ML20212F651

NPDES Noncompliance Notification:On 990821,seal Was Entrapped at Least Two to Three Weeks Prior to Recovery Which Was Before Installation of Seal Deterrent Barriers.Epa Was Also Notified Per Request

ML20212F651
Person / Time
Site:	Seabrook
Issue date:	09/23/1999
From:	Hart J NORTH ATLANTIC ENERGY SERVICE CORP. (NAESCO)
To:	Lamontagne G MASSACHUSETTS, COMMONWEALTH OF
References
AR#99012283, LIC-99364, NUDOCS 9909280307
Download: ML20212F651 (6)

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g North Atlantic Energy Service Corporation North e.o.nox300 ggQQ Seabrook, NU 03874 l

(603) 474-9521 The Northeast Utilities System September 23,1999 LIC-99364 j

AR # 99012283 Mr. Gregg LaMontagne National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Region One Blackburn Drive Gloucester,MA 02173 Seabrook Station Seal Entrapment-August 21,1999 North Atlantic Energy Service Corporation (North Atlantic) hereby submits the enclosed report of a harbor seal entrapment at Seabrook Station on August 21,1999. This report is submitted in accordance with Paragraph 6(i) of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Letter of Authorizatiod to take a small number of seals incidental to intake cooling water system operations at Seabrook Station. The results of the seal necropsy performed by the New England Aquarium are also enclosed.

The seal was first observed on August 21 and recovered on August 23,1999. The state of decomposition indicates that the seal was entrapped at least two to three weeks prior to recovery which was before

( installation of the seal deterrent barriers. North Atlantic notified the National Marine Fisheries Se (NMFS) of these entrapments pursuant to Paragraph 6(f) of the NMFS Letter of Authorization. The Environmental Protection Agency was also notifiecf per their request'.

If you have additional questions, please contact me at (603) 773-7762.

Very truly yours, NORTH ATLANTIC ENERGY SERVICE CORP.

I Mx" g n B. Hart

'M nager-Environmental Compliance and Industry Relations o

1 NMFS Letter of Authorization dated July 2,1999, from H. Diaz-Soltero (NMFS) to T. Feigenbaum (North Atlantic)

Notifications of seal entrapment, telecon by R. Sher (North Atlantic) to S. Sandorf(NMFS) and J. Palmer (EPA)on August 21,1999 EPA letter dated June 17,1999, " Offshore Intake Seal Deterrent Barrier Design," from L. Murphy (EPA) to ,

J. Hart (North Atlantic) -

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National Marine Fishrries Services LIC-99364 / Page 2 cc (with Enclosure)

TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Mr. Jeffrey Andrews AGENCY:

NH Dept. of Environmental Services

, p, Water Division .

6 Hazen Drive NPDES Permit Compliance Sect. ion Concord,NH 03302 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency '

1 Congress Street, Suite 1100 Mr. Robert Estabrook Boston, M.A 02203 i NH Dept. of Environmental Services SEABROOK ECOLOGICAL ADVISORY ncord,hil 03302 COMMITTEE:

Mr. Joh'n Nelson Dr. John Tietjen, Chairman NH Fish and Game Department 134 Palisade Avenue 225 Main Street Leonia,NJ 07605 Durham,NH 03824 Dr. W. Huntting Howell Ms. Clare McBane, Ph.D. 12 James Farm NH Fish and Game Department Lee,NH 03824 225 Main Street Durham,NH 03824 D.. Saul Saila 317 Switch Road Mr. Frederick Gay Hope Valley, RI 02832 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Dr. Bernard 1, McAlice 1 Congress Street, Suite 1100 270 Foster Road l Boston, MA 02203 Round Pond, ME 04564 l

Mr. Damien Houlihan Dr. Robert Wilce U.S. Environmental Protect. ion Agency 1 Congress Street, Suite 1100 Department of Biology Boston, MA 02114-2023 221 Mqrill Science Center Um,versity of Massachusetts Mr. Jack Paar Amherst,MA 01003 Environmental Protection Agency 60 Westview Street NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES Lexington, MA 02173 Mr. Paul Geoghegan Mr. Eric Hutchins Normandeau Associates,Inc.

National Marine Fisheries Service 25 Nashua Road Northeast Region Bedford, NH 03110 One Blackburn Drive Gloucester, MA 01930 NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM Mr. Greg Early New England Aquarium Resource and Rehabilitation Central Wharf Boston, MA 02910 ,

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. National Marine Fish rits S:rvices

,- .' LIC-99364 / P:ge 3 I ~ U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY

!- ' COMMISSION -

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission l Document Control Desk

Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 l

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Mr. J. T. Harrison .

Senior Project Manager Division of Reactor Projects-U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20535-0001 Mr. H.~ J. Miller Regional Administrator, Region i U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 NRC Senior Resident Inspector NAESCO PO Box 300 Seabrook,NH 03874 i

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ENCLOSURE TO LIC-99364 l

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SEABROOK STATION SEAL ENTRAPMENT INCIDENT REPORT

.. . ' AUGUST 21,1999 Site of Entrapments and Date ofInitial Service Water Pumphouse Forebay on August 21,.1999 Observation (Recovery Date): (August 23,1999).

Species Identification: Harbor seal.

' Description / Condition of Seali Young-of-the-year female. Weight about 50 pounds. Carcass moderately decomposed. Seal appears to have died at least two to three weeks prior to recovery.

See more detail in the attached New England Aquarium necropsy reports.

Reporter: Rcn Sher, Senior Scientist Lut Seal Observation: Two seals were recovered on August 11,1999. An incident report was submitted to the NMFS *.

R-cent Fish Impingement: About 5070 fish were impinged during the period Aug. 7-21, 1999, including about 4,970 pollock (mostly 5-6 inches).

Seabrook Station Environmental Monitoring Contractor has also observed large numbers of similarly sized pollock in area waters. No stomach contents were identified in this seal.

3 Cooling WaterIntake Temperature at 60 F Approximate Time of Entrapment:

Plant Power Level at Time of Entrapment Seabrook Station was operating at 100 percent power.

Discovery:

Nc:th Atlantic letter LIC-99347, dated September 10,1999," Seal Entrapments-August 11,1999," J,. Hart (North Atlantic) to G. LaMontagne (NMFS)

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O SEABROOK STATION

. , SEAL ENTRAPMENT INCIDENT NECROPSY REPORT Accersion Number: MH-99-679-Pv Site ofimpingement: Seabrook Station Service Water Pumphouse Date Seal was identified and Recovered: 8/23/99 Date Transported: 8/27/99 by: New England Aquarium truck Date Examined: 8/30/99 by: G. Early - New England Aquarium Species: Harbor seal BriefHistory: last seal recovered 8/l1/99 (MH-99-680-Pv and MH-99-671-Pv)

Circumstantial Information: water temp 60*

Description / Condition: code 3. (moderately decomposed), frozen after recovery, intact carcass of young harbor seal Sex. F Weight: 50 lbs Standard Length: 95 Ft. Flipper: 16 Blubber thickness: 2.0 cm Rear Flipper: 21 Axially Girth: 73 Gross

Description:

no significant extemal lesions.

Significant Gross Pathology or Trauma: some bruising around thoracic inlet and glottis Stomach Contents: none Samples Saved: none Further Anal) sis; none Comments: seal appeared to be a robust young-of the-year harbor seal. Gross pathology consistent with suffocation or drowning.

This seal appears to have died at least two to three weeks prior to recovery.

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