ML20107J202

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Forwards Three Repts Re Fish Kills at Oyster Creek.W/O Encl
ML20107J202
Person / Time
Site: Oyster Creek
Issue date: 05/20/1974
From: Stohr J
NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To: Hamer P
External (Affiliation Not Assigned)
Shared Package
ML18039A986 List: ... further results
References
FOIA-95-258 NUDOCS 9604250001
Download: ML20107J202 (1)


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UNITED ST ATES.

ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION j

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DIRECTOR ATE OF REGUL.ATORY OPER ATIONS w

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KING OF PRUSSI A, PENNSYLVANI A 19406 MAY 2 01974 Mr. Pasal E. Bamer Necote Creek Research Station Mariae Fisheries Section Star Route Absecon, New Jersey 08201

Dear Mr. Hamer:

In-response to your request of Dr. John Raintjes dated April 25, 1974, as transmitted to me by Dr. Raintjes, I've enclosed copies of three reports which were prepared by Dr. Reintjes while consulting with this office on fish kills at Oyster Creek.

Sincerely.

J. Philip Stohr, Chief Environmental Protection and Special Programs Section j

Enclosures:

1.

January 19, 1973 "Comuments relative to the Oyster Creek n.enhaden kill, January 1973, with estimates of the number of dead fish".

2.

February 2,1973 " Additional comments relative to the Oyster Creek menheden kill, January 1973".

3.

January 17, 1974 " Trip Report: Oyster Creek Nuclear Electric Generating Station, January 11-15, 1974".

(Previously sent to State of New Jersey as Attachment 1 to 10 Inspection Report No. 50-219/74-01, dated February 7, 1974.)

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James P, O'pelIly -

Directorate of Regulatory Operations l

Region 1 631 Park Avenue

'y King of Prussia, Pennsylvanin 19406-T Pros; Jersey Central Power 6 Light' Company Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, Docket #50-~219 Forked River, New Jersey 08731 j

subject:.

Abnormal Occurrence Report No. 50 219/74/31 The following is a preliminary report being submitted j

in cogliance with the Technical Specifications 1

, paragraph 6.6.2.

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Proliininary Approval:

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. 0ccurrencar Report Date:

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OYSTER CREEK NUCLEAR GENERATING' STATION PORKED RIVER, NEW JERSEY 08731-Abnomal Occurrence

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Report No. 50-219/74/,3J1, IDENTIFICATION Violation of the Technical Specifications; paragraph N/A OF OCCURRENCE:

Inoperability of one Bergen-Paterson Hydraulic Shock and Sway IP' Arrestor located on the-South Com Spray Systes'in the Reactor j,.

p Building.

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n 1his event is considered to be an abnomal occurrence as de-fined in the Technical Specifications, paragraph 1.1SD CONDITIONS PRIOR 70 0CCLRRENCE:

Steady State Power' Routine Shutdown

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- Operation Cold Shutdown Load Otanges During T Refueling shutdown Routine Power Operation Rout.ine Startup

_ Other (Specify)

_ Opention i

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DESCRIPTION An inspection of the Reactor Building snubbers, Borgen-

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'i Paterson Type HSSA-10, located two inoperable units and five

! j leaking units. 1 hey are *$ follows:

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system-Conditien Elsv: tion 477287; Containmentl Spray Failed"

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Contalament". Spray Imaking 23' 469903

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469855 Com Spray

. Failed; 75' 487465 B. Energency Cond.

Leaking 75'-

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isaking 75'.

l APPARBl@ CAUSD 1 Design' Pm codure OP'OCCURaims:

Manufacturo IAmunualeservice condition -

1 InstsiIstlon/ '

Inc.Bnvironmental Construction

-Component Failure i

Operator

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he cause of failure of the Core Spray;Systen snubber wasJa' 1

i k loss of the-hydraulic fluid, his snubber has not been' rebuilt-

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.si'nce Apri1.'1973'and probably has never been rebuiIt. He type

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S of : seal material in this mit is of the millable gun polyure-

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. thane or cast polyurethane type.

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ANALYSIS OF The safety signi'ficance of this occurrence was a partial loss

!r OCCURRENG:

.of the seismic restraining ability for the affected system. Hade i 0 the plant suffend a design basis earthquake, the probability j (

8 that this systeg$J1pjhgejsyffdredytfuttural"damagaiwas in-i'llf ceased.

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CORRECTIVB RO seven units were replaced with mits equipped with EP seals L;

ACTIONf and pressure tested to 4000 psi.

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FA11MRE DATA': i..Manufacturcri s

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Papared by:

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s, UNITED STATES

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. 8 631 PARK AVENUE KING OF PRUS$1A, PENNSYLVANIA 19406 l

MAY 2 01974 i

l Jersey Central Feuer & Light Company License No. EPR-16' Attestica: Mr. Ivan R. Fiafrock 4

t Vice President Generaties Madison &seene at Punch Bowl Reed-Morristown, New Jeresy 07960 Gentlemen:

In respomme to 'a request by the State of New Jersey, this office has sent the state copies of the three enclosed reports which were prepared i

by Dr. John Raintjes while consulting with this office on fish bills at Oyster Creek.

Sincerely, Paul R. Nelson, Chief Radiological and Environmental Branch I

L1 closures:

1.

January 19, 1973 " Comments relative to the Oyster Creek menhaden kill, January 1973, with estimates of the utsaber of dead fish".

i 2.

February 2, 1973 " Additional comments relative to the oyster Creek menhaden kill, January 1973".

3.

January 17, 1974 " Trip Report: Oyster Creek Nuclear Riectric i

Generating Station, Jamsary 11-15, 1974".

J (Attachment I to no Inspection Report No. 50-219/74-01, dated February 7. A974).

es: Mr. J. T. Carroll Station Superintendent I

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C.woor beet 30 Ottef, R&EF3 RO:HQ no Chief, rosas as OGC DL 1

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30 Files DR Central Files RO I Regulatory Emeding Esen i

Antheer E. Beinman, Counsel for Citmens Osamittee for Protecties of the tuvissement.

1712 N street, Merthoset Weekinstem. D. C.

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88/1 Comments Relative to the Oyfter Creek Menhaden Kill, January 1973, with Estimates of the Number of Dead Fish.

Dr. Charles B. Wurtz, biological consultant, assisted by Roy E.

Younger, is conducting a monthly inventory of fish in the vicinity of Oyster Creek Generating Station. Their Decceber survey was underway December 27-29. At noon on December 28, they met Tom McClusky, plant manager, and he mentioned the planned shut-down. Wurtz advised him to put the dilution pump in operation and come down slowly to minimize gradient shock. Apparently the Station tripped out at 6 a.m. on December 29, so that the planned. shut-down was pre-empted..on December 29, the last day of the routine survcy, 205 menhaden ranging from 4 to 15 inches (mean 8.6 in) were taken by gillnet in Oyster Creek.

They saw several dead juveniles and some adults in apparent distress.

Oyster Creek temperatures decreased from 59-60 F to 44-45 F following the plant shutdown at 6:00 a.m. December 29.

Dr. Wurtz learned of the fish kill on January 8 and conducted an on site inspection on January 9.

Ice on the Creek and the finger lagoons prevented trawl or gillnet collecting. No dead fish were seen in the main channel area. Dead fish were casily visible through the ice on the lagoons. They estimated 900 dead menhaden in.20,000 square feet.

If this were extrapolated for the 4 lagoons with 400,000 square feet, it would give an estimated' total of 18,000 dead menhaden.

They reported relatively few gulls as compared to the flocke present during the kill cf January 197.2. The only other fish noticed were 20 Bay anchovies frozen in the ice.

Paul E. Ilamer, Director N.J. Division of Fish, Game and Shellfish, Nacote Creek Research Station, Absecon, learned about the shut-don and fish kill on January 8.

He sent a crew to Oyster Creek on January 9.

The Creek was covered with ice and flocks of gulls were trying to get at the dead fish.

They reported nenhaden accounted ror about 99 percent of the dead fish and they ranged from juveniles to adults, 4 to 14 inches in length. Nearly all of the dead menhaden were in the finger lagoons. They estimated the number of dead fish in the surface ice and cut a hole in the ice and used a bottom grab to sample the bottom.

They estimated a total fish kill of 1,200,000 fish. Approximately 23,000 in the surf ace ice and the remainder on the bottom. Nearly all of the dead fish were Atlantic menhaden.

To explain the large estimated number of dead menhaden on the botte=,

he mentioned that most of the dead menhaden were found on the bottom durin's their survey of Oyster Creek after the January 1972 kill.

Menhaden have a relatively small swim bladder and usually do not surface when they are killed.

Mr. llamer believes they could be very helpful in the proper evalua-tion of fish kills if they were notified in advance of planned shutdowns or or soon as pensibic when there is an cmer;;cncy shutdown.

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Paul Hamer mentioned another fish kill, primarily of menhaden, that also occurred during the week of January 8.

It took place in a small cove near Harvey Cedars at the lower end of Barnegat Bay.

As this is about 12 miles south of Oyster Creek, on the other side of Barnegat Bay, and south of Barnegat Inlet it is quite unlikely the dead fish came from the Oyster Creek area.

I called the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Center, Sandy Hook and talked to John Mahoney, a fishcry biologist that has been involved with fish-kill studies. He had not been involved with the Oyster Creek menhaden kill but obtained the following information from Pks. Pawlikowski, Secretary to the Director. No one from MACFC went to Oyster Creek the week of January 8 but several phone calls were made.

Persons called were Ed Sherratt, Regional Director of Public Information, Jersey Central Power and Light, Asbury Park; Herbert Fishberg, Newark Star Ledger; and Mr. Mallie, Briarwood. Yacht Basin, Oyster Creek.

They all confirmed that a fish kill had occurred during the weekend of January 5-8.

Mr. Mallie estimated that 6 menhaden per square yard were frozen into the surf ace ice along the bulkheads of the finger lagoons and 1 menhaden per square yard over the remaining area. He reported menhaden 8 to 10 inches long but added that smaller fish may have been present but would be much harder to s,ee in the' ice.

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Assuming Mr. Mallie's estimated pertained to the 4 finger lagoons, each 1,000 f t. long and 100 f t. vide, with 6 menhaden in each squarc 4

yard along the bulkheads and 1 menhaden per square yard in the remaining areas. The estimated total is approximately 58,000 menhaden.

Estimates of dead menhaden in the surf ace ice roughed from 18,000

. to 58,000. There was only one estimate of 1,200,000 for the total number of dead menhaden for both surface and on the bottom by biologists of N. J. Nacote Creek Research Station.

John W. Reintjes January 19, 1973 Fishery Biologist Atlantic Estuarine Fisheries Center Beaufort, North Carolina e

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-1 Additional' Comments, Relative to Oyster Creek

. Menhaden Kill, January 1973.

In my report of'~ January 19,'I summarized info'rmation received

~from three sourcesi 1.

Charles B.-Wurtz, Biological Consultant 2.

Paul E. Hamer, Director, N.J. Nacote Creek!

Research Station,-

3.. John Mahoney, Fishery Biologist, Middle

. Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Center, Sandy Hook From the-information received, I compiled 3 estimates of the number of

. dead me'nhaden in the surface ~ ice of Oyster Creek and 1 estimate of the total kill including those'out of sight on the bottom.

1..

Dr. Wurtz estimated 900 dead in 20,000 ft2 of surface ice in the

'4 finger lagoons.' This number was arrived'at by counting the dead

  • fish in the terminal.50 feet of each lagoon.

He untioned that the dead seemed concentrated in the closed end of each lagoon. However, if the number were extrapolated to_the total ~ area of the 4 lagoons (I estimated each lago,on was 1,000 by 1.00 feet), it would give an estimate of 18,000 dead menhaden.

For. comparison, if the dimensions

-used by NCRS were used the extrapolated figure would be 24,468 dead in the surface ice of the 4, lagoons.

2.

Paul,E. Hamer and staff. biologists estimated 23,000 dead menhaden in the surface ice of the 4 finger lagoons. This was done by counting the number'of dead while walking.on the ice. The area covered was approximately 1/4 of the lagoon starting from the closed'end. They 2

cut holes in the ice and used an Ekman grab dredge (36 in ) to sample the fish vn the bottom.

They made 9 grabs-towards the closed ends of r

the lagoons and obtained 5 menhaden, 4-5 in'. long.

From these samples they: calculated the number of dead menhaden in the bottom of the lagoons.

The lagoon dimensions used were 1,050 by 125 ft. for the 3 western and 1,200 by 125 feet for the easternmost.

3.

I called John Mahoney because I heard'that Sandy Hook Laboratory had investigated the kill.

He had not been involved but would inquire and call me back.

He reported that someone from the Laboratory had called Mr. Mallie, a yacht basin operator at Forked River.

Mr. Mallic 2

estimated 6 dead menhaden per yd frozen in the ice along the bulkheads and 1 per y'd2.in the central' areas of the lagoons.

By interpreting and. extrapolating this observation, an estimated total of 58,000 fish was obtained for the 4!1agoons, 1000 X 100 ft.

For comparison, if the t

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dimensions used by NCRS were used the' extrapolated figure would be 74,718 dead in the surface ice of the 4. lagoons.

The estimates of 23,000, 24,468, and 74,718 when treated statis-tically give-confidence limits of 7,409 and 74,048, unless a 1/20

, error occurred in the sampling counts.

I extrapolated the estimates without any information on the uniformity of the actual. values for the total lagoon area.

Dr. Wurtz reported the dead were concentrated near the closed ends of the lagoons and Mr. Mallie's estimate of 6 2

per yd may have been the maximum in one lagoon or'in a small area.

Extrapolated estimates from counts made in restricted areas tend to be larger than total area counts.

2 The estimate of 1,208,321 dead menhaden on 543,750 ft of bottom

, in the 4 lagoons would.have videiconfide'ned limits. The results of the 9 grabs resemble a negative binomial distribution and were so treated with a Poisson generation to obtain 95% confidence limits *. The number of dead fish on the bottora of the 4 lagoons calculated from.the sample of 5 fish obtained in 9 grabs is'between 386,665 and 2,827,492 unless a 1/20 chance of error occurred in sampling.

.The Ekman grab dredge'used.was too small to adequate'ly sample the-dead menhaden on the bottom.

It is unlikely that the grab would take fish larger-than 6 inches long.

Wurtz' gillnet catch of 205 menhaden with a mean length of 8.6 inches on December 29 and the reported size to 14 inches among those in the ice meins that menhaden over 6 inches were present that would not'be taken by the grab.

Also, the gillnet Wurtz used will not catch menhaden 3 inches or less, fork length.

Wortz' estimates in the following tab'le showed that lagoons 1 and 3 4

(numbered from the west) had fewer dead fish in the ice than 'did lagoons j

2 and 4 and this is also indicated in the F man grab samples:

Wurtz'1 NCRS 5

1.agoon Estimated estimate in grab size ft2 5,000 ft2

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1. Venice 131,250 50 0,0,0
2. Sanabel 131,250 400 1,1
3. Buccancer 131,250 50 0,0 4.,Priyateer 150,000 400 1,2 1

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in surface ice at closed end of lagoon.

  • 95% m fidence limits:

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'3 125/3 It is reasonable to assum% that more dead menhaden would be on the bottom than in the surface ice. Menhaden have a relatively small.

swim bladder so that recently dead menhaden usually sink.

Decomposition and bicating will bring them to the surface but with ambient temperatures near freezing this process would occur very slowly or not at all.

In conclusion, the methods used to estimate'the number of dead fish

~1acked theLprecision required to evaluate the situation adequately.

Undoubtedly, the number frozen in the ice represented some fraction of the total dead. Any assumption'that the number counted in part of a lagoon or in part of each lagoon could be used to calculate the number in the total area leaves room for doubt. The number of bottom samples and the type and size of grab ~ dredge raises'many questions about the reliability of the estimated number of dead on the bottom.

Suggestions to ameliorate or prevent a cold-shock kill in a heated effluent area when the generating station is closed down:

Ifdilutionpumpsareavailable,operateforaperiodpr, heeding 1.

the shutdown to decrease the effluent temperature.

2.

Shut down gradually so that a shallow declining gradient is A

developed towards ambient.

3.

Select or adjust the date for a planned shutdown to coincide with a warm meterological forecast.

4.

If feasibic avoid planned shut dorms during the colder months of the year.

At gresent, the best way to avoid cold shock kills is to utilize discharge areas that distribute and circulate the heated effluent so that a very small area has a high a t and a large area has a small 6 t.

Basins, embayments, and other relatively closed bodies of water, such as Oyster Crcok, are profoundly influenced by the effluent creating an environment that is maintained 15' or more above winter (cabient.

If this habitat is large, proportionally large cold-shock kills may occur.

j John W. Reintjes Fishery Biologist Atlantic Estuarine Fishcries Center Beaufort, N.C.

February,2, 1973

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,FROMs Jthn W. R2intjes,'Fishtry Biologist AtienticEstua(*'neFishsriesCenter

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l Trip Report: Dyster Creek Nuclear Electric Ge'nerating Station,.

January 11-15, 1974.

. January 12 -

9:00 A.M.

Noticed about 10 large menhaden dead or flopping Along the south bank of Oyster Creek near ighway 9 bridge. -Two fishermen emptied a bag with 10 b'luefish, 9-14 inches fork length, and'5' menhaden, 8-11 in. f.1.

They said the fish started to show distress about 5 A.M.

and they had gotten all the bluefish but not all the menhaden. They estimated that there were 10 times as many i

menhaden as blues.

9:30 A.M.

Went out in boat operated by Fred May, Rescurce Management Inc.,

with Stohr, Greenman and Stoudnour.

Cruised down Oyster Creek to the entrance to Barnegat Bay.

Saw a few menhaden along the bank and

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saw several fishermen pick up a couple of fish near the entrance. They said the.y had a couple bluefish but saw mostly menhaden.

Roy Younger, RMI, was in another boat looking for fish along the bank. He reported the following:

Buoy # 6 (at entrance) 43*F top and 36' bottom.

Said he saw very few fish, all menhed.en, along the bank.

11:00 A.M.

Roy Younger reported 45' F. about i 1/2 ft. below surface by the Sand Point Marina recording thermograph.

11:30 A.M.

Most of those that met later in the conference room went to, the discharge structure.

Several hundred large menhaden were

. schooled and swimming in the dilution pump discharge bays.

One or two circulating pumps were on in the plant discharge bays with a noticeable flou entering the canal.. It uss suppoced that the 9

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menhaden were clumped in the-dilution bays because the water was stagnant and warmer.

1 Bay with menhaden 38' Near barrier log outside bay 37' In flowing water from plant discharge 36' Some of the menhaden were in distress and occasionally one would turn on its side and settle out of sight toward the bottom <

'12:00 noon Went to the power plant conference room and discussed mutual

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plans.

4 In attendance were:

JCP&L E.J. Grouney Technical' Engineer Robert L. Stoudnour Staff Engineer JCP&L

'. Douglas R. Weigle Engineering Assistant JCP&L Russel J. Douglas Life Scientist

,G.P.U. Serv. Corp.

Biologist Res. Mgt. Inc.

Roy R. Younger

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Frederick May Technician '

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RMI Environmental. Scientist AEC Region 1 J. Philip Stohr Edward G. Greenman Reactor Inspector AEC Region 1 Karl Abraham Public Information Officer AEC Region 1

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Frincipal Fisheries Biologist Paul E. Hamer N.J. Div. Fish, Game and She11 fisheries s

John W. Reintjes Fishery Biologist'

'NMFS Th,e principal development was that the biologists and technicians

.from the N.J. Nacote Creek Station would survey the area for an estimate of the number and kinds of fish killed on Monday.

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'2:30 - 3:30 P.M.

Look'ed around Oyster Creek and. inspected Lagoons 1-4.

No signs of dead or living fish.

Gulls were relatively inactive.

Occasionally a small group woUld become active over the creek that

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indicated surfacing dead or dying fish.

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January 13 -

9:00 A.M.

Drive along the south shore of Oyster creek.

Ice formed along the shore and the small cove and 4 lagoons were frozen over except for the immediate vicinity of a freshwater drainag'e culvert in the blind end of Lagoon 3.

The cove beach was strewn with dead fish.

I R'oy Younger and I estimated several thousand. We saw 3 small blue-fish,,the other were all menhaden ranging in size from 4 to 14 inches.

. We measure 100 at random. The fork icngth frequency distribution-is attached. There were several do:cn menhaden in the ice of the 4

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' lagoons.

l 11:00 A.M.

Air temperature 23' F; water 6 inches below surface in ice free area near Sand Point Marina 34' and 39' on the bottom.

Return e

to the cove and most of the menhaden had been picked up for bait, j

Several hundred of the smaller ones and some frozen in the ice along the east shore remained.

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2:00 - 5:00 P.M.-

Spent much of the afternoon in the Oyster Creek area.

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Relatively little gull activity and no additional signs of dead or

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dying fish.

  1. January 14 -

9:00 A.M.

Proceeded along ths south shere of Oyster, Crock.

Lagoon 1 and 2 froacn over, Lagoon 3 frozen cxcept in blind end near culvert.

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Lagoon 4 was ice free in the. blind end with' dead unhaden floa' ting an'd some distressed menhaden swimming eratically in the oper water.

9:30 A.M.

Walked along Barnegat Bay and along the south shore of the Creek.

Saw 6 or 8 dead menhaden in the shallow water along the bay-shore, and several along the bank of the Creek n' ear the entrance.

10:15 A.M.

Returned to Lagoon 4 and two men with a pickup truck were.

4 dipping and bagging the dead menhaden.

They said they had 8 bags

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of about a bushel each and there were about 2 or 3 more in the water.

11:25A.M.

In boat near mouth of Oyster Cr,eek near Buoy # 6; 32' F. 6 inches from top and 32 1/2' on the bottom.

11:45 A.M.

Went back to Highway 9 bridge and mht N.J. biologist John McLain and.two assistants.

33' top and 32 1/2' on the bottom.

  • Roy Younger and I procccded in RMI boat to Barnegat Bay. McLain

.and crew' launched 18-foot Boston Whaler with 20-ft, traw3 aboard in Barnegat Bay and proceeded into Oyster Creek. We accompanied them in RMI boat and observed four 5 to 10 minute trawls'in the vicinity of Briarwood and Sand Point Marinas.

They had quite a

. bit of trouble with snags.

They caught little or no' thing that we could see by watching them haul in the trawl.

' They trawled several more times to the east off the Lagoon entrances and in Lagoon 1 and 3.

These were not observed but they reported that they got little or nothing except in Lagoon 3 where they got

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about a bushel of menhaden, a couple striped bass and several spot.

The fish were alive but sluggish.

The striped bass were in poor condition with fin rot, opalescent eyes and abraded skin.

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They trawled the length of Lagoon 4, setting their trawl about 100

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feet outward of the blind end. They caught about a bushel of menhaden and I ncticed one' striped bass and several spot. All appeared alive but sluggish.. In.all, approximately 10 trawling station were made.

Except for the catches in Lagoon 3 and 4, few or no dead fish were-taken.

Two other groups.from N.J. Nacote Creek Station were collecting during the period from noon to-5 P.M. Monday. Two biologists in a boat were t

taking temperature, salinity, and water samples.

Two technicians-

'were walking along the shoreline counting and identifying dead fish.

Dave Thomas and another biologist from Ichthyological Associates,

'Absecon,_N.J. arrived'and did some seining in several slipo along the Marinas.

4:30 P.M.

N.J. biologists went up the discharge canal with boat and

.- haul net. They said it was'a new device and were trying it out.

The net had a square fixed opening and was set in the middle of the canal'from the boat and pulled ashore. During two tows observed.

'nothing was caught.

.,.+

January 15 -

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.7:30'A.H.

Checked beach cove and 4 lagoons.

Ice covered cove and Lagoon 2.-

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A Lagoon 1 wad open in the center from yesterday's trawling.

Lagoon 3

. was open with no' dead fish,_no surface signs nor any gulls.

Lagoon 4

'had about a hundred gulls working over the surface which was occasio'nally broken by' distressed menhaden. From the signs there appeared to be at i

1 cast several hundred menhaden in the lagoon.

A few dead me'nhaden ucre floating in' the blind end, apparently remaining-from yesterday's kill.

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Concluritns, The fish kill commenced about 7:06 A.M. on January 12 when the Highway 9 bridge temperature dropped below 40' F.

A few hundred menhaden and 25 to 30 bluefish were picked up or seen along the banks of the discharge canal and Creek by 10:00 A.M.

Some distressed and dying fish were seen i.

j during the remainder of the day.

t At 9:00 A.M. on January 13, menhaden and occasional bluefish were dead along the south shore of Oyster Creek. The only-sizeable concentration was in the cove just west of Lagoon 1.

An. estimation of several thousand dead menhaden and 3 bluefish were made. The size range and frequency dis-

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tribution would suggest that'the population in the area was made up of all Because menhaden school by size, the wide range of sizes age groups.

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suggest that no large, uniform population of menhaden were overwintering in the crea. ~

s On January 14, the only other concentration of dead menhaden was found in theblindendof5,agoon4'. Approximately 10 bushels were picked up leaving only a few dead along the shore or visible on the bottom,From these ob-servations I would conclude that the apparent kill through Monday night amounted to approximately 10,000 fish.

Of these 99 percent were Atlantic menhaden.

From *the thermograph records and limited temperatures made in the area, the lethal minimum of apparent 1y 37' F. for menhaden, bluefish

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and spot was reached 'in some parts of Oyster Creek by Saturday morning, January 12 and continued until Tuesday morning, January 15, when I ter-minated my observations.

FROM:

John W. Reintjes, Fishcry Biologist Atlantic Estuarine Fisheries Center Beaufort, NC 28536

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Foxi: lenr,th freq cy in nillineters of AtInntic 3nh den dond in covo bench. Oyster Creek,11.J., Janurry 13, 1973 Fork Le'ne,th No. of in nn Nenhnden,

145-149 1

150-154 155.-159 160-164 165-169 1

- 170-174 3

175-179 3

180-184' 5

185 189 190-194 8

195-199

.4 200 204 11

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205-209 210-214 3

215-219 7

220-224 5

225-229-7 230-234 235 239 2

240-24'4 3

245-249

.1 250-250 3

255-259 260-2(/>

3 265-269 5

270-274

6-275-279 5

280-284 2'5-289, 3

290-294 2

295-299 1

300-304 305-309.

3 310-314 2

315-319

. 320-3?4 325 'n9 330-3'9+

1 335-339 2

-100 i

John U. Reintjes 3RTS Scanfort,]!.C.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OFCOMMERCE

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administeetion

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NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE Atlantic Estuarine Fisheries Center Beaufort, North Carolina 28516 May 1, 1974 Dr. J. Philip Stohr Regulatory Operations, Region I U.S. Atomic Energy Commission King of Prussia, PA 19406

Dear Phil:

This is to confirm my conversation with Jerry Everett on April 30, regarding the enclosed letter from Paul Hamer. All available information I have on fish kills at Oyster Creek were submit.ted to you in the following reports:

January 19, 1973 " Comments relative to the Oyster Creek menhaden kill, January 1973, with estimates of the number of dead fish".

February 2, 1973 " Additional comments relative to the Oyster Creek menhaden kill, January 1973".

January 17, 1974 " Trip Report: Oyster Creek Nuclear Electric Generating Station, January 11-15, 1974".

Also enclosed is a copy of my trip report of March 5, 1973

" Jersey Central Power and Light Company Oyster Creek menhaden kill conference - Parsippany and Newark N.J. and Toms River, N.J.

February 21 and 28, 1973".

It does not contain any observations but it does refer to the February 1973 kills.

I referred Mr. Hamer to you. A copy of my letter to him is enclosed.

Sincerely, John W. Reintjes.

Fishery Biologist Enclosures

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d U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE Atlantic Estuarine Fisheries Center Beaufort, North Carolina 28516 April.30, 1974 Mr. Paul E..Hamer Nacote Creek Research Station Star Route Absecon, NJ 08201

Dear Paul:

In response to your letter of April 25, all of the direct a

information I have of fish kills at Oyster Creek was obtained as a consultant for the A.E.C. and was submitted to them.

I have referred your request to Dr. J. Philip Stohr, Senior Environmental Scientist, Regulatory Operations, Region I, for reply.

I am enclosing a report we prepared for G.P.U. Corporation as background biological information following the menhaden kill of January 1972. I believe you received a copy when it was prepared for we had obtained the information from Great Egg Harbor from you.

Sincerely, Jo n W. Reintjes l

Fishery Biologist 1

Enclosurc 1

cc: Dr. J. Philip Stohr U.S. Atomic Energy Commission King of Prussia, PA 19406 I

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DEPARTMENT CF ENVIRONMENTAL etrue aceLy T ne*,... ano enen museine P.O. BOX 1809 emessa a. cooonemas PROTECTION TRrNTON. N. J. 08'

' stattfoe 2.scote Creek desearch 3tatic r.arine Ficherier Section Star..oute Absecon

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April 25, 1??lt Dr. Jo% U.

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Dea r.Tohn,

C.u r,ttorney General in chtr.;c of our C'yster O rd e' c+ e = % c a ske 1 ri c to' "obtain al2 eve ile.ble. in-f or la, ion 'ror the h&urort Lab and Jr.

..li"t'ec cor-ce,nius the 'i@ kills et Oystar Creek.

aly u teriel you can sen1 me would be a;.Jeci..te.l.

.iest esa rd s.

1 J ince e,1y ours,

Paul 2. ::cmer Principal 1sheries 21o10 1-t 7

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