ML20134M326
| ML20134M326 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Seabrook  |
| Issue date: | 11/12/1996 |
| From: | Drawbridge B NORTH ATLANTIC ENERGY SERVICE CORP. (NAESCO) |
| To: | Deloi C MASSACHUSETTS, COMMONWEALTH OF |
| References | |
| NYE-96029, NUDOCS 9611250031 | |
| Download: ML20134M326 (5) | |
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-. North North Atlantic Energy Service Corporation P.O. Box 300 Atlantic seabroot Nii O3874 I -
(603) 474-9521 The Northeast Utilities System November 12,1996 NPDES Permit No. NH0020338 N VE-96029 Mr. Carl DeLoi New Hampshire State Program Unit Environmental Protection Agency a
John F. Kennedy Building Boston,MA 02203 Notification of an Unusual Number of Herring Imninged at Seabrook Station North Atlantic Energy Service Corporation (North Atlantic) the operator of Seabrook Station herein provides notification that an unusual number of herring were impinged at Seabrook Station during the period November 1-3, 1996. The attached fish mortality incident report is provided pursuant to Part l.A.ll.g of Seabrook Station's NPDES Permit which states that the impingement of an unusual number of fish shall be reported to the Environmental Protection Agency and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
Approximately 2,000 herring were identified during the normal weekly screen wash assessment performed on November 4,1996. The EPA' and NHDES were notified by telephone on November 5, 2
3 1996. Courtesy notifications were also made to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and the National Marine Fisheries Service, the other Seabrook Station Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
Agencies.
4 Notification of an Unusual Number of Herring Impinged at S'eabrook Station, Telephone Notification Between R. Sher (North Atlantic) and F. Gay (EPA) and Joy Palmer (EPA), November 5,1996 2
Notification of an Unusual Number of Herring Impinged at Seabrook Station, Telephone Notification Between R. Sher (North Atlantic) and J. Andrews (NHDES), November 5,1996 Notification of an Unusual Number of Herring Impinged at Seabrook Station, Notification From R.
8 Sher (North Atlantic) to B. Smith (NH Fish and Game) and Eric Hutchins (NMFS) November 5, 1996 g
G f&N l 9611250031 961112 PDR ADOCK 05000443 S
l' Environroental Protection Agency NYE-96029/Page 2 Should you require additional information, please contact Mr. Ronald A. Sher, Senier Scientist at (603) i 474-9521, extension 2729.
i Very truly yours, NORTH ATL
"- En Y SERVICE CORP.
i Ab Bruce L." Drawbridge Executive Direct - Sc s
and Senior Site Officer i
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Dr. Edward Schmidt NH Dept. Of Environmental Services Water Supply & Pollution Control Div.
6 Hazen Drive Concord,NH 03302 1
Hubert J. Miller Regional Administrator-Region 1 g
4 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission l
475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 Mr. Albert De Agazio, Sr. Project Manager Project Directorate I-4 Division of Reactor Projects U.S. Nisclear Regulatory Commission Washington,DC 20555 Document Control Desk U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555 Mr. John B. Macdonald NRC Senior Resident Inspector c/o North Atlantic Energy Service Corporation i
PO Box 300 Seabrook,NH 03874 1
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SEABROOK STATION HERI 'Ac MORTA1.vTY INCIDENT REPORT - NOVEMBER 1996 The following information is reported pursuant to Part I.A.ll.g of Seabrook Station's NPDES Permit:
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- 1. The kinds, sizes and approximate number of fish involved in the impingement incident.
Approximately 1,540 alewife and blueback herring (10-16 cm.) and 430 Atlantic herring (13-16 cm.). These fish are all members of the herring family, i
- 2. The time, date and duration of the occurrence.
The herring were impinged during a two-day period between the Friday, November 1,1996 and Sunday, November 3,1996 intake traveling screen washes and identified during the Monday, I
3 November 4,1996 weekly fish impingement assessment. This number of herring is " unusual" in that it is significantly larger than the total number of herring impinged in 1995 (approximately l
250).
On Tuesday, November 5,1996, the intake traveling screens were washed again. The number of herring identified in this fish impingement assessment was significantly less (approximately 130).
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- 3. The operating mode of the station at the time of the occurrence.
I Seabrook Station was operating at 100 per cent power at the time of the unusual impingement l
occurrence.
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- 4. The opinion of the permittee as to the cause of the incident.
The size range of the alewife and blueback herring impinged indicates that these were primarily young-of-the-year fish that were spawned in freshwater in the spring of 1996. Alewife and i
i blueback herring exhibit similar migratory patterns and typically leave their native rivers and j
streams between June and November. The specific time of this annual out-migration appears to be triggered by heavy freshwater flows and decreasing water temperatures. The extremely heavy I
rains during the week of October 20 may have initiated the out-migration of these fish from the Merrimai:k River and Taylor River as well as other local riven to the nearshore area where Seabrook Station's cooling water intakes are located, resulting in this impingement event. Mid -
j depth gill net catches by Seabrook Station's Environmental Studies Contractor, Normandeau Associates,'Inc., on October 29-30, contained unusually high catches of blueback herring,-
indicating that these fish, and probably alewifes, were present in the nearshore area.
The size range of Atlantic herring impinged indicates that these were probably young-of-the year fish approaching one year. Atlantic herring are coastal oceanic spawners and the spawning season j
runs from late summer through the fall. Atlantic herring larvae and young-of-the-year are often j
found in the spring, summer and fall in nearshore areas or estuaries. The recent heavy rains and f
the resulting low estuarine salinities may have caused these fish to leave the estuaries and enter the j
nearshore area where they were subject to impingement by Seabrook Station.
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- 5. The remedial action that the permittee will undertake to prevent a recurrence of the incident.
j Immediate action was taken to conduct an additional screen wash and fish impingement i
assessment the next day (November 5,1996) to determine whether the impingement was, in fact, i
an unusual occurrence. The number of herring identified in the subsequent fish impingement assessment was significantly less (approximately 130).
No specific remedial action is planned for this occurrence, however, North Atlantic will continue to maintain an effective fish impingement monitoring program.
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cg (with Enclosure) 4 TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE-Mr. Eric Hutchins Mr.Jeffrey Andrews National Marine Fisheries Service NH Dept. Of Environmental Services Northeast Region j
Water Supply & Pollution Control Division One Blackburn Dn,ve 6 Hazen Drive Gloucester, MA 01930
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Concord,NH 03302 Mr. Robert Estabrook NH Dept. Of Environmental Services SEABROOK ECOLOGICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE:
Water Supply & Pollution Control Division Dr. John Tietjen, Chairman 134 Palisade Avenue Mr. John Nelson Leonia,NJ 07605
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NH Fish and Game Department 37 Concord Road Dr. W. Huntting Howell i
12 sF Durham, NH 03824 93 Mr. Bruce Smith Dr. Saul Saila NH Fish and Game Department 37 Concord Road 317 Swit h Road Durham,NH 03824 Hope Valley, RI 02832 "A"**
Mr. Nicholas Prodany I
Massachusetts State Program Unit Darung Wne Center Environmental Protection Agency C
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j John F. Kennedy Buildmg Boston,MA 02203 Walpole, ME 04573 Dr. Robert Wilce Mr. Frederick Gay New Hampshire NPDES Permit Coordinator Department of Biology
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221 Morrill Science Center New Hampshire State Program Unit Environmental Protection Agency Um,versity of Massachusetts 4
Amherst,MA 01003 John F. Kennedy Building I
- Boston, MA 02203 NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES Mr. Jack Paar i
"^E" 0 es iew Nonnand au lates, Inc.
Lexington, MA 02173 y
Mr. John Shipman Normandeau Associates,Inc.
25 Nashua Road Bedford,NH 03110 a
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