ML20237J924

Forwards Addl Info,Per T Quay Request,Supporting Util 870714 Application for Approval of Procedure for Disposal of Sludge Containing Radioactive Matls.Descriptions of Environ, Hydrological & Topographical Characteristics Encl.Fee Paid

ML20237J924
Person / Time
Site:	Point Beach
Issue date:	08/06/1987
From:	Fay C WISCONSIN ELECTRIC POWER CO.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION & RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (ARM)
References
CON-NRC-87-78 VPNPD-87-344, NUDOCS 8708190001
Download: ML20237J924 (8)

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Wisconsin Electnc POWER COMPANY 231 W, MICHIGAN, P.O. BOX 2046, MILWAUKEE, WI 53201 (414)277 2345 VPNPD-87-344 NRC-87-78 August 6, 1987 U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Document Control Desk Washington, D.C. 20555 Gentlemen:

DOCKET NOS. 50-266 AND 50-301 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 10 CFR 20.302 REQUEST POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT On July 14, 1987, Wisconsin Electric Power Company submitted an

! application for approval, under the provisions of 10 CFR 20.302,

! of a proposed procedure to dispose of sewage treatment plant

! sludge containing minute quantities of radioactive materials.

As discussed in detail in the attachment to that letter,'the sewage sludge would be applied on designated areas of land owned ,

and controlled by Wisconsin Electric utilizing techniques approved by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and adhering to the requirements of the Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) Permit No. WI-0000957-3 issued for this purpose. A copy of this' permit has previously been supplied to the NRC with our letter dated May 13, 1987. i For your convenience,,pages 4 and 5 of this permit which address the condition for sludge disposal are attached.

Mr. Ted Quay of the NRC staff has contacted us and requested that we provide additional information regarding the nature of the environment, including topographical, geological, meteorological ~ and hydrological characteristics, at the proposed disposal sites in order for the staff to complete its evaluation of our request. We are providing with this letter a discussion of this information and have included references to the Point Beach Nuclear Plant Final Safety Analysis Report  ;

(FSAR) for additional information on these topics, ,

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i NRC Document Control Desk August 6, 1987 Page 2 I

We request that you complete your. review of this information and approval of our application as soon as possible.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any additional  !

questions regarding this matter. Pursuant to the regulations of '

10 CFR 170, we have also enclosed a $150.00 application fee for this approval.

Very truly yours, l l

C[t/ dy' C. W. Fay Vice President Nuclear Power Enclosure (Check 139140) l Copy to NRC Resident Inspector i

NRC Regional Administrator, Region III l

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING ON-SITE DISPOSAL OF TREATMENT PLANT SLUDGE ,

PURSUANT TO PROVISIONS OF 10 CFR 20.302 I 1 1 l j l

The disposal sites identified on page 2 of Wisconsin Electric's 10 CFR 20.302 application dated July 14, 1987 are located in the.

Town of Two Creeks in the northeast corner of Manitowoc County,

Wisconsin, on the west shore of Lake Michigan about 30 miles l southeast of the center of the city of Green Bay, and 90 miles NNE of Milwaukeg. This site is located at longitude 87 32.5'W and latitude 44 17.0'N. As discussed in the application, these six sites are on property owned and controlled by Wisconsin Electric and within or directly adjacent to the Point Beach site l boundary identified in Figure 2.2-4 of the FSAR. A site  !

topographic map covering details out to a 5 mile radius may be l found in the FSAR at Figure 2.2-3.

I The overall ground surface at the site of the Point Beach Nuclear Plant is gently rolling to flat with elevations varying from 5 to 60 feet above the level of Lake Michigan. Subdued knob and kettle topography is visible from aerial-photographs.

The land surface slopes gradually toward the lake from the j higher glacial moraine areas west of the site. Higher ground adjacent to the lake, however, diverts the drainage to the north and south, i

The major surface drainage features are two small creeks which drain to the north and south. One creek discharges into the lake about 1500 feet above the northern corner of the site and the other near the center of the site. During the spring, ponds of water may occupy the shallow depressions. As mentioned in our application, these low areas are excluded from the sludge application.

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Prior to construction of the Point Beach Nuclear Plant, an evaluation of the geological characteristics of the area in and l surrounding the site was made. The geologic structure of the

! region is essentially simple. Gently dipping sedimentary rock strata of Paleozoic age outcrop in a horseshoe pattern around a shield of Precambrian crystalline rock which occupies the western part of the region. The site is located on the western flank of the Michigan Basin, which is a broad downwarp ringed by discontinuous outcrops of more resistant formations. The bedrock formations are principally limestones, dolomites, and l sandstones with subordinate shale layers. The rocks form a l succession of extensive layers that are relatively uniform in j

thickness. The bedrock strata dip very gently towards Lake Michigan at rates from 15 to 35 feet per mile.

l The uppermost bedrock under the site is Niagara Dolomite.

Bedrock does not outcrop on the site but is covered by glacial till and lake deposits. The soils contain expansive clay minerals and have moderately high base exchange capacity.

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In the area of the site, the overburden soils are approximately 70 to 100 feet in thickness. Although the character of the .j glacial deposits may vary greatly within relatively short distances, a generalized section through the overburden soils adjacent to Lake Michigan at the site censists of the following sequence:

1. An upper layer of brown clay silt topsoil underlain with several feet of brown silty clay with layers of silty sand;

2. A layer of 20 feet of reddish-brown silty clay with some sand and gravel and occasional lenses of silt;  !

3. A layer of 25 feet of reddish-brown silty clay with layers j of silty sand and lenses of silt;

4. A layer of 50 feet of reddish-brown silty clay with some sand and gravel, the lower portion of which contains gravels, cobbles, and boulders resting on a glacial eroded surface of Niagara dolomite bedrock.

Site drainage is poor due to the high clay content of the soil combined with the pock-marked surface. Additional information on site geology may be found in Section 2.8 of the FSAR.

The climate of the site region is influenced by the general storms which move eastward along the northern tier of'the United States and by those which move northeastward from the southwestern part of the country to the Great Lakes. This continental type of climate is modified by Lake Michigan, j During spring, summer, and fall months the lake temperature ]

differs markedly from the air temperature. Wind shifts from westerly to easterly directions produce marked cooling of day-time temperatures in spring and summer. In autumn the relatively warm water to the lake prevents. night-time '

temperatures from falling.as low as they do a few miles inland I from the shoreline. Summer time temperatures exceed 90 F for I six days on the average. Freezing temperatures occur 147 days and below zero on 14 days of the winter on the average.

l Rainfall averages about 28 inches per year with 55 per cent falling in the months of May through September. Snowfall averages about 45 inches per year. As discussed in our original application, sludge spreading shall be managed such that the surface' spreading together with any precipitation falling out the field shall not overflow the perimeter of the field.

Additional information on site meteorology may be found in Section 2.6 of the FSAR.

I The dominant hydrological feature of this site is Lake Michigan, one of the largest of the Great Lakes. The normal water level in Lake Michigan is approximately 580 feet above mean sea level.

In the general vicinity of the site, the 30 foot depth contour is between 1 and 1 1/2 miles offshore and the 60 foot contour is 3 to 3 1/2 miles off shore. The disposal sites are twenty or

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more feet above the normal lake level. There is no record that f the sites have been flooded by the lake during modern times. j There are no rivers or large streams which could create a flood i hazard at or near the sites.

The subsurface water table at the Point Beach site has a definite slope eastward toward the lake. The gradient indicated

, by test drilling on the site is approximately 30 feet per mile.

l It is therefore extremely unlikely that any release of L radioactivity on the site could spread inland. Furthermore, the rate of subsurface flow is small due to the relative impervious L nature of the soil and will not promote the spread of releases.

Lake Michigan is used as the source of potable water supplies in the vicinity of the site for the cities of Two Rivers (12 miles i

south), Manitowoc (16 miles south), Sheboygan (40 miles south),

! and Green Bay (intake at Rostok l mile north of Kewaunee, 13 l

miles north). No other potable water uses are recorded within

' 50 miles of the site along the lake shore. All public water supplies drawn from Lake Michigan are treated in purification l plants. The nearest surface water used for drinking other than Lake Michigan are the Fox River 30 miles NW and Lake Winnebago )

40 miles W of the site. 1 1

Ground water provides the remaining population with potable {

supplies. Public ground water supplies within a'20 mile radius l of the site are listed in Table 2.5-3 of the FSAR. Additional {

wells for private use are in existence throughout the region. l The potable water for use at the Point Beach Nuclear Plant is i drawn from a 257 feet deep well located at the southwest corner of the plant yard. Water from this well is routinely sampled as part of the environmental monitoring program.

Manitowoc County, in which the site is' located, and the adjacent I counties of Kewaunee, Brown, Calumet, and Sheboygan are predomi-nantly rural. Agricultural pursuits account for approximately 90% of the total county acreage. With the exception of the Kewaunee Nuclear Plant located 4.5 miles north, the region with-in a radius of five miles of the site is presently devoted exclusively to agriculture. Dairy products and livestock account for 85% of the counties' farm production, with field crops and vegetables accounting for most of the remainder. The principal crops are grain corn, silage corn, oats, barley, hay, potatoes, green peas, lima beans, snap beans, beets, cabbage, sweet corn, cucumbers, and cranberries. Within the township of Two Creeks surrounding the site (15 sq. miles), there are about 800 producing cows on about 40 dairy farms. Some beef cattle are raised 2.5 miles north of the site. Cows are on pasture from the first of June to late September or early October.

During the winter, cows are fed on locally produced hay and silage. .Of the milk produced in this area, about 25 percent is consumed as fluid milk and 50 percent is converted to cheese, with tne remainder being used in. butter making and other by-products.

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It is not an'ticipated that the proposed land application of l sewage sludge would have any direct effect on the adjacent facilities. Additional land use information may be found in Section 2.4 of the FSAR. i It has been the policy'of Wisconsin Electric to permit the controlled use of crop land and pasture land on company owned property. Since the'six disposal sites may be replanted for j crop use subsequent to sludge application, the exposure pathways  !

analyzed in our application have' assumed human consumption of milk and meat from cows which may have consumed feed grown on the property. No direct grazing of dairy or beef cattle or other animals is permitted on these company owned properties. j Crops intended for. human consumption may not be grown on the l disposal sites for at least one year following the application of the sludge. -

In summary, we have concluded that the sites we have proposed as a location for the land application of sewage sludge are well suited for that purpose. The application limitations and the minute quantities of radioactive materials involved will, as our calculations in Appendix A of our application demonstrate, l result in an absolutely minimal risk of unexpected or hazardous ]

exposures. Monitoring of the waste stream to ensure that the l

chemical composition of the sludge is within State of Wisconsin i limits provides assurance that the sludge application will not  !

pose a chemical or biological hazard to the public or the environment.

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Part I, page 4 of 6 SL W WPDES permit No. WI-0000957-3 ,

Modified:

G. EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS During the period beginning on the effective date of the permit and lasting until December 31, 1987 the psemittee is ai.thorized to land spread sludge f rom an extended aeration treatment system.

(1) This discharge shall be limited and monitored by the pennittee as specified below.

Samples taken in como11ance with the monitoring requirements specified below shall be taken at the following location: outfall 005 prior to land spreading. Annual reports shall be submitted to the Department by February 1 of each year.

EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS MONITORING REQUIREMENTS Sample $ ample Ouantitv-kc/davf1bs/dav) Other Limitations (Soecifv Units) Freauenev . free.

EFFLUENT PARAMETERS Average Maximum Mini muq) Average Maximum Hydraulic Application Rate - See (2) Below (3) Total Csily(4)

Sludge Volume (gal /A) - - Annual

• Grab Sludge Characteristics (5) - - - .

' Annual monitoring is required at a minimum unless the Sludge Management Report Approval Specifies more frsquent monitoring.

l (2) kdraulic Application Rate: The hydraulic application rate for the sludge shall be such that the annual nitrogen loading rate shall not exceed the recommended nutrient value for the crops growrton the field and the annual and cumulative metal loading rates do not exceed those specified in NR 214.11)

Wisconsin Administrative Codes.

(3) The permittee shall maintain a daily log of the volume of sludae hauled and identification of the site _

it was hauled to. This record must ce available f or inspection at the time of a compliance monitoring

~ survey by Department personnel.

'(4) Calibration of the tank on the truck can be used to compute total daily flow. -

(5) The permittee shall monitor th_e sludge for percent tptal solids, percent inial nitrogem percent amonium nitrogen, pH_, percent total phosphorous, percent total potassium, cadmium, copper, lead, .

nickel, mergyry, zinc and boro c_n; and report the values obtained on a dry weleht basis, ex.igpt f,.or l  :=*

pircent solids and C (6) No discharge to the system may have physical or chemical characteristics which prevents the proper '

operation of the land disposal system.

(7) Discharge to the land disposal system shall be limited so that during surface spreading all of the sludge and any precipitation falling onto or flowing onto the disposal field shall not overflow the perimeter of the system.

(8) Vehicles used for transporting and spreading the sludge shall be designed to be kept tightly closed to 7 l prevent spillage or escape of odors while in transit or storage.

(9) Sludge may not be 1e.nd spread on land with a slope greater than 12%. During the period f rom December 15 throug5 March 31 sludge may not be land spread on land with a slope greater than 6% unless the wastes are injected immediately into the soll.

(10) Sludge may not be surface spread closer than 500 feet from the nearest inhabited dwelling except that this distance may be reduced with the dwelling owner's written consent.

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1 0290d. PERM I

' Part I. Page 5 of 6 WPDES permit No. WI-0000957-3 4

• Modif4ed:

G. EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS - continued (11) Sludge may not be spread closer than 1.000 feet f roc a public water supply well or 250 feet f rom a private water supply well (12) Sludge ray not be land spread within 200 feet of any surface water unless a vegetative buffer strip is maintained between the surface watercourse and the land spreading system. In which case a minimum separation distance of at least 100 feet is required between the system and the surface watercourse.

(13) Dapth to groundwater and bedrock must be greater than 3 feet from the land surface elevation during use of any site.

(14) The vehicle used for land spreading the sludge shall be moving forward at all times when discharge is occurring unless the vehicle is equipped with a high pressure spray nozzle which is used to evenly distribute the wastes over the land. In addition the vehicle shall be equipped with a distribution system having the ability to spread the wasta evenly over a width of 5 feet or greater.

(15) The permittee may develop additional land spreading sites other than those identified provided they are approved in writing by this Department. The Department may issue a written notice to withdraw approval to use any site that is found to be environmentally unacceptable. This written approval or withdrawal shall be deemed as authority to use or reject the sita until such time as the permit can be modified in accordance with Section 147.03. Wisconsin Statutes.

(16) Sludge may not be land spread in a floodway.

(17) Sludge may not be land spread within 50 feet of a property line road or ditch unless the sludge is incorporated with the soil, in which case a minimum separation distance of at least 25 feet is required.

0290d. PERM l

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