurements of total residual ch.orine at the discharge gates j
have shown the concentration to be less than 0.03 ppm.
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PINGP is a base load facility and'each of the two units is rated i,'
at 507 MWe in summer and 523 MWe in winter.
Refueling of one unit occurs I.
during winter while refueling of the other is usually in early spring.
These refueling periods are generally 4 to 6 weeks long.
Based on past operation, the probability of a forced trip (outage) occurring while the othe r unit is being refueled is 0.55, and the probability of simultaneous forced trips is 0.00035.
Operating modes should remain similar to those utilized in the past.
During summer, however, full helper cycle is proposed from 16 June throuin 31 August to increase the efficiency of the plant. This would cause the tererature dif ferential between ambient river water and blow-down to decrease, thus decreasing the maximum temperatures in the plume n
during summer.
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Based on preferred tertperatutes reperted in the laterature, all of 4
the fish EIS would prefer to reside in sorw portacn of the PINGP thermal
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plume when ambient water terr.per a tut es are low, and some species should
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avoid at least the warner areas within the plame during summer.
Th)se predictions have been confirmed by field s tudios which indicated that white bass, carp, emerald shiner, walleye, and gazzard shad were definitely attracted to the discharge during winter and/o : spring.
Sho'i thead re d-horse, white bass, carp, and gizzard shad showed a distinct avoidance of the wartAst discharge areas during sumer.
Upper lethal temperatures were used to estimate the potential areas of exclusion for long-term I..
use by adults during typical sumer conditions.
These areas were calcu-lated to be less than 4.4 ha (10.9 M for all of the RIS fish and would occur only in July and 1.ugust.
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l The PINGP thermal dischcrge attracts fish during most of the l
year, although some species avoid the warme".t portion of the plume in sumer.
Impacts to the representative important species (PJ 5) of fish and macroinvertebrates, however, are predicted to be tunimal.
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I as well as parasitism and diseases are 2ikewise predicted to be negligibly affected.
Fish population structure should not be changed although d
such charges are very difficult to measure and are generally indistinguish-able from other infisences, both natural and man-induced.
4 Sport fishing has not been in the past and siould not be degraded as a result of the pI!Cp thermal discharge.
Fishing success in recent years 1
has been higher above Lock and Dam No. 3 than in the tailwaters of the Dam, although the fishing pressure and harvest have been lower.
In the immediate discharge area, fishing success should be enhanced during all but the warmest periods in summer.
Fishing pressure has been observed to be higher l
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in the discharge during spring which indicates that scrne fishermen were taking advantage of the higher fish densities in the plume, and the catch at that time was primat11y white bass.
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Site-specific invertebrato and primary producer field data were reanalyaed primarily for the operational years of 1975 and 1976.
Data for phytoplankton from 1973 and from the first 6 months of 1977 for macro-invertebrates were alc utilized. Between station and between date sample variability were compZted by ANOVA, Duncan's Multiple Pange Test, and the Student t-Test, pov' calculations were also used to establish the likeli-hood that actual dif ferences between samples would bt. detected as signifi-cant by the above tests.
In addition to the sample variance testing, i
mu) tiple regressions were conducted in order to determine whether or not temperature was highly related to abundances of biota on a spatial basis j
(i.e., bJtween intake and discharge stations).
From these reanalyses, impacts appear to be minimal or non-existent c
in most biotic categories.
The following characteristics of biotic cate-(
gories were found not to differ significantly between intake 'and discharge stations phyteplankton species diversity or biovolume; periphyton density, species diversity, and phaeophytin a, contents zooplankton species diversity and densitys and macroinvertebrate (dredge and artificial substrate).
density.
The power of these statistical tests, however, is limited by the inability to discern differences between station values as a result of the low number of replicate samples taken at ea;h station The following characteristics of biotic categories were found to differ significantly between intake and discharge stationst phytoplankton g
primary productivity, periphyton chlorophyll a, and macroinvertebrate species diversity for dredge samples.
The significant differences in phytoplankton chlorophyll a between intake and discharge samples probably i
resulted from plant entrainmet.. damage, while the significant differences I-between intake and discharge for dredge macroinvertebrate species diversity could have resulted from differences in substrate and current rather than,
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or in addition to, thermal effects.
A study of aquatic insect emergence j
L rates showed that only the mayfly, Ceenis, may have emerged slightly earlier from heated water stations than from ambient temperature stations.
All other aquatic macroinvertebrates including one RIS (Hydropsyche) t k
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predictions indicate that warmer water areas of the discharge canal may
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f avor more thermally tolerant taxa, but this area would be insignificant i
compared to the area of Sturgeon Lake.
The thermal plume should not favor the encroachment or proliferation of nuisance organisms, such as blue-green algae: blooms of these phytoplankton have occurred seasonally long before PINGP became cperational.
Moreover, no federally protected flora or f auna will be impacted by the thermal discharge.
The operation of past and pro?osed discharge modes at PINGP. there-1 fore, have not and should not ih; bit the protection and propagation of a balanced, indigenous invertebrate and primary producer biota.
The l}
discharge plume will cause neither appreciable harm nor adverse levels
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,j of impact to non-fisheries biota.
No drifting forms are expected to or have been observed to-be damaged by passage through the plume.
Even during extreme environmental conditions, the maxim"m area of avoidance 4
as a result of heated water for cartain RIS macroinvertebrates is small in relation to the total area availhble in the adjacent backwater habitat of Sturgeon take.
Moreover, emergence schedules of aquatie macroinver-tetrates are expected tc be altered only slightly by the heated plume and d
only negligible losses are expeeted as a result of premature emergence.
Finally, the occurrence and distribution of aquatic macrophytes neer (l
PINGP appears t9 be more influenced by fluctuations in water level,
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sedimentation, and current conditions than by temperature.
Any losses of aquatic macrophytes that may result f rom the thermal discharge is small in comparison to the total distribution of macrophytes in Sturgeon Lake, as suitable habitat for theno plants in the discharge canal is extremely limited.
F.
CONCLUSIONS
{l It is concluded that the thermal discharge resulting from past
(
operation of PINGP has not ca sed appreciable harm to any aquatic biota, and the protection and propagation of a balanced, indigenous biota has been maintained.
During future operation in past or proposed modes, impacts are expected to remain similar to those in the past,
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