ML18018A879

Nine Mile Point, Unit 1 - Environmental Statement Related to Operation of Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station Unit 1

ML18018A879
Person / Time
Site:	Nine Mile Point
Issue date:	01/31/1974
From:	US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
To:	Niagara Mohawk Power Corp
References
Download: ML18018A879 (482)

Text

gpgggpTQppI~~JY~I~I) pQJKCOPrelatedteeperatlom ofNINEMILEPOINTNUCLEARSTATIONUNIT'llNIAGRAMOHAWKPOWERCORPORATION DOCKETNO.50-220GYqoPC+o~O'Z~~+4TES0<JANUARY1974arGULXTOHV DOGKKTPI'-F COP~UNITEDSTATESATOMICENERGYCOMMISSION DIRECTORATE OFLICENSING

SUMMARYANDCONCLUSIONS

'hisEnvironmental Statement waspreparedbytheU.S.AtomicEnergyCommission, Directorate ofLicensing.

1.~Thisactionisadministative.

2.Theproposedactionconcernstheconversion ofthecurrentpro-visionaloperating licensetoafull-term licensetobegrantedtotheNiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation fortheNineMilePointNuclearStationUnit1locatedonLakeOntariointheStateofNewYork(DocketNo.50-220).NineMilePointStationUnit1employsaboiling-water reactortoproduceupto1850megawatts thermal(MWt).Asteamturbine-generator usesthisheattoprovide610MN(net)ofelectrical powercapacity.

Thiscapacityisconsidered intheassessments contained inthisstatement.

Theexhauststeamiscooledbyonce-through flowofwaterobtainedfromanddischarged toLakeOntario.3.Summaryofenvironmental impactandadverseeffects:Construction ofthetransmission linesrequiredtheuseofapproximately 1,640acresfortheright-of-way.

Landusepatternsinsuchrights-of-way havenotchangedinanymajorwaybutbecauseofinadequate planningthelineinmanyplacesmaybeconsidered bysomeasanaesthetic detraction.

Fishwillbeimpingedontheintakescreen.Althoughitshouldhavelittle"ornonoticeable effectonthefishpopulation ofthelakeasawhole,thekillrateatUnit1ishigh.Aprogramofmonitoring thekillrateandofdetermining thelocalfishpopulation hasbeenimplemented todetermine theseriousness andextentoftheproblem.Entrained smallfish,eggs,andfishlarvaearenotexpectedtosurvivepassagethroughth'eplantcoolingsystemandwilladdanincremental losstothefishpopulation, however,theoveralleffectonthefishpopulation ofthelakewillbesmall.Entrained zooplankton andphytoplankton areexpectedtosufferhighmortality duringthesummer.However,eveniftherateofmortality were100%%d,theimpactofsuchmortality amongorganisms withashortgeneration timewillnotbemeasurable inthearea.

Athermalplumewillbepresentatthedischarge.

Somejuvenilefishmaybedrawnintoitandmaybekilled;however,ifthisoccurstheirnumbersareexpectedtobesmall.The6'Fisothermextending totheshoreisnotexpectedtoactasabarriertofreemovementoffishesalongtheshore.However,theApplicant hasinitiated taggingorotherappropriate studiestodetermine movement.

offishesinthein-shorewaters.Noshiftsinalgalspeciesfromanabundance ofdiatomsandgreenalgaetoblue-green algaeareexpected.

Onthewhole,thethermaldischarge fromUnit1isnotexpectedtohaveanysignificant deleterious effecton.thebiotaofthelake.IfUnit1weretobeshutdownsuddenlyinthewinter,thethermaldischarge wouldceaseandthefishesintheplumewoulddie.Theimpactofsuchmortality isnotexpectedtohaveanadverseeffectonexistingfishpopulations.

Chemicals" discharged tothelakewillbelimitedtoconcentrations thatwillposenothreattoaquaticlife.Theriskassociated withaccidental radiation exposureisveryloweNosignificant environmental impactsareanticipated fromnormaloperational releasesofradioactive materials within50miles.Theestimated dosetothe1980population within50milesfromoperation ofUnit1willbe2.5man-rem/yr aftermodification oftheradwastesystem(34man-rem/yr, atpresent)whichislessthanthenormalfluctuations inthe110,000man-rem/yr background dosethispopulation wouldreceive.4.Principal alternatives considered:

Abandonment ofthefacilityandconstruction ofanothernuclear.plantonanothersite.Fossilfuelasanalternative powersourceatthepresentsite.Purchaseofpowerfromoutsidesources.,

Heatdissipation withnatural-draft andforced-draft coolingtowersorcoolingponds.P.Thefollowing federal,state,andlocalagencieswererequested tocommentontheDraftEnvironmental Statement:

FederalAenciesAdvisoryCouncilonHistoricPreservation Environmental Protection AgencyDepartment ofAgriculture Department oftheArmy,CorpsofEngineers Department ofCommerceDepartment ofHealth,Education andWelfareDepartment ofHousingandUrbanDevelopment Department oftheInteriorDepartment ofTransportation FederalPowerCommission NewYorkStateAenciesDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation Department ofPublicServiceDepartment ofCommerceAtomicEnergyCouncilLocalAenciesOswegoCountyDepartment ofPlanning6.TheFinalEnvironmental Statement wasmadeavailable tothepublic,totheCouncilonEnvironmental Quality,andtotheagenciesnotedaboveinFebruary1974.7~OnthebasisoftheanalysissetforthinthisStatement, afterweighingtheenvironmental,

economic, technical, andotherbenefitsofUnit1againstenvironmental costsandconsidering available alternatives, theStaffconcludes thattheaction'calledforunderNEPAandAppendixDto10CFRPart50istheconversion ofthecurrentprovisional operating licensetoafull-term licenseforthefacilitysubjecttothefollowing conditions forprotection oftheenvironment:

A.LicenseConditions 1.TheApplicant willcompleteconstruction ofanewradwastefacilitytobeoperational bylate1975.

B.Technical Specification Requirements 1.TheApplicant willestablish arevisedandcomprehensive environmental monitoring programasdiscussed belowforinclusion intheTechnical Specifications that,isacceptable totheStafffordetermining environmental effectswhichmayoccurasaresultoftheoperation ofUnit1.TheApplicant willcontinuetherevisedandcompre-hensiveecological surveyprogramtoprovidedatafromwhichtomeasuretheimpactofUnit1operation onthebiotaofLakeOntario(Section6'1).TheApplicant willcontinuetheimpingement monitoring andsamplingprogramattheintakestructure ofUnit1asoutlinedinSections5.5and6.1todetermine thenumber,species,andsizeoffishkilledandrelatethesedatatotheintakedesignandfield-sampling programoutlinedabove.Thisinformation istobemadeavailable totheStaffbyJanuary1976toevaluatethesignificance ofthefish-kill problemtodetermine whethermodification oftheexistingintakeand/ordevelopment andimplementation ofotherpreventive'ethods willberequired.

TheApplicant willcontinuetheentrainment monitoring andsamplingprogramattheintake.and discharge structures andinthethermalplumeasoutlinedinSection6.1to'determine theextentofentrainment'nd themortality ofentrained organisms.

TheApplicant willconductsuchfieldinvestigations ofthethermalplumeasarenecessary tocorrelate thedataobtainedfromtheaquaticenvironmental

'program.

Theseinvestigations shouldbemadeforthedifferent seasonsundervarioushydrological andmeteorological conditions.

(Section6.2).

vTheApplicant willconductaradiological monitoring pro-gramconsidered bytheStafftobeadequatetodetermine anyradiological effectsontheenvironment fromoperation ofUnit1(Section6.3).4TheApplicant willconductaterrestrial monitoring programtodetermine theenvironmental effectsoftheuseofherbi-cidesforlinemaintenance.

Particular

'attention shouldbe,giventovegetation whichfiguressignificantly inthelife-cycleofvaluedwildlife-species whichmayoccupythisright-of-way.Theprogramshouldalsoincludeafieldstudytodetermine thepresenceandstatusofrareorendangered plantsandanimalsatthesiteandalongthetransmission lineright-of-way.

Ifendangered speciesarepresent,stepsshouldbetakentopreventtheirdestruction duringthecontinued operation ofUnit1(Section6.4).2.Ifharmfuleffectsand/orevidenceforpotential irreversible damagearedetectedbythemonitoring

programs, the,Applicant willprovidetotheStaffan'analysis oftheproblemandaplanofactionto'betakentoalleviate theproblem.

CONTENTS.'~PaeSUMMARYANDCONCLUSIONS TABLEOFCONTENTSLISTOF.FIGURESLIST'OFTABLES.~'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~vi~~xiFOREWORD~~~~~~-~~~~~~o'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1.INTRODUCTION.

1.1StatusofReview'sandApprovals.

2~THESITE~~~,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2-12.1StationLocation2.2RegionalDemography; LandandWaterUse.2.3Historical PlacesandNaturalLandmarks.

2.4Topography andGeology2.5Hydrologyo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2.5.1Surface-water Hydrology.

2.5.2Lake-water Hydrology

.2.5.3Groundwater Hydrology.

2.6Meteorology 2o7Ecologyo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2.7.1Terrestrial Ecology.2.7.2AquaticEcology.2.8Background Radiological Characteristics.

2-12>>12-72-72-8-2-82-102-132-132-172-172-172-253oTHESTATION3.1ExternalAppearance.

3.2ReactorandSteam-ElectricSystem.3.3PlantWaterUse.3.4Heat-dissipation System.3.4.1IntakeStructure 3.4.2Discharge Structure.

3.5Radioactive Waste.3.5.1LiquidWasteSystem.3.5.1.1ExistingWasteCollector,(low conductivity)

WasteSystem~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~3.5.1.2UpgradedWasteCollector Qowconductivity)

System.3.5.1.3FloorDrain(highconductivity)

WasteSystem.3.5.1.4FloorDrainUpgradedWasteSystem.3-13-13-43-43-73-73-113-113-133-163-163-17 CONTENTS~Pae3.5.1.5Regenerant ChemicalandMiscellaneous WasteSystem.3.5.1.6SummaryofLiquidWasteTreatment System.3.5.2GaseousWasteSystem.3.5.2.1ExLstingGaseousWasteSystem.3.5.2.2TheUpgradedGaseousWasteTreatment System.3.5.3SolidWasteSystem.3.6ChemicalandBiocideEffluents 3.7SanitaryWastesandOtherEffluents.

3.8Transmission Facilities.

4.'NVIRONMENTAL EFFECTSOFCONSTRUCTION 3-173-183-233-233-263-283-303-333-354-14.1EffectsonLandUse.4.1.1StationSite'4.1.2Transmission Lines~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~4-14-14-35.ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTSOFSTATIONOPERATION.

5-15.1ImpactsonLandUse.5.1.1StationEnvirons5.1.2Transmission-line Environs5.2ImpactsonWaterUse...5.2.1WaterConsumption.

5.2.2ThermalStudies.5.2.3EffectsofChemicalDischarges

.5.2.4Compliance withWaterQualityStandards.

5.3Radiological ImpactonBiotaOtherthanMan.5.4Radiological ImpactonMan.5.4.1Radioactive Materials ReleasedinLiquidEffluents 5.4.2Radioactive Materials ReleasedtotheAtmosphere

.5.4.3DirectRadiation 5.4.4Population DosesfromallSources.5.4.5Evaluation ofRadiological Impact.5.5Nonradiological EffectsonEcological Systems.5.5.1Effect-on Terrestrial Environment.

5.5.2EffectonAquaticEnvironment.

5.6EffectsontheCommunity

.~~~~~~5-15-1~'-1~5-25-25-35-35-75-135-175-19'5-215-265-265-285-'285-285-315-406.ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAM.6-16.1AquaticMonitoring Program.6.2ThermalMonitoring Program.6.3Radiological Environmental Monitoring.

6.4Terrestrial Monitoring Program.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~6-1"6-76-76-12 CONTENTS~Pae7.ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTSOFACCIDENTS.

7.1PlantAccidents Involving Radioactive Materials.

7.2Transportation Accidents Involving Radioactive Materials

~71~71~7-58.IMPLICATIONS OFTHESTATION8-18;1TheRequirement forPower...8.1.1PowerDemand..8.1.2PowerGeneration

.8.1.3,Planned'Capacity Addition; Estimates ofFuturePowerRequirements

.8.1.4Conclusion

.8.2AdverseEnvironmental EffectswhichCannotbeAvoided.8.2.1LandEffects.

8.2.2AquaticEffects.8.2.3Radiological Effects.8.3Short-term UsesandLong-term Productivity

.8.4Irreversible andIrretrievable Commitments ofResources.

8-1.8-48-48-88-88-88-118-118-118-128-149.ALTERNATIVES TOTHEPROPOSEDPROJECT.9-19.1Alternative EnergySourcesandSites9.1.1EconomicConsiderations.

9.1.2Environmental Considerations

.9.1.3Benefit-Cost Balance.9.2PlantDesignAlternatives.

9.2.1CoolingSystem.9.2.2ChemicalDischarge System.9.2.3BiocideSystem.9.2.4Sanitary.WasteSystem.9.2.5'.Transportation Procedures.

9.2.6WaterDischarge System.9.2.7IntakeStructure

.9.3Alternatives toNormalTransportation

~'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Procedures9-19-19-39-79-.79-79-119-149-149-149-.159-.179-.1710.BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS~~.10-110.1EnergyGenerating Costs10.2SummaryofBenefits.10.3Environmental Costs.10.3.1LandUse.10.3.2WaterUse.-10.3.3Biological Effects.10.3.4Radiological Effects.10.4Benefit-Cost Balance.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.10-1.10-1.10-.3.10-.3.10-3.10-.3.10-.4.10-4 CONTENTS11.'ISCUSSION OFCOMMENTSRECEIVEDONTHEDRAFTENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT

~Pae11-11GeneralConsiderations

'1.1.1Recommendation toNotGrantaFullTermLicense.11.1.2RegionalAssessment 11.1.3Geothermal EnergySources.11.1.4Topography andGeology2AquaticEffects.11.2.1FishEchoSounderSurvey.11.2.2Phytoplankton

.11.2.3Maturation ofYellowPerch11.2:4PonarDredgeforBenthicStudies11.2.5FishImpingement 11.2.6Recirculation ofIntakeCoolingWater.11.2.7Mechanical DamagefromEntrainment.

'1.2.8Entrainment DamageSimulation Studies,.

11.2.9FishReplacement Costs3WaterQuality.11.3.1Phosphorus Concentrations

.11.3.2CoolingWaterDischarge

.11.3.3Total.Dissolved Solids'1.3.4HeavyMetalCorrosion ProductsintheCoolingMate4LiquidEffluents

.11.4.1Dissolved NobleGases.11.4.2Compliance withWASH-1258 Conditions 11.4.3Operating LiquidEffluentReleases.

11.4.4DoseAssessment forLiquidReleases5SolidRadioactive Waste11.5.1IsotopicBreakdown ofSolidWaste11.5.2Operating andPredicted Radioactivity LevelsforSolidWastes.11.5.3OffsiteDisposalofSolidRadioactive Waste.6Environmental Monitoring Programs11.6.1Radiological Monitoring Program.11.6.2Implementation oftheRevised,Comprehensive AquatMoni'toring Programo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~11.6.3ThermalMonitoring Techniques 11.6.4Atmospheric-Dispersion Factor.11.6.5Useof.Operating DatatoAssessEnvironmental Impact.~~~~~~~~~~r~11-211-2,11-211-311-311-311-311-4,11-511-511-511-611-611-611>>711~?11-711-711-811-811-911-911<<911-911-1011-1011-1011-1111-1111-1211-1211-1211-1211-1311-13 CONTENTS~Paell.7Transmission Lines11.7.1Transmission LineSoundLevels11.7.2Utilization ofTransmission LineRight-of-.

Way11.7.3OzoneProduction FromHighVoltageTransmission'Line

.11.7.4Transmission LineInteraction withRailroadSignals.11.8ReactorAccidents

......~............~11.8.1AccidentProbabilities 11.8.2P'ostulated PlantAccidents Involving LiquidReleases.11.9Alternatives 11.9.1CoolingTowerNoiseLevels11.9.2Estimated EmissionQuantities fromOilandCoalFiredPlants11.10LocationofPrincipal ChangesinthisStatement inResponsetoComments.11-1411-1411-1511-1511-1611-1611-1611-1611~1711-1711-1711-17APPENDIXA:CommentsonDraftEnvironmental Statement

....'.A-1APPENDIXB:Applicants PartialResponseEnvironmental Statement

.toCommentsonDraft~~~~~~~B1APPENDIXC:Applicants PartialResponseEnvironmental Statement

.toCommentsonDraft~~~~~~~C~l FIGURES~Fiuse2.12.22.32.42.52.6VicinityoftheNineMilePointNuclearPowerStation.LocationofNineMilePointNuclearPowerStationinNewYorkState.Population Distribution within5-mileRadiusofStation.Population Densities within50-mileRadiusofStationfor1980~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TheAppearance ofNineMilePointin1963beforetheStation'as Built'AverageMonthlyTemperature ofLakeOntario~Pae2-22-32-42-52-92-113.13.23.33.43.53.63.73.83.93.103.113.123.133.144.14.2PlotofSiteofNineMilePointNuclearStationUnitl.NineMilePointUnitl.Water-usage Flow.Circulating-water System:Plan.IntakeandDischarge Structures Schematic DiagramoftheScreenwell

.Circulating-water System:Profile.ExistingLiquidRadwasteSystem,NineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1UpgradedLiquidRadwasteSystem,NineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1.ExistingGaseousRadwasteSystem,NineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1.UpgradedGaseousRadwasteSystem,NineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1.Makeup-water Treatment.

Transmission Facilities Transmission-line Structures NorthofClay.Wood"H"Frame:SingleCircuit.LatticeSteelTower:SingleCircuit.3-23-33-53-63-83<<93-103-143-153-243-253-323-363-384-24-45.15.25.35.4Three-dimensional ThermalSurveyofNineMilePoint:Novo16'971~~~~~~~e~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Three-dimensional ThermalSurveyofNineMilePoint:July30,19714~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Generalized ExposurePathwaysforOrganisms OtherThanMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o~~~Generalized ExposurePathwaystoMan.5-45-55-155-18

,FIGURES~Fire~Pae.6.16.26.38.18.28.38.4SamplingLocations andBioticGroupstobeSampled*intheVicinityofNineMile'Point AreaofLakeOntarioOff-siteRadiological Monitoring StationsLake-sampling Transects andLocations ofOn-siteRadiological Monitorin'g Stations.

NiagaraMohawkServiceArea.MaximumSystemCapacityandLoad,MWeoftheNiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation fortheWinterof1972WinterPeakPowerDemandforApplicant's System.ForecastofReserveMargins.6-36-106-118-28-58-68-99.19.29.3CoolingLakeat310-footElevation (880acres)Alternative Evapo'rative SystemforTreatingRegeneration Wastes~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~~~Once-through CoolingSystemwithDiffuserDischarge

.9-109-139-16 xiiiTABLESTable2.12.'22.32.42.52.62.72.82.9LicensesandPermitsforNineMilePointNuclearStationUnit1.Population Progections for'Oswego andNeighboring Counties.

Applicant's 1972WaterQualityMeasurements

-LakeOntarioNearNineMilePointNuclearStationSiteData'onLakeOntarioWaterQuality.FishesFoundintheNineMilePointArea.....*.Spawning, FoodHabits,andImportance ofFishesAbundantintheNineMilePointAreaof'LakeOntarioAbundance ofBenthicOiganisms ataSamplingStationApproximately FourMilesfromNineMilePointStation,1964~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'~~~~~~~~~~kAbundance ofMa)orDiatomSpeciesataSamplingStationaboutFourMilesfromNineMilePoint'Station, September 8-18,1964.Abundance ofPhytoplankton (byFamilies) ataSamplingStationabout'our MilesfromNineMilePointStation,September 1964.Environmental SamplingStationsintheNineMilePointArea,1969-1972

~Pae2-142-152-202-212-232-262~272-283.13.23.33.43.53.63.73.83.9Principal Parameters UsedinEstimating Radioactive ReleasefromNineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1.EstimateofAnnualReleaseofRadioactivity inLiquidEffluents fromNineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1asExistingJuly1,1972.UpgradedSystem,EstimateofAnnualRelease,ofRadioactivity inLiquidEffluents fromNineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1SummaryofReportedReleasesfromNineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1.Comparison ofNineMi.lePointUnit1LiquidWasteReleases, Ci/yrEstimateofAnnualReleasesofRadioactive Materials inGaseousEffluents fromNineMilePointNu'clearStationUnit1asExistingJuly1,1972EstimateofAnnualReleasesofRadioactive Materials inGaseousEffluents fromNineMilePointNuclearStation,Unitlo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Composition ofSettling-basin Overflow.'hemical Discharges fromMakeup'ater System.3~123-193-203-213-223-273-293-323-34 xivTABLESTable~Pae5.15.25.35.45.55.65.75.85.95.105.11,Drinking WaterStandards for,LakeOntario.Freshwater Bioaccumulation FactorsforRadioelements 1971EffluentReleasesfromNineMilePoint,Unit1.AnnualDose-from LiquidEffluents underEquilibrium Conditions toIndividuals atVariousLocations beforeInstallation ofAugmented RadwasteSystem.AnnualDosesfromLiquidEffluents underEquilibrium Conditions toIndividuals atVariousLocations afterInstallation ofAugmented RadwasteSystem.AnnualDosesfromGaseousEffluents underEquilibrium Conditions toIndividuals atVariousLocations beforeInstallation ofAugmented RadwasteSystem.AnnualDosesfromGaseousEffluents underEquilibrium Conditions toIndividuals atVariousLocations afterInstallation ofAugmented RadwasteSystem.Cumulative Population inSelectedAnnuliaroundNMP-1.Environmental ImpactofTransportation ofFuelandWastetoandfromaTypicalLight-water-cooled NuclearPowerReactor.AnnualDosetotheGeneralPopulation forOperation

.ofNineMilePointUnit1TotalFish-impingement CatchatNHP-1,May30,1972-June27,1973.5-105-145-195-215-225-245-255-275-295-305-326.16.26.3Frequency ofSamplingforEcological StudiesintheNineMilePointAreaofLakeOntario.Radiological Monitoring ProgramforLakeOntarioRadiological Monitoring ProgramforLand6-46-86-97.17.27.3Classification ofPostulated Accidents andOccurrences SummaryofRadiological Consequences ofPostulated Accidents

.Environmental ImpactofAccidents DuringTransportation, ofFuel&WastetoandfromNineMilePointUnitl.~72'7-47-68.18.28.39.19.29.3NewYorkPowerPoolMembers...Projected PeakSituations

.DataonLoadandCapacityPro]ected to1980.kNewYorkGenerating-plant Costsforan800-NVePlantintheMid1970stComparative Environmental ImpactsforNineMilePointIncremental CostsforAlternative CoolingSystems~~~k~8-38-78-99-29-29-1210.110.2Estimated Generating Cost(in'illions ofdollars).

BenefitCostSummaryfortheStation.10-210-5 FOREWORDThisstatement onenvironmental considerations associated withtheproposedconversion toafull-term operating licensefortheNineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1waspreparedbytheU.S.AtomicEnergyCommission, Directorate ofLicensing (Staff)inaccordance withtheCommisssion's regulation, 10CFRPart50,AppendixD,implementing therequirements oftheNationalEnvironmental PolicyActof1969(NEPA).TheNEPA'states, amongotherthings,thatitisthecontinuing responsi-bilityoftheFederalGovernment touseallpracticable means,consistent withotheressential considerations ofnationalpolicy,toimproveandcoordinate Federalplans,functions,

programs, andresources tothe'endthattheNationmay:Fulfilltheresponsibilities ofeachgeneration astrusteeoftheenvironment forsucceeding generations.

PAssureforallAmericans safe,healthfu1, productive, andesthetically andculturally pleasingsurroundings.

Attainthewidestrangeofbeneficial usesoftheenvironment withoutdegradation, risktohealthorsafety,orotherundesirable andunintended consequences.

Preserveimportant

historic, cultural, andnaturalaspectsofournationalheritage, andmaintain, whereverpossible, an'environment whichsupportsdiversity andvarietyofindividual choice.Achieveabalancebetweenpopulation andresourceusewhichwillpermithighstandards oflivingandawidesharingoflife'amenities.

Enhancethequalityofrenewable resources andapproachthemaximumattainable recycling ofdepletable resources.

Further,withrespecttoma)orFederalactionssignificantly affecting thequalityofthehumanenvironment, Section102(2)(C)oftheNEPAcallsforpreparation ofadetailedstatement on:(i)Theenvironmental impactoftheproposedaction,(ii)anyadverseenvironmental effectswhichcannotbeavoidedshouldtheproposalbeimplemented, (iii)alternatives totheproposedaction,(iv)therelationship betweenlocalshort:-term usesofman'environment andthemaintenance andenhancement oflong-term productivity, and(v)anyirreversible andirretrievable commitments ofresources whichwouldbeinvolvedintheproposedactionshoulditbeimplemented.

PursuanttoAppendixDof10CFRPart50,theAECDirectorate ofLicensing preparesadetailedstatement ontheforegoing considerations withrespecttoeachapplication foraconstruction permitorfull-power operating licenseforanuclearpowerreactor.Whenapplication ismadeforaconstruction permitorafull-power operating license,theApplicant submitsanenvironmental reporttotheAEC.Thestaffevaluates thisreportandmayseekfurtherinformation fromtheApplicant, aswellasothersources,inmakinganindependent assessment oftheconsiderations specified inSection102(2)(C)oftheNEPAandAppendixDof10CFRPart50.Thisevaluation leadstothepublication ofadraftenvironmental statement, preparedbytheDirectorate ofLicensing, whichisthencirculated toFederal,State,andlocalgovernmental agenciesforcomment.Interested personsarealsoinvitedtocommentonthedraftstatement.

Afterreceiptandconsideration ofcommentsonthedraftstatement, theStaffpreparesafinalenvironmental statement, whichincludesadiscussion ofquestions andobjections raisedbythecommentsandthedisposition thereof;afinalcost-benefit analysiswhichconsiders andbalancestheenvironmental effectsofthefacilityandthealternatives available forreducingoravoidingadverseenvironmental effectswiththeenvironmental,

economic, technical, andotherbenefitsofthefacility; andaconclusion astowhether,afterweighingtheenviron-mental,economic, technical, andotherbenefitsagainstenvironmental costsandconsidering available alternatives, theactioncalledforistheissuanceordenialoftheproposedpermitoilicenseoritsappro-priateconditioning toprotectenvironmental values.AtthissitetheApplicant alsoproposestobuildNineKLlePointNuclearStationUnit2,an1100-MWeplant.Inaddition, thePowerAuthority oftheStateofNewYorkisbuildingthe821-HWeJamesA.FitzPatrick NuclearPlant3300feettotheeastofUnit1.TheStaffconsiders theenvironmental impa'ctofplantsintheorderoftheirlicensing sequence.

Theenvironmental impactofagivenplantisconsidered inlightoftheaggregate environmental consequences ofits operation inthepresenceofexistingandscheduled precursor plantsatthesamelocation.

Asaresultofthisprocedure, theenvironmental impactfromUnit1istreatedintheUnit1FES,thecumulative effectsfromUnit1andtheFitzPatrick plantistreatedintheFitzPatrick FESandfinally,thecumulative effectfromallthreeplants(Unit1,Unit2andFitzPatrick) istreatedintheUnit2FES.Finalenvironmental statements havebeenpreparedconcerning theFitzPatrick Plant(DocketNo.50-333)andtheproposedNineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit2(DocketNo.50-410),andwereissuedinMarchandJune1973,respectively.

Singlecopiesofthisstatement maybeobtainedbywritingtheDeputyDirectorforReactorProjects,,

Directorate ofLicensing, U.S.AtomicEnergyCommission, Washington, D.C.20545.Mr.GeraldL.DittmanistheAECEnvironmental ProspectManagerforthisstatement.

(301:973-7263)

1) l.INTRODUCTION ThisEnvironmental Statement pertainstotheNineMilePointNuclearStation.Unit1,isownedbytheNiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation,

Syracuse, NewYork,andwhichhasbeeninoperation sinceDecember1969.Inparticular, thisStatement concernstheapplication fortheconversion ofthecurrentprovisional operating license(DPR-17)toafull-term license(DocketNo.50-220).Unit1oftheStationissituatedona900-acresiteatNineMilePointonthesouthernshoreofLakeOntarioinOswegoCounty,NewYork.Itutilizesaboiling-water reactor(BWR)ratedat1850thermalmegawatts (MWt)toprovidethethermalenergynecessary tosupplysteamfortheturbine-generator, whichproduces610netelectrical megawatts (MWe).Thenuclearreactorandturbine-generator weredesignedandmanufactured byGeneralElectricCompany.TheUnitwasdesignedbyNiagaraMohawk,PowerCorporation (theApplicant) andconstructed byStoneandWebsterEngineering Corporation.

Here,too,theApplicant proposestobuildNineMilePointNuclearStationUnit2,an1100-MWeplant.Inaddition, thePowerAuthority oftheStateofNewYorkisbuildingthe821-MWeJamesA.FitzPatrick NuclearPlant3300feettotheeastofUnit1.Unit1utilizesonce-through coolingwithlakewater,asisproposedforthetwonewplants.Uponconstruction ofUnit2,thecirculating-water systemforUnit1willbemodifiedsothattherewillbeacombineddis-chargeforbothunits.The"Applicant's Environmental Report,Operating LicenseStage,Conversion toFull-Term Operating License,NineMilePointNuclearStationUnit1,"and"Supplements No.1,2and3,"tothereportweresubmitted totheAECbytheApplicant onJuly5,1972,March2,1973,April16,1973,andMay31,1973,respectively.

TheCommission forwarded copiesofthesedocuments totheappropriate federal,stateandlocalagencies.

CopiesofthesereportswerealsoplacedintheCommission's PublicDocumentRoomat1717HStreet,N.M.,Washington, D.C.,andintheOswegoPublicLibrary,Oswego,NewYork.Anoticeofavailability oftheApplicant's Environmental Reportwaspublished intheFederalRegisteronAugust18,1972(37FR16692).ThisEnvironmental Statement takesintoaccounttheApplicant's Environ-mentalReportandSupplements No.1,2and3thereto,andtheApplicant's FinalSafetyAnalysisReport.

1-2Independent calculations andsourcesofinformation werealsoutilizedasabasisfortheStaff'sassessment ofenvironmental impact.Alsousedwasinformation gainedbytheStaffduringavisittotheStationsiteandsurrounding areas.TheApplicant isrequiredtocomplywiththeFederalWaterPollution ControlAct',asamendedbytheFederalWaterPollution ControlActAmendments of1972.1.1STATUSOFREVIEWSANDAPPROVALS Table1.1listspermits,licenses, andapprovals fortheconstruction andoperation oftheStationaswellasthegrantingagencyandthestatusofthedocumentasoftheprintingdateofthisstatement.

Table1.1reflectschangesinpermit,license,orapprovalrequirements necessitated bytherecentFederalWaterPollution ControlActAmendment of1972.

1-3TABLE1.1.LicensesandPermitsforNineMilePointNuclearStationUnit1AgencyDescription DateofIssueFederalAenCiesU.S.AtomicEnergyCommission Construction permitfornuclearstationand'a'ssoc.facilitles (CPPR-16)

April1965Licensetopossessanduseby-product materialJune1967LicensetopossessandusespecialnuclearmaterialAugust1967Provisional nuclearstationoperating license(DPR17)at1538MRtAugust1969Amendment No.1,authori-zationtoincreasesourcemateria1quantityJune26,1970Amendment No.2,toincreasepowerratingto1850MVtApril14,1971Amendment No.3,todesignate thefacilityasUnit1June12,1973Full-term nuclearstationoperating licenseFiled,July1972U.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineers Construction permitsforintakeanddischarge tunnelsofcirculating-water systemOctober1964Environmental ProteetionAgencyFederalAviationAuthority LiquidWasteDischarge Permit(NPDES)Approvalforstackconstruction Filed,October24,1972October1968 1-4TABLE:l.l.

(Cont'd)AgencyDescription DateofIssueStateofNew'YorkNewYorkDepartment ofHealth,Bureauof'WaterResources Cooling-water-discharge permitApril1965Sewage-disposal-system permitMay1965NewYorkDepartment ofHealth,AirPollution ControlBoardStack-effluent-discharge permitApril1966NewYorkDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation Water-quality certification Filed,April5,1973DieselExhaustPermitFiled,October17,1973 2-12.THE'SITE2.1STATIONLOCATIONTheStationislocated"ona900-acresiteinanareaknownasNineMilePointonthe"'outL shoreofLakeOntarioinOswegoCounty,'New'ork.

TheApplicant hasproposedtobuildan1100-MReStation,Unit.2,on.thissite.TheJamesA.FitzPatrick NuclearPowerPlant,owned,bythePowerAuthority oftheStateofNewYork,islocatedona700-'acre plotimmediately eastofthesite.Figure2.lshows therelativelocations ofthegenerating stations.

The,siteisabout8mileseastofOswego,36'ilesnorthwest ofSyracuse, and135mileseastofBuffalo,NewYork.OthertownsandpointsofinterestareshowninFig.2.2.2.2REGIONALDEMOGRAPHY; LANDANDWATERUSEDuringmostoftheyear,thetotalpopulation withinafive-mile radiusofthesiteisabout3000.Inadditiontotheyear-round popul'ation, afewcottagesalongthelakeshoreareoccupiedinthesummermonths.TheOntarioBibleConference operatesasummercamp,knownasLakeview, 4500feetsouthwest ofthesite.TheApplicant indicates thatduringthesummeramaximumof1500personsmaybeatthecampforshortperiodsonweekends.

Thenearestdwellings areonLakeviewRoadaboutonemilesouthwest fromthesite.Figure2.3showsthe1971population distribution ina0-5mileradius.Theprojected 1980population distribution withina0-50mileradius,isgiveninFig.2.4.Table2.1givesthepresentandpro)ected population ofthetencountieswhichwhollyorpartially fallwithinthe50-mileradiusoftheStation.Thisprojection waspreparedbytheNewYorkStateOfficeofPlanningServices.~

Thelandareawithinfivemilesofthesiteisprimarily rural.MuchofthelandinthevicinityoftheStationandinOswegoCountywasformerlyfarmedbutisnowcoveredwithsecond-growth treesandotherwoodyvegeta-tion.Suchareasconstitute abouthalfthelandinthecounty."'Theremainder ismadeupofwoodedareasandfarms.According toarecentpublication bytheNewYork'StateOfficeofPlanningCoordination,2 about34/ofthelandinOswegoCountywas.devotedtofarminganddairyingin1968;however,onlyabout10/ofthelandhasfarmsthatappearcapableofsupporting viablefarmbusinesses throughout theforseeable future.ThenumberoffarmsintheOneidaPlain,whichincludesOswegoCounty,decreased 40/intheperiod1949-1959 andabout21/inthe1959-1964 period.TheNewYorkStateOfficeofPlanningCoordination projectsthatlandunderfarminginthisareawillcontinuetodeclinemorerapidlythan 2-2LAKE.0ARI0PROGRESSCENTERNITININEMILEPOINTNUCLEARSTATIONrJAMESA.FITZPATRICK IINUCLEARPOwERPLANTIUNDERCONSTRUCT/ON)

IPRIVATELokeview1ANIAGAPOWERRAMOHAWKCORPORATION POWERAUTHORITY STATEOFNEWYORKOOMINORROADLyCOmiIIg PEIIIIUNITI-CLAYTRANSMISSION RIGHTOFWAYSEEFIGURE3.Z-II4SCALE-MILESFig.2.1.VicinityoftheNineMilePointNuclearPower-Station.FromtheApplicantIs Environmental Report.

2~31lAKE///0///%ITTARI0/,p/0PWAYiRTOWN 4~l0l~9Il,<<IN<<0<<of<<o f%f0000~Ia<<0IO<<<<~l8NINEMII.If.POINTNVVI,RAAPV(ASK(POWCI<<GTATION O;5'If<<ENCOOSWEGOPARISItI,g~EVETO~CENTRAlI.'f<<[e'~0/Of<<O."IDA<<'I

~0~<<O0<<<<offO>~~OSCEOIA<s+<<T0>>VIIIFt~,jII'f<<<<lITNP<<fQlff~j<<+fffNfttN@.<<'awa<</VTI<<At,l~~."A',l~<<~-/+~04I~oaf)"g~lNIT~0000<<f0Q0IAlTMAR'0+~<</'000IS,Q(J>>~/',CAMI:EN.<<~,REMSFFI<<<<<<TfI<<,-i<<'A<<V00OO<<0<<<<T~~0I000f0IO0I<<fff<<

Ii0CORTIAhDMAOIIO<<<<COUff<<T I~0~0IWS0~00000~f0000<<00~0<<ff<<Huff<<<<<<Q

<<XKHfTAIRPORTo4STATEPARKILO<<<<CRtj.'tjOM

.:":;.'::.;;,',',

<<Afa,O<<~I<<Fig.2.2.MapShowingLocationpfNineMilePointNuclearPowerStationinNewYorkState.FromApplicant IsEnvironmental Report.

(0SAN<LESS~'LES00I5~~1N<fNN<llbl<<Nl--~r.ll11111IisIII1II0le+204IIIII/IOSWEGO~I/CITYBOUNDARYIIIIII1.~.NlllTK1<<<I04III,ILIIII<0Se/INOTE:NUMBERSREPRESENT TOTALNUMBEROFIIINHABITANTS INEACHAREASEGMENTIIISCALEMILESFig.2.3.Population Distribution w9.thin5-mileRadiusofStation.

CANAO4ITOCINITON1~14lt40KOOC/IOlkI'WITINTOWNI14o///0IT/0/IOQoKAAEIOIIIONF'AIT/CI40III.0toIll0CNTAWO/'0Colt0toQI.0loIII.~000~4Nl44IIt004~oI~~ill~IttIlIto40'O@IINOTENUMBERREPRESENTS TOTALNUMBEROFPEOPLEPERSOUAREMILEINAREASEOMENT.SOXEONUMBERREPRKSENTS TOTALNUMBEROFPEOPLEPERSOUAREMILEINENTIRE22I/2OEOREESECTOR.EACHSECTORISOSOSOUAREMILKS.4tl04IULTCN~tIIT~t~0~4ttttCINOALACKtootOTICA4WNWWWLACCOWAQOLittCATotlLltC~CNC4LACCFig.2.4.Population Densities within50-mileRadiusofStationfor1980.

2-6TABLE2.1Population Pro)ections forOswegoandNeighboring Counties(inthousands)*

County1970198019902000CayugaJefferson LewisMadisonOneida.OnondagaOntarioOswegoSenecaWayne7789246327347379101357982892428551891122"3893879125833005811081474111291922630863912517844131+DatatakenfromRef.l.

2-7inthestateasawhole.2According totheNewYorkStateDevelopment Plan,~land-useprojections for1990indicatethatthenortheast halfofOswegoCounty(which.includesthesitet"willremainsparselysettled.and predominantly naturalopenspace.According,to theApplicant, theentireshoreline northof,,Unit1willbeaccessible tothe,public.The"siteandadjacentareasalongtheshorenearthesite,however,havelittlepotential forwater-based recreation.

Thelakeinthisareaisnotsuitableforswimmingbecausethelakebottomislargelybedrock,andtherearefewnaturalharborsorlandings.

TheApplicant hasstatedthatduringAugustandSeptember, thepeakfishingweekends, upto30boatshavebeenobservedatonetimeinthecooling-water discharge areafortheNineMilePointUnit1.Smallmouth bassandwhi.teandyellowpercharethemajorspeciescaught.Twostateparksarenearby-SelkirkStatePark,tenmilesnortheast oftheproposedStationsitealongtheshore,andBattleIslandnearFulton,15milessouthwest ofthesite.About250,000vacationers visittheseparksyearly.Twohospitals inOswegoCounty-theOswegoHospital, with176beds,isaboutsevenmilesfromthesiteinOswego,andtheLeeMemorialHospital, withabout60beds,is15milesawayinFulton.TheclosestschoolistheNewHavenElementary School,whichisfivemilessoutheast ofthesite.Theonlyindustrial establishment alongthelakeshoreinScribaistheAlcanAluminumCorporation located3-1/4milessouthwest ofthesite.Thisplantemploys750people.Thenearestgrazingpastureis~0.7milesouthwest fromthesite.2.3HISTORICAL PLACESANDNATURALLANDMARKS Therearenoknownhistoricplaceswithin'thesiteorinthetransmission-lineright-of-way.

NoneofthehistoricsiteslistedintheNationalRegisterofHistoricPlacesareaffectedbythetransmission lineconnec-tingtheStationtothesubstation nearClay,NewYork.Thereareno,knownarchaeological depositsintheNineMilePointarea.TheApplicant hascontacted theLiaisonOfficerforHistoricPreservation inNewYorkStateandhasreceivedacertification thatthetransmission lineandtheStationwillnothaveaharmfuleffectonsitesofhistorical orarchitec-turalinterest.

2.4TOPOGRAPHY ANDGEOLOGYTheStationanditsassociated transmission linearewithintheErie-Ontario Lowlandsphysiographic province.

Thisprovinceconsistsofarelatively flat 2-8.plainwhich.risesgentlyfromLakeOntariototheAppalachian Uplands,whichformitssouthernborder.TheErie-Ontario LowlandsisboundedontheeastbytheTugHillUpland.Thesi.teisagenerally flatandfeatureless plain.Figure2.5isaphotograph.

ofthe.'rea'.before the,S'tation wasbuilt..Ithasaneleva-tionof260feetMSLr'ising'to310feet'onemij.eaway't'itssouthern.extremity.

Thesurfacesoilsconsistof'Bouldery-ablation tillsthatimmediately overlieacompactBasaltilllyingonbedrock,aflat-lying sandstone imbedded'ith shaleoftheOrdovician Age(OswegoSandstone)

.Theshalecontentincreases withdepth;atapproximately 130'eetbelowthesurface,theOswegoSandstone gradesintotheunderlying Lorrainegroup,whichispredominantly shalewithsomesandstone.

Mostoftheearthquakes recordedinthestatewereatdistances greaterthan50milesfromthesite.Mostofthesehaveoccurredin,theSt.LawrenceandHudsonRiverValleysandtheBuffalo-Rochester area.TheSt.LawrenceRiverValleytrendappearstobethemostactive.From1853to1963,atleastthirteenearthquakes wererecordedwithinfiftymilesoftheStation.Thehighestintensity earthquake duringthisperiodoccurredatLowvillein1853;itwasintensity VIonthemodifiedMercalliscale.Mostoftheotherearthquakes inthisareahadanintensity ofIIIor.less.ThereisaminorfaultlineatNineMilePointthatcrossestheintakeanddischarge tunnelsatrightanglestrendingN78'Wanddippingapproxi-mately60'o64'outh,andasystemofpointsatthebargeslipwithanattitudesimilartothefaultthatcrossesthetunnels.TheU.S.Depart-mentoftheInteriorconsiders thesegeological featurestobeofminorsignificance asfarasthepotential movementoftheintakeanddischarge tunnelsisconcerned.

Thelastmovementalongthefaultisthoughttobegeologically old,probablymucholderthanthelastglacialepisodeinthearea.71Therelationship ofsiteseismology tothesafetyoftheStation,itsdesign,andseismicdesigncriteriahavebeenconsidered indetailbytheStaffizthesafetyreview.2.5HYDROLOGY 2.5.1Surface-water Hydrology TheStationisinthenortheast portionoftheLakeOntarioPlaindrainagebasin.Thisbasinencompasses about34,800squaremiles,exclusive ofl Fig.2.5.TheAppearance ofNineMilePointin1963beforetheStationWasBuilt.FromtheApplicant's Environmental Report.

2-10lakesurface,inNewYorkandtheProvinceofOntario.Oftheaverage34inchesofannualprecipitation, about17inchesbecomesstreamflow,about15inchesis,lostby,evapotranspiration, andabouttwoinchesbecomesgroundwater.Although.

thebasinhasnumerouslargestreams,noneisintheimmediate vicinityoftheStation.CatfishCreek(approximately-,three mi1eseast.oftheStation)andtheOswegoRiver('ightmilestothevest)aretheclosestlargestreams.S'urfacewaterrunofffrom,theStationsiteflowsintothesmallercreeksandmarshesnear5y,which,inturn,drainnorthward intoLakeOntario.2.5.2Lake-water Hydrology

'LakeOntario,theeasternmost oftheGreatLakes,is193mileslongand53milesacrossatitswidestpoint.Ithasashoreline lengthof726milesandasurfaceareaof7340squaremiles.Thesurfaceofthelakeis245feetabovemeansealevel.Itsgreatestdepthis840feet;theaveragedepth,300feet.Thetotalvolumeofthelakeis390cubicmiles.LakeOntariohasalargevolumeofwaterperunitofsurfacearea.Themajorinflow(about80percent)isfromLakeErieviatheNiagaraRiver,whichdischarges, ontheaverage,approximately 200,000cfsintoLakeOntario.OtherriversdrainingintothelakearetheGenesee,whichflowsfromtheAppalachian Front;theOswego,whichdrainstheFingerLakesregion;the'lackRiver,whichflowsfromtheAdirondacks; andtheTrentRiver,whichdrainsaportionoftheProvinceofOntario.TheSt.LawrenceRivercarriestheoutflowofLakeOntariototheAtlanticOcean.LakeOntarioisadimicticlake(withspringandfallturnover) havingamaximumsurfacetemperature of72'Finthesummer(Fig.2.6),andalargethermalgradient.

Thecomputedretention timeforwaterinthelakeisontheorderof15years.~Inthesummer,thelakebecomesvertically stratified (thermally andchemically).

Awarm,readilycirculating upper(epilimnion) andacold,undisturbed lowerlayer(hypolimnion) developwithazoneofrapidtemperature change(thermocline ormetalimnion) betweenthe.two.Becausetheepilimnion andhypolimnion watersdonotmix,nutrients releasedbydecayinandnearthebottomsediments remaintrappedinthebottomwaters.Upwellings ofthecold,nutrient-rich, bottomwater(causedbystormaction)canleadtosudden,rapidtemperature changesintheinshorewaters.Theseupwellings canalsoleadtoanincreaseintheproductivity ofcertainshallowwater'reas.

2-1180~700e60I50ZI-OX404Iw30AVERAGEWATERSURFACETEMPERATURE 20JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVOECPig.2.6.AverageMonthlyTemperature ofLakeOntario.

2-12Inthefall,theupperwaterscoolandthelakebecomesvertically isothermal, whileinthewinter,forallpractical

purposes, thelakecanbeconsidered asessentially isothermal.

Itdoesnotfreezeexceptnearland,particularly inslackbayareasintheeasternendofthelake.Inthespring,theentirelakebeginsmixing(springturnover).

Duringmixing,becauseofpreferential heatingoftheshallowinshorewaters,a"thermalbar"gradually developsandmovestowardthecenterofthelakeuntilitdisappears earlyinJune.Duringtheexistence ofthebar,nutrients carriedintothelakebystreamsmaybecometrappedforshortperiodsintheinshorewaters.,Laketemperature surveyshavebeenmadebytheApplicant intheNineMilePointareainover100feetofwaterduringthe'onths MaytoSeptember.

ThedataforMayandearlyJuneshowedatemperature difference ofabout5'Fbetweenthesurfaceandthe40ftdepth,anduniformtemper<<aturebelow.Nothermocline'as observed.

DuringlateJurieandthroughJuly,thermoclines appearedatdepthsrangingfrom10ftto70ft.,andlastednomorethanafewdayseach.InAugust,thelakereacheditsmaximum,temperature, rangingfromabout71'Fatthesurfacetoabout62'Fatthe100ft.depth,nothermocline wasseen.However,inlateAugustandthroughout September, stratification wasobservedwithathermocline in70to90ft.depthlastingforabouttwoweeks.Thecirculation ofth'elakeisgenerally counterclockwise forsurfacecurrents(upper33feet),intermediate currents(33-66feet),andbottomcurrents(below66feet).Thesurfacecurrentsdependstronglyonwindconditions, especially duringsummerstratification, whereasthebottomcurrentsaremodifiedbyfrictionandtopography.

ThesurfacecurrentshaveameanspeedofaboutO.lft/secandarangefrom0to0.5fps.Surfacecurrentsreactquiterapidlytochangesinwindspeedanddirection; theflowpatterncanchangeinlessthanfourhours.Ontheotherhand,theresponsetimeofwind-induced circulation atintermediate depthmaybeabout40hours.Underisothermal conditions, thewindcanaffectthecurrentsattheintermediate depthfarmorethanitcanduringthesummerwhenthelakeisstratified.

Lakecurrentsmeasuredinthevicinityofthesiteappearedtobeprimarily wind-induced, generally lowspeedandshowedrelatively frequentchangesineast-west direction.

2-13TidesinLakeOntarioaresmall,lessthanoneinch.Seichesgenerally haveamplitudes oflessthantwofeet.Wind-driven surfacewavesupto15feethighcanoccur.Thelakebottomnearthesiteisrockyandthebedrockouttothe15-footdepthisrelatively freeofoverburden becauseofheavywaveactivity.

Thebedrockindeeperwatersiscoveredwithalooseoverburden.

Theshorelineintheareaisabrupt,andtherearenobeaches.LakeOntarioismorphometrically anoligotrophic lake.*ThenutrientinputfromLakeErietendstogivethislakeamesotrophic trend;however,sincemostofthelakeisover120feetdeep,thenutrients arenotfullyutilized.

Thedissolved oxygenconcentrations inthedeepwatersarenormally90/to100/ofsaturation; suchahighconcentration indicates lowratesofoxygen-consuming processes inthesewaters.Changesinthechemicalcharacteristics ofLakeOntariocloselyapproxi-matethetrendsexhibited byLakeErie.Available dataindicatethatsodium,chloride, sulfate,andcalciumconcentrations havebeenincreasing duringthepast50to60years.Thehightotaldissolved solidsandlowtransparency indicateaeutrophic trend.Table2.2showstheApplicant's 1972dataonwaterqualityneartheNineMilePointsite.Waterqualitysampleswerecollected andanalyzedduringtheApplicant's 1972ecological investigations.

Surfaceandbottomsamplesweretakenattwolakelocations; onewasin-30feetofwaterandtheotherin40feet.BothsamplingstationswereaboutonemilewestofthemouthoftheOswegoRiver.Grabsamplesweretakenatthecooling-water intakeandatthedischarge, andacomposite samplewastakenattheplantcompositor.

Thesurveywasconducted forsixmonthsbetweenAprilandNovember1972(MayandOctoberexcluded) withsamplestakenmonthly.Theanalytical results,showninTable2.2,listthelowestandthehighestofthesixvaluesforeachlocation.

Additional water<<quality dataareshowninTable2.3;thesedatapertaintosamplesobtainedattheCityofOswegowaterintake,6500feetoffshoreandaboutsevenmileseastoftheStation.Theinshorewatersarelessoligotrophic thanoffshorewaters.'his isareflection oftheshallow'depthsinvolvedandthefactthatmostnutrientinputs,bothnaturalandman-derived, enteralongtheshores.*"Eutrophic" lakesarecharacterized byahighproduction oforganicmatterand"oligotrophic" lakes'havelowproduction oforganicmatter.A"Mesotrophic" condition canbedescribed asanintermediate oratransient condition.

TABLE2.2..Applicant's 1972WaterQualityMeasurements-Lake OntarionearNineMilePointNuclearStationSiteSurfaceBottom30-footMaterDepthSurfaceBottom40-footWaterDepthUnit1IntakeDischarge Composite>>>>

MinimumMaximumMinimumMaximumMinimumMaximumMinimumMaximumMinimum~MinimumMaximumMinimumMaximumAlkalinity ColorUnitsSp.Conductivity, ucho/cmmg/1,869020-3030-4032633086907787818483907289868834134430231934736729836031435429439620-3040-5010-2030-4020-3030-4010-2030-400-3030-4020-30-20-30Turbidity PhenolBODNH3-NNitrate-N T-Phosphorous OrthoPhosphate T.VolatileSolidsChlorideSulfate24-23242601.451234102.500.6JTU"2401.321314403.2502.300425102.201mg/115mg/1242mg/107.5mg/104.7mg/10.040.30mg/1Q.020.11mg/10.005*mg/1109133133400301.70.040.400.020.300.040.300.040.280.030.100.020.10Q.010.090.005>>0.01Q.ll0.01*0.01*0.010"821142462263090'112383114141287224.530951872275mg/1227223.231.228.436mg/1.26.531mg/102.2501.5101.3224Q312504.501.70241301.3000.040.360.040.320.010.280.010.120.01*13415326580.01*112153,36,3926.82923'3302.1501.38TotalSolidsTotalSSmg/1226mg/103021972970112503240.142233092842910527130601625530009Beryllium ug/1<15<1<1<11588<1<1<113 TABLE2,2(Contd.)SurfaceBotton30-footWaterDepthSurfaceBotton40-footWaterDepthUnit1IntakeDischarge

-.Composites*

MinictunMaxinunMininunMaxinunMininunMaxinunMininuaMaxinunMininunMaxinunMininumMaxinunMininunMaxinunpaduanChroniunCopperLeadMercuryVanadiunZincpHug/1<1120g/1c15c15ug/1<2<<2ug/1<20164ug/1<1<1ug/1<2<2S,P*ug/1<60<60<110c15<15<217<20<20<12<6042918288.0*<14<<15c15<2<2<20<20<1<1<60353<2758.0*<14<15<15<2<2<20c20<12<6040422248.0*14<15<15<268<2025<117<60353<2526.8*<17<15<15<15<2<2<15<6093<6082026B,P*<2050<20<<1513<20116328.0*Tenperature 6670.5626865.57261*61*87.8*FecalStreptococci f/100nl10.6*10.8%10.8*10.9*10.8*10.8**Singlevalue.*erakenatscreenhouse discharge channel.

I TABLE2.3DataonLakeOntarioWaterQuality+Parameter UnitsNo.ofSamplesRecordofDataConcentrations MaximumConcentrations, Min.MeanMax.USPHSorNYSHardness(CaC03)Alkalinity (CaC03)Ammonia,nitrogenCalciumChloridds IronManganese Magnesium Nitrates(N)Nitrates(N)Phosphates Potassium SodiumSulfatespHTurbidity Temperature Dissolved oxygen5-dayBODColorConductivity ColiformbacteriaCODdichromate Res.onevap.(total)Res.onevap.(fixed)Suspended solids(total)Suspended solids(fixed)mg/1mg/1mg/1mg/1mg/1mg/1mg/1mg/1mg/1mg/1mg/1mg/1mg/1mg/1ftOP.ppmppmmmhosno/100mlppmppmppmppmppm.5416545454545451545454545454717170706668=-5370'1545151266/64-1/71 3/65-11/66 6/64-1/71 6/64-1/71 6/64-1/71 6/64-1/71 6/64-1/71 9/65-1/71 6/64-1/71

.6/64-1/71 6/64-1/71 6/64-1/71 6/64-1/71 6/64-1/71 5/64-1/71 5/64-1/71 5/64-1/71 5/64-1/71 5/64-1/71 6/64-1/71 6/64-1/71 5/64-1/71 6/64-1/71 6/64-1/71 9/65-1/71 9/65-1/71 8/66-1/71 112.850.032.03.80.00.004.90.00.00.00.51.013.07.21.0346.80.22131.02~20.21287310146940.4744.030.30.018.90.140.0050.191.616.630.17.98.449.310.91.258.5306567.924313510.55.52401011.3154.055.50.60.1329.00.510.0291.6511.445.050.09.025.073.4'4.43.020437.024028.153336744172500.30.3-1025015+DatarecordedbyNewYorkStateDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation ofOswego,N.Y.,citywaterintake,6500ftintothelakeat40ftbelowlakelevel.

2-162.5.3Groundwater Hydrology Somewaterisobtainedfromwellsthataredrilledintotheupperfive-toten-footfractured zoneoftheOswegoSandstone.

Yieldsinthismaterialaverageabout10gallonsperminute.Belowthesandstone bed-rockthereisanotherhydrologic bedrockunit.Thislayeriscomposedofblack'ndgrayshale;itis800feetthickandwellsyieldanaverageofthreegallonsofwaterperminute.Groundwaterisusedforprivateneedsinthearea.Thenearestknownproducing wellisaboutonemile'romtheStation.Thelocations ofthisandotherprivatewatersuppliesaregivenintheApplicant's Environ-mentalReport(Pig.2.5-4).InthevicinityoftheStation,thegroundwaterflowsnorthtothelake.2.6METEOROLOGY TheclimateattheNineMilePointareaisessentially continental, withcoldwintersandwarmsummers.Thewintersareusuallylongwithanaveragetemperature near25'P;thesummersareshortwithanaveragetemperature closeto70'P.Poraboutaninety-year periodendingin1960-,thetemperature extremesrecordedattheU.S.WeatherBureauStationinOswego'were100and-23'P.Theclimateintheareaiscontrolled bytheSt.LawrenceValleystormtrackandmoderated byLakeOntario.Duringthesummer,thelakestoresheat,whichisdissipated inthefallandearlywinter.Theresultant warmairmovesinlandinthefallandprolongsthewarmerweatheronshore.During.latewinter,spring,andsummer,thelakeisaheatsink;itabsorbsheatfromthesunandwarmerair.Thecoolwindsfromthelakecausethenearshoretemperature tobelowerinthespringandsummer.Thelakealsoaffectsthehumidity, cloudiness, andprecipitation onshore;inthefallandwinter,windcurrentsabsorbmoistureoverthelakeanddeposititinlandinsomeformofprecipitation (usuallysnowshowers).

Low-pressure areasmovingalongtheSt.LawrencestormtrackalsobringmoistairtothesouthernshoreoftheLakeOntarioareafromtheGulfofMexico.Precipitation ismoderateandratheruniformly distributed throughout theyear.Itconsistsmainlyofthundershowers duringthesummerandsnow,duringthewinter.Theaverageannualprecipitation andsnowfalloccurring at.theU.S.WeatherBureauStationatOswegowas33.6inchesand88.1inches,respectively..

Wintersnowfallaveragesoneto'twofeetpermonthduring,DecemberthroughMarch.Themaximumshort-term (three-day) snow-fall,onrecordwas75to90inchesduringthewinterof1965-.1966.

Theprevailing windsduringmostmonthsarefromthesouthwest approaching thedirection ofthelongaxis'ofthelake.Duringthewinter,thepredom-Mantwinddirection shiftstothewest.Highwindsin,theLakeOntario 2-17arearesultmostlyfromintensewinterstormsandseverethunderstorms.

Anabsolutepeakwindspeedof73milesperhourwasrecordedbytheAppli-cantduringtwoyearsofcont9auous observation atthesitein1963-1964.

Anumberoftornadoes havebeenreportedinthe1'atitude-longitude squareatthesite.Calculated bytheThornformulation andusingthemostrecenttornadofrequency,estimate*,

thepiobability ofatornadostrikingapointina1'atitude-longitude squareatthesiteis4.1z104peryear.Thecalculated recurrence intervalforsuchatornadois2459years.2.7ECOLOGY2.7.1Terrestrial EcologyTheStationanditsassociated transmission lineareintheErie-Ontaxio Lowlandsphysiographic region.Thereisanextensive northernhardwoodforestinthisregionwhichhassugarmaple,beech,whiteash,basswood, blackbirch,hemlock,yellowpoplar,chestnut, andred,black,white,andburroaks.Whitepineisfoundonlynearswamps.Elm,alder,maple,andashswampsarenumerous.

Arborvitae andcattailswampsarescattered throughout thearea.TheareasinthevicinityoftheStationthatwereformerlyfarmedandarenowcoveredwithsecond-growth treesandotherwoodyvegetation constitute abouthalfthelandinthecounty.Theremainder inmadeupofwoodedareasandfarms.Thewoodyvegetation consistsofredcedar,hawthorn, graybirch,raspberry, meadowsweet, andredosierdogwood.Cropssuchaswheat,cabbage,corn,beans,andtomatoesaxestillgrowninthisregion.Therearealsoapple,pear,andcherryorchards.

Thewildlifespeciesfoundnearthesitearetypicalofthenortheastern UnitedStates.Themostcommonmammalsincludethecottontail rabbit,fox,raccoon,chipmunk, andgraysquirrel.

Veryfewwhite-tailed deerareinthisarea.Predatory birdswhichinhabitthemoreopenspacesincludesparrowhawk,red-tailed hawk,marshhawk,and'broad-winged hawk..Twospeciesofgamebirds-ruffedgrouseandwoodcock-axefoundthroughout thesite.Veryfewpheasants arefoundinthisarea.LakeOntaxio,inthevicinityofNineMilePoint,hasimportant concentrations of.divingducksinthewinter,withlesserscaupbeingthemostabundantspecies.Dabblingducks,suchasthewoodduck,blackduck,mallard,andblue-winged teal,canbefoundonafewpondsoftheregion',thisisabreedingareafortheseducks.ThesouthernshoreofLakeOntarioisama)ormigration routeusedbymanywaterfowlandothermigrating birds.TheAmericanospreyandbaldeagleusethisroutetoo.+BasedonTechnical Memorandum WBTHFCST12,"SevereLocalStormOccurrences, 1955-67,"

U.S..Dept.

ofCommerce, ESSA,Sept.1969.

2-18TheApplicant hasstatedthatacursoryterrestrial surveyofthesiteareawasperformed todetermine thefloraandfaunapresent.Norareorendangered speciesofplantsandanimalswerenotedbytheApplicant eitherasaresultofthesitesurveyortheirliterature searchregarding thesitearea.However,'he bogturtle,G'lemmysmuhlenbez'gii, classified asendangered bytheStateofNewYork,isusuallyfoundnearmarshessimilartothosealongthepathofthetransmission line.2.7.2AquaticEcologyGenerally, thebenthosandplanktonofLakeOntarioindicateanoligotrophic situation.

Thedeepwaterbenthosiscomprised mostlyoftheopossumshrimp,lysisz'eZicta, theamphipod, Pontopoz'eia affinis,andoligochaetes.

Phytoplankton consistsmostlyofdiatoms.Theabundance ofdiatomsNelosiz'a islandica andAstez'ionella fozmosainthepelagicwatersofthelakesuggests.

oligotrophy.

However,thepreponderance ofStephanodiscus tenuisininshorewatersmayindicatehighernutrientconcentrations alongshore.~3Considerable changeinthe.relativeabundance offisheshasoccurredinLake'Ontario.

TheAtlanticsalmon(Salmosalaz'alaz'),

whichwasonceabundant, almostdisappeared by1880.Lakesturgeon(Acipensez fuluescens) wasoverexploited andwasgreatlyreducedinalltheGreatLakesbytheearly1900's.Thecisco(C'ozegonus cuCedii)hasdeclinedsincethe1920's.Theabundance oflaketrout(Salvelinus namapcush) andbluepike(Stizostedion vivumglaucum)hasalsodeclinedduringrecentyears,andthebluepikeisnowontheendangered specieslist.Thesealamprey.mayhavereducedtheabundance oflargespecies.Thepresenceofalewife(Alosapseudohaz'engus) datesbackto1870;intheabsenceoflargepredators, ithasflourished andisnowthemostabundantfishinthelake.Anotherviewisthatthepopulation ofalewifestabilized priortothedeclineofthelargepredators; thishypothesis issupported byresurgence ofpremiumfishstocksinthe1920'sandthenewspaper reportsduringthesameeraoftwomooralewifemortalities.*

Whiteperch(Hoz'oneamericana) havebecomemoreabundantrecently.

DespitethehighnutrientcontentofLakeOntario,thefishproduction isrelatively low.14Thetotalcommercial catchhasdeclinedfrom7.5millionpoundsin1890to3.2millionpoundsin1970.Landingsforlakeherringandchubs,whitefish,walleye,laketrout,andbluepikehaveconsistently decreased inrecentyears.~~Recentcommercial landingshavebeendominated bywhiteperch,carp,bullheads, yellowperch,whitefish, smelt,eel,sunfish,andwalleye.*Christie, W,J.1972.LakeOntario:effectsofexploitation, intro-ductions, andeutrophication onthesalmonidcommunity.

J.Fish.Res.Bd.Can.29:913-929.

2-19Commercial fishingintheU.S.portionofthelakeisasmallfractionofthetotalcatch(330,000poundscomparedwith2,905,000 poundsinCanadianwatersin,1970)andisconfinedmostlyto'theextremenortheastt sectionofthelakeinChaumontBay(approximately 40milesfromNineMilePoint)anditsnearbyshoalareas.Additional fishingisconducted fromSackettsHarborwestwardandOswegoHarboreastward.

IITheshoreline atNineMilePoint,exceptforthefencedareaaroundtheplant,isaccessible forsportfishing.Smallmouth bass,yellowperch,whiteperch,walleye,bullhead, andnorthernpikearetheprincipal sportfishesinthearea.Thefullextentofsportfishing'inthevicinityofthesite,however,isnotknown.StudiesnowinprogressundertheauspicesoftheInternational FieldYearfortheGreatLakeswillyieldconsiderably moreinformation fortheNineMilePointareaandeasternLakeOntario.However,thefinalresultsofthesestudieswillnotbefoithcoming intheimmediate future.Theaquaticbiotaofthisareaaredescribed belowontheba'sisoftheApplicant's preoperational studiesdescribed intheApplicant's Environmental Reportandinformation available inliterature'n LakeOntario.a.FishesThefishesfoundintheNineMilePointareaarelistedinTable2.4.Observations incidental tothe'pplicant's surveyindicatethatthealewifespawnsnearthesite..Inspring,thealewifeeggsaredeposited intheC'Eadophoza matc1osetotheshore.However,becauseoflimitedsampling, thepossibility ofspawningbyotherspeciescannotbediscounted.

Heavywaveactivitywilltendtodiscourage useofshallowwatersinthisareaforspawningbyspecieswhichbuildnestsandcarefortheeggsorryoungforsomeperiod.MexicoBay,twomileseastofthesite,offersshallowwaterssuitableforspawningandnurseryuse.Information aboutspawning, foodhabitsandimportance offishesabundantintheNineMilePointarea,derivedfromReferences 15-18,isgiveninTable2.5.Anecho-sounder surveybytheAppl'icant, reportedintheEnvironmental Report,hasshownhigherconcentrations offishintheareaalongthe20-footdepthandinslightlydeeperwaterthaninshallow,near-shore waters.Fisharemostabundant'n theareaduringMay.Suchabundance couldberelatedtothespawningactivityduringthisperiod.The'abundance declinesinAugust,andfewfishareleftintheareaaswinterapproaches.

Largeconcentrations werenotedatdepthsof30to40feet 2-20TABLE2.4FishesFoundintheNineMilePointAreaICommonNameScient'ific NameDecreasin OrderofYearlAbundance AlewifeYellowperchWhiteperchNorthernredhorsesuckerRockbassSmallmouth bassBluegillsunfishBrownbullheadAlosapseudohazengus Pezcaflavescense Moroneamericana

Ãaxostoma sp.AmblopZites zepestvis Miczeptems dolomieui Lepomismacmchizms 1'ctalumcs nebulosus OtherFishesintheAreaCarpCohosalmonWalleyeSmeltGizzardshadWhitebassBowfishCalicobassMinnowsNorthernpikeWhite'suckerLakewhitefish CyprusccupioOncozhynchuskisutchStizostedion vi8xeumvitreumOsmeresmorckuDoresomacepedianum MournechvpsopsAmiacaZvaPorno+isnigromacuZatus Notmpisspp.EsoxluciusCatostomus conmersoni Coregonus, clupeaformis TABLE2.5Spawning, FoodHabits,andImportance ofFishesAbundantintheNineMilePointAreaofLakeOntarioSpawningSpeciesParentalCareTime/Temp,

'FPlaceFoodHabitsImportance AlewifeNo55to72LateMaytoearlyAugust6"to12"deepinvegetation Zooplankton, insects,crustacea, smallfishForageYellowperchNo44to54AprilandMayInshoreatnightSmallcrustaceans, insectlarvae,smallfishSport,commercial foodWhiteperchNoApril,MayandJunePinegravelnearshallowareasPlankton, insectlarvae,crusta-ceans,largeinvertebrates Commercial, foodsportRockbassYes70to78June,JulyNestinagravelbedInsectsandothersmallinvertebrates, Pood,sportcrayfishes, smallfishes,largeinsectsSmallmouth bassYes65oraboveNestinadepres-sioncircularSmallanimalsinshallowwaterCommercial, food'portBluegillsunfishYes80to90June,JulyNestsonsandbeachesorgravelbarsCrustaceans, insects,crayfishes, fishesFood,sportBrownbullheadYes65oraboveMay,JuneNestCrustaceans, insectlarvae,fishfisheggs,

molluscs, plantsSport,foodSmeltNoApril,Mayatcoldtemperature Shallow,sandybeachesPlankton, fingernail clams,smeltyoung,shinersCommercial, food 2-22between10PMand3AM.Thesestudiesalsoindicateatwo-foldincreaseinnumbersoffishfromshallowwater(10feet)todeeperwater(20feet).Experimental gillnettingshowedapreponderance ofalewivesnearthesurface.Relatively fewwerecaughtnearthebottom.Yellowandwhitepercharetheothertwoabundantspeciesinthearea.Perchandminnowswerecapturedinthenetsclosetotheshore.Exceptforalewives, veryfewfishwerefoundnearthesurface.Extensive mortality ofalewiveswasobservedinthelakeduringthespringof1970;thecauseofsuchmortality isnotfullyunderstood.

Suchextensive mortality couldoccurbecauseofanyofthefollowing causes:(1)highpopulation density,resulting indepletion offoodsupply,whichinturnresultsinthepoorphysicalcondition ofthefish;(2)temperature stressduringcoldwintersandinthespringduringspawning; and(3)physiological effectsasa-resultoftheirsaltwater origin.Gillneetingin1970and1971hasshownthatcarp,sunfish,smallmouth bass,alewives, andsomeotherfishestendtoconcentrate inthethermalplumeofUnit1duringcoolermonths.TheApplicant hasnotseinedintheareaandtherefore noinformation onjuveniles neartheshoreisavailable.

Pood-preference studiesoffishesinthearea,asgivenintheApplicant's Environmental Report,haveindicated thatsmallalewives, afewminnows,darters,andalewifeeggsarethemajorfoodsupplyduringspring.Laterintheseason,Gamrmms(anamphipod),

crayfish, minnows,anddartersserveastheprincipal forage.b.BenthosSeveralstudieshavedescribed variousaspectsofbenthicmacroin-vertebrates ofLakeOntario.Oligochaetes comprisethelargestgroupofmacrobenthos inthelake.Thesearerepresented byfour,families:

Enchytraeidae, Lumbriculidae,

Naididae, andTubificidae.

TheEnchytraeids arewidespread butnotabundantanddonotexhibitdepthpreference.

Stplocbilue hezingianus (Lumbriculidae) occursthroughout thelake.ThespeciesofNaididaeoccurinshallowwater.Noneof'them,however,isabundant.

Thegreatestnumberofspeciesandindividuals belongstothefamilyTubificidae.

Amphipods arerepresented byPontopozeia affinisandGammams.P.affinisseemstobemoreabundantintheshallowzonethanindeepzones.Gamesislimitedtowaterslessthan100feetdeep.Chironomids (midgeflylarvae),withafewexceptions, arenotfoundinthelakeatdepthsover160feet.Mostoftheselarvaeandallgastropods (snails)arerestricted totheshallowzone.

2-23Table2.6(fromRef.20)showstheabundance ofbenthicorganisms atasamplingstationaboutfourmilesfromtheStation.Observations bytheApplicant indicatethatbenthosinthevicinityoftheNineMilePointsiteischaracterized byabundance ofCladophoza (filamentous greenalga)alongthe10-footdepthcontour;thegrowthissparseat5and20feet.ThegrowthisgreaterinJuneanddeclinesinAugust.Optimumtemperature forCladophoza isabout65'F.~6Tempera-tureshigherthan65'Ftendtolimitthegrowth.Gavm~hasbeenfoundtobeabundantinMexicoBayandatthe10-footdepthintheNineMilePointarea.ItismoreabundantinAugustthaninJune.Threespeciesofsnailshave"been foundatthe15-footdepth.Themidgeflylarvae,2'endipes, havealsobeenobservedinthisarea.Preliminary

.resultsofthesamplingconducted bytheApplicant indicatethatthermaldischarge fromUnit1depresses theCladophoz'a growthinlatesummer'nd increases theabundance ofGanwmusinthezoneofthethermaldischarge.

Thelaboratory studies,conducted withCladophol'a takenfromthissite,havedetermined thelowerandupperthermaltolerance levelstobe53'nd77'Frespectively.

c.Periphyton Astudyoftheperiphytic organisms inMexicoBay,LakeOntario(ad)acent toNineMilePointarea)wasconducted duringMay-November 1966.Themaximumaverageabundance oforganisms foreachmonthwasobtainedatadepthoffourinches.ExceptforJune,theaverageharvestvalueatallstationsandduringallmonthsoccurredatthe12-footdepth.ThemonthlyvalueforallstationswashighestinJuneandlowestinOctober.Zoospores ofanalgaofthefamilyChlorophyceae (greenalgae)wereobservedinlargenumbersinMayandJunesamples.'

Atotalof35generawasrecorded.

TenofthegenerabelongtoChlorophyceae, ofwhich.Cladopho~

wasmostabundant.

TheChrysophyceae (yellow-green oryellow-brown algae)wererepresented bythreegenera.Bacillariophyceae (diatoms) weremostwide-spread,andwererepresented by17genera,MelosizaandStephanodiscus beingabundantataU.stations.

Myxophyceae (blue-green algae)wererepresented byfivegenera,althoughnonewasabundant.

d.Plankton(1)Zooplankton Resultsofalakewidestudyoncomposition andhorizontal distribution ofcrustacean planktoninLakeOntarioindicatethatmostofthespeciesappearinJuneandJulyintheeasternendofthelake,withzonesofabundance laterexpanding westward.

ByOctoberthereisatendencytowarduniformdistribution throughout thelake.Ninetypercentofthezooplankters occupythe0to167-footstratum.Elevenspecieseachofcopepodsand.cladocerans havebeenreportedfromthe 2-24TABLE2.6Abundance ofBenthicOrganisms ataSamplingS'tationApproximately FourMilesfromNineMilePointStation,1964OrganismNumberofOrganisms perSquareMeterat34-footDepth(11m)NemataUnidentified 103Oligochae ta-Naididae PiguetiellamichiganensisOligochaeta-Tubificidae Potamothriz moldaviensis P.veJdovskyi Bhyacodri luscoccineus Unidentified 1037051885Arthropoda Hydrac~na 22Crustacea Gammarussp.Pontoporeia affinisOstracods-unidentified 1199675llInsectaCryptochir onomusdigitatusMicropsectra sp.Microtendipes sp.Potthastia longimana 114955MolluscaAmnicolaspp.ValvatasinceraPisidiumspp.Sphaerium transversum 561680188938 225lake,themostabundantforms.being:CpcZopsbicuepidatus, WopocycZops pz'aeinum maxicanus, DaphniazeMocuzua,BosminaZowieos&is,Bosminaccregonicozegoni, andCe~daphnia Zaous&is.

Atthetimeofmaximumpopulation densitytherewasastrongpositivecorrelation betweenzoo-planktonabundance andtemperature ofthetop25metersofwatercolumn.Theeasternzoneofthelakehad1.7timesmoreindividuals perunitvolumeofwaterthanthewesternzoneofthelake.Whetherthiseffectisproducedbyanacceleration ofzooplankton growthratesorbyincreased production offoodorganisms hasnotbeenascertained.

Theeasternzoneofthelakehasasmallsecondpeakofabundance inOctober.Theabundance ofzooplankton inagivenareacanbeaffectedbythegeneralpatternofthewindoverthelake.Studiesconducted during1969and1970nearUnit1haveshownthatthethermaldischarge fromUnit1hasincreased thestandingcropofBosmina25.0timesandDaphniazeWocuzM1.2timesintheoverallstudyarea.,Ad)scenttotheoutfall,thesesamepopulations increased 123.8and2.4times,respectively.

Atthesametime,primaryproduction wasnotsignificantly affected.

Thesestudiescoveredalimitedtimeperiod,andtheconclusions werebasedonfewdata.Furtherstudiesarenecessary befoxeanysoundconclusions canbedrawn.(2)Phytoplankton Thephytoplankton ofLakeOntariohavebeendescribed.

Phytoplankton alongtheshorehavemorespeciespermilliliter andahigherpercentage ofStephanodisaus tenuisascomparedtowatersoffshore.

Ast'erioneZEa formosa,MelosizaisZandica, MeZcsinzNndemna,andNiizschia s'kpNxaretheotherimportant species.Themidlakeandlocations sixmilesoffshorehavealowerabundance ofStephanodiscus tenuis,andMeZosizaisZQocficcE andAst'erioneZZa foxmosabecomemore.abundant.

Information ontheabundance ofma)ordiatomspeciesintheNineMilePointarea(derivedfromReference 31)isgiveninTable2.7.Inalakewidesurveyconducted duringSeptember 1964,~the,dominantplankters weregreenalgaefollowedbydiatoms.Thedistribution ofphytoplankton byfamiliesatastationapproximately fourmilesfromtheNineMilePointStationisgiveninTable2.8.Observations bytheApplicant in1964ondistribution ofplanktonnearthesiteindicated higherplanktonconcentrations inthesurfacewatersand-dependence ofplanktonabundance onwindsandcurrents, theplanktonbeingmoreabundantintheareawithnoshorewindsandcurrents.

Veryfewfishlarvaewer'eobservedintheplanktonsamplescollected in1964.2.8BACKGROUND RADIOLOGICAL CHARACZERISTICS

.Theradiological aspectsofthesiteareaareaveragefortheregion.Therearenoconspicuous naturalsources,andradiation fromallsources

?-26,TABLE2.7Abundance ofMajorDiatomSpeciesataSamplingStationAboutPourMi3.esfromNineMLlePointStation,September 8-18,1964-Abundance

('ells/ml)

=MajorDiatom-.-.Species-Surface-

-10.meterAste~neZZa formosaFungil~acz'otonensi sMelosimislancRca Stephanodiscus ast2'aeaStephanodi scusva2'.minutuZaStephanodi scustenuisTabeZZavia fenestrata 4.621.41.32.010.04.07.40.630.02.012.00.68.6Total57.558.1*DatatakenfromRef.31,Station74.

2-27TABLE2.8Abundance of,Phytoplankton (byFamilies) ataSamplingStationAboutFourMilesfromNineMilePointStation,September 1964Phytoplankton Event(cells/ml)

FamilySurfaceBottom(10meter)Chlorophyceae Bacillariophyceae 312249619216Myxophyceae Dinophyceae Euglenophyceae Others1417139Total642I998C*Data'takenfromRef.30.

2-28isbelowaverage,fortheU.S.,asistypicalofthenortheastern rainbelt.S>Measureddoseratefromnaturalbackground fortheareaisabout125mrem/yr.Radiological aspectsassociated withNineKLlePointarediscussed inSection5.Some25stateandfederalmonitoring stationshavebeenactivewithin124milesoftheproposedStationforthelasttwodecades.Inaddition, amonitorin~

programhasbeeninoperation atNineMilePointUnit1since1967.Valuesreportedbytheneareststationsinrecentyearsaresummarized inTable2.9.Postoperational valuesforUnit1arealsoincluded.

Thislargeaccumulation ofavailable dataprovidesanadequatebaselinetowhichtheStation's impactmaybecompared.

2-29TABLE2.9Environmental SamplingStationsNineMilePointArea,1969-'972 intheStationSamplesTakenaRangeAlbany~N.Y.Buffalo,N.Y.(NiagaraYells)(LakeErie)Nasseaa,N.Y.NeuHaven,N.Y.Osuego>NoYeRochester, N.Y.Rome,NoYISscuseNY,Toronto,Oat.Utica,N.Y.ShTNSWSWPNSAPSr-90CrossbetaCrossbetaCrossbetaTritiumTritiumSr-CrossbetaTritiumCrossbetaCrossbeta,diss.Crossbeta,cusp.Crossalpha,diss.Crossalhasus.Sr-90Crossbeta,diss.Crossbeta,susp.Crossalpha,diss.CrosshihasusCrossbetaTritiumGrossbetaTritiumTritiumCrossbeta>diss.Crossbeta,susp.Crossalpha,diss.Crossalhasus.CrossalphaCross.betaSr-90CrossbetaGrossbetaGrossbetaCrossbetaO-ll0-52-290-30-1600010-40-5003-53-10<3-11<3<0.2-23-142vg2-5<0.21<0.2-063-803-5000005-1339O-l125617.72<200<2001<200473<31.274.73<0.2<0.2<2004<200<<200300050.14.4Watertoun N.Y.NinaNilePointGrossbetaPCrossbetaShCrossbetaSWatinletTritiumVertebrates, Aquatic,CrossbetaInvertebrates, Aquatic,CrossbetaPlants>AquaticCrossbetaVertebrates, AquaticCrossgammaInvertebrates, AquaticCrossgsssaaPlants,AquaticCrossgaasaa3-2703-524000-sb0.5140-10.5373.58224002b0.5140.20.537PromEnvironmental Protection Agency,Radiation DataandReportsVol.1-13,(1972)andSemiamaaal ReportsofOperation, NineNilePointNuclearStationfor1971.SPNPasteurised milk,PGi/4Sh~Surfaceair,pCi/msP~Precipitatioa, nCi/mt/month SW~Surfacemater,PCi/hTW~Tapuater,Tritium'Ci/4 pCi/gmdryweight,forbiota.

2-30References 1."Population Projections forNew'.York.State Counties:

1970-2000,!'ew YorkStateOfficeof'lanning

Services, Albany,.N.

Y.,12207.2."The.NatureandDistribution of7axminginNew-YorkState,"NewYork.StateOffice.ofPlanningCoordination,

.Dec.1969..3."New,YorkStateDevelopment Plan-l,"NewYorkStateOfficeofPlanningCoordination.

H4.Environmental ReportforNineMQ.ePointNuclearStation,Unit2.NiagaraMohawkPowexCorporation, Syracuse,'New York,1972.Supplement No.2,S2.6-2.5."Earthquakes inNewYorkState,"D.H.NewlandNewYorkStateMuseum,Albany,N.Y.,Circular14,p.18,Sept.1933;6.LetterfromRonaldPendersen, DeputyCommission oftheStateofNewYork,Department ofEnvironmental Conservation, FinalEnvironmental Statement RelatedtoOperation oftheJamesF.FitzPatrick NuclearPowerSite,USAEC,March1973,AppendixG.7.LetterfromW.A.Radleigh, ActingDirectoroftheU.S.Department oftheInteriorGeological Survey,AECDocketNo.-50-333,GeologyFieldSurvey.8.FinalSafetyAnalysisReport,NineMilePointUnit1Station,DocketNo.50-220,U.S.AtomicEnergyCommission.

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Causes,Consequences, Correctiyes,"

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Contribution No.387,AnnArborBiological Laboratory, NationalMarineFisheries Sexvice,AnnArbor,Mich.,1969.32.C.NaIewajko, "Phytoplankton Distribution,in LakeOntario,,"

Proc.10thConf.GreatLakesRes.,pp.63-69,1967.33.G.W.Saunders, "StudiesofPrimaryProductivity intheGreatLakes,"Proc.7thConf.GreatLakesRes.,pp.122-129,1964.34.C.C.Davis,"Plankton StudiesintheLargestGreatLakesoftheWorldwithSpecialReference totheSt.LawrenceGreatLakesofNorthAmerica,"

GreatLakesResearchDivision, Univ.ofMichigan, AnnArbor,Publication No.14,pp.1-36,1966.35.C.Nalewagko, "Composition ofPhytoplankton inSurfaceWatersofLake'ntario,"

J.Fish.Res'.Bd.Canada,,23(11) 1715-1725, 1966.36.M.F.P.Michalski, "Phytoplankton Levelsin.Canadian Near-shore WatersoftbeLower'reat Lakes,"Proc.11th.Conf.GreatLakesRes.;pp.85-95,1968."37.C.Nalewagko andL.Marin,"Extracellular Production inRelationtoGrowthofFourPlanktonic AlgaeandofPhytoplankton Populations fromLake"Ontario,"

CanadianJ.ofBotany,47:'05-413,1969.

2-3338.M.,Munawar andA.Nauwerck, "The'omposition andHorizontal Distribution ofPhytoplankton inLakeOntarioduringtheYear1970,"Proc.14thConf.=Great LakesRes;,pp.69-'78,1971.39."Radiation Data.andReports,'ol.1-13,1959-1972, U.S.Environmental-Protection Agency.40.."Environmental ReportforKineKU.ePointNuclearStation,Unit2,"NiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation,

Syracuse, N.Y.,1972.

'h 3-13.1EXTERNALAPPEARANCE 3~THESTATIONTheStation's variousstructures includetheProgressCenterandtheadministration, reactor,turbine,sewagetreatment, andradwastebuildings (thelastcontaining thescreenwall pumphouse).Thereactorbuilding, thetallest,isapproximately 140feethigh,buta350-footstackrisesfromtheradwastebuilding.

Allthebuildings excepttheProgressCenterandsanitaryplantareinterconnected.

e345-kVswitchyard issouthofthemainbuilding.

Thebuildings andauxiliary systemsoccupyaboutfivepercentofthe900-acresite.AplotoftheStationisshowninFig.3.1.TheStation's exteriorisofflutedmetalsidingonaconcretebase.Therussetcolorofthebasecontrasts withthelightgrayandgreenofthemetalsiding.Thearchitecture emphasizes therectangular shapesoftheinterconnected buildings.

Theexternalappearance ofthegroundswasdeveloped byanindependent landscape architect.

TheProgressCenter,locatedwestofthemainbuilding, isacontemporary stoneandglassranch-style structure usedasavisitorsreception centerandmuseum.Itcontainsexhibitsofnuclearenergyandlocalnatureinterestandisvisitedbyover50000personsayeaPir.guresowstheappearance oftheStationandnearbygrounds.3.2REACTORANDSTEAN-ELECTRICSYSTEMAsingleboilingwaterreactor,manufactured bytheGeneralElectric'he Company,generates steamat1000psigtodrivetheturbine-generat n-eneraor.ereactorhasaratingof1850Mwt,corresponding toanetelectrical outputof610MWe.Theturbine-generator isatandemunitwithahigh-pressure sectiononthesameshaftwiththreelow-pressure sectionsandtheelectricgenerator.

Steamisexhausted fromtheturbinetothemaincondenser, whereitiscondensed andreturnedviatheregenerative feed-water heaters.Thereactorcore,whichcontains532fuelassemblies, isrefueledannually, withabout25percentor133fuelassemblies replaceddurinreuelingperiod.Theassemblies nowinuseweremanufactured byurngGeneralElectricCorporation.

3-20'VOX~~XrFINISHEOGRAOEEl..260.5XXXRVPACFpgI~SEO).'UILOINGNORTHXINTAKCTVNNSLTVHH'ITOHCWASTCSCRTSN6RVHRHOVSCRSACTORSLOC.CRCACTORTVINTHCCSNSRATORCLDC.QTVRSINCCSHCRATOR ADdLOS,ZWRA!HICHVOLTACCSWITCHYARDX~SSWACCIdLOCTRSATHSNCQSNTRANCCROAD0OO200MO400500SCALEFEETPROGRESSCENTERFig.3.1.PlotofSiteofNineMilePointNuclearStationUnit1.

Fig.3.2.NineMilePointUnitl.

'3-4TheunitwasdesignedbyNiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation andconstructed byStoneandWebsterEngineering Corporation.

TheStationhasbeenincommercial operation sinceDecember, 1969.3.3PLANTWATERUSE'oolingwaterforthemaincondenser, auxiliary'systems, reactor-shutdown heatremoval",

andtheprimarycoolingsystemiswithdrawn fromLakeOntario'nd returnedafteruse.Theonlynetwaterconsumption isthatduetoevaporation ofwater,waterindisposed"solids"orradwastesolution's, andwaterduetominorleaks.Althoughanexactdetermina-tionofthislosscannotbemade,theApplicant estimates themaximumlosstobe10gpm.Thislossdoesnotincludeevaporation fromthelakesurfaceduetotheheated'discharge.

Nochemicals orinhibitors areaddedtothecirculating orservicewatersystems.Thesiltcontentoftherawlakewaterhasbeensufficient topreventattachment ofbiological growthinthecoolingsystem..Shouldcleaningofthecondenser oiservicewaterbecomenecessary, theApplicant proposestouseahigh-pressure waterflushorothermechanical meanstopreventfoulingofthecondensers.

Chemicals areusedinthemakeup-watertreatment system,analytical samplingsystem,andthedecontamination system.Chemicaldischarge fromthesesystemsisdiscussed inSection3.6.TheCityofOswegosupplies3300gpdfordomestic-water use.MostofthiswaterisreturnedtoLakeOntarioaftertreatment.,

ThewaterusagefortheStationisshowninFig.3.3.'.4HEAT-DISSIPATION SYSTEMTheStationusesonce-through coolingtodissipate totheenvironment wasteheatfromthemaincondensers andauxiliary coolingsystems.Thecirculating waterfortheStationisdrawnfromLakeOntariointoasubmerged inlet,circulated throughthecondensers, andreturnedtothelakethroughasubmerged discharge structure.

Theintakeanddischarge tunnelsrununderthelakebedtothescreenwell andpumphouseonshore.Figure3.4showsthelocationoftheintakeanddischarge structures inLakeOntario.TheApplicant hasstatedthat,atmaximumpoweroutput,theStationrequiresatotalflowof268,000gpm;250,000gpmareforthemaincondenser and18000gpmareforservice-water requirements.

Themaincondenser will0raisethecoolingwatertemperature amaximumof32Fcorresponding toa INTAXETVNHEI.FROMLAXF.ONTARIO268,0008pm(NORMAL)TTWMAX272,000GPm(MAX)250,000ppm(CONSTANT)(WHENOPERATING) 6000Opm(NORM)9000Opm(MAX)I8,000ppm(NORM)22,0008pm(RKGMAX)CONDENSER 4.0rI08BTWhrSHUTDOWNHEATREMOVALSYSTKM57.5xI04BTU/hr(MAX)CLOSED-LOOP COOLING-SYSTKMHEATKXCHANGERS CLARIFIKR WASTEREGENERANT WASTESETTLINGBASINOVERFLOWWASTE-NEUTRALIZING SYSTEMIOOGPMMAXCAA'K'JVTA/T/0DISCHARGE STRUCTURE

+20GpmTOLAKEONTARIOIOOppmPRETREATMKNT CLARIFIER SYSTEMPOI.ISHING REGENERATION MAKEUPDEMIN.DEMINKRALIZER

.WASTKRADWASTESYSTEM~FORSYSTEMHOTINCON'TINVOUS OPERATION CONDENSATK MAXEUPAUXILIARY SYSTEMSMAKEUPDECONTAMINATED WASTES(FLOORORAINSrLAUNORY)

RADWASTESHIPPINGCONTAINERS IOOGpmMAXCI'TYOFOSWEGOFLOW-WATERMEI'ERSUPPLYDOMESTICWATERUSAGE5500GpdAVGSANITARYWASTETREATMENT SYSTEMTOLAKEONTARIO2400GPd(NORMAL)5800ppd(MAX)Pig.3.3.Water-usage Plow.

2'I5INTAKE~BUILDINGNORTHs220STONEDIKEEL.263.0ATSHORELINEIIgII)II)l)(III\~II()III)IDISCHARGE

~/o230~~I0~II(Ie9ila~900~II0IIhiII0II~SCREENAND'UMPHOUSEl4-57-07NOTE:ALLELEVATIONS AREREFERENCED TOUSLSl935DATUM0IOO200300400SCALEI=200Fig.3.4.IntakeandDischarge Structure Locations:

Plan.

3-7heatrejection rateof4.0x10~BTU/hr.Theservice-water temperature willberaisedabout20F.Thetemperature riseforthetotalflowis31.2'F.Thetemperature oftheintakewatervarieswiththeseasonfrom33'o77'F,themaximumrecordedtemperature.

3.4.1IntakeStructure CoolingwateristakenfromLakeOntariointoahexagonal intakestructure locatedinawaterdepthofapproximately 18feetabout850feetfromtheexistingshoreline.

Thesixwaterinlets,each5feethighby10feetlong,areguardedbygalvanized steel'acks topreventtheentranceof,unmanageable flotsamintothewatersystem.TheApplicant statesthatthisdesignprovidesforwatertobedrawnequallyfromalldirections withaminimumofdisturbance andnovortexatthesurface.WhentheStationisatmaximumoutput:,thewatervelocityattheintakeisabout2fps.Fig.3.5showsstructural, detailsoftheintake.Fromtheintakestructure, thewaterflowsat8fpsmaximumthroughaconcrete-lined tunnelwithapproximately a78-square-foot crosssection(10-ftdiameter) tothescreenwell andpumphouseadjacenttotheturbinebuilding.

Fromthreeseparateinterconnected baysinthescreenwell, twocirculating pumps(totalcapacity250,000gpm)takethewaterthroughtrashracksandtraveling screensandthencetothecon-denserat0.85fpsmaximum.Service-water needsaresuppliedbytwo22,000-gpm pumps(normally runat18,000gpm).Alsolocatedinthepumphousearetwo2500-gpm, 125-psigverticalturbinefirepumps.Adiagrammatic sketchofthescreenwell isshowninFig.3.6.3.4.2Discharge Structure Thedischarge tunnel,tenfeetindiameter, about78squarefeetincrosssectionanddesignedforaflowvelocityofabout8fps,takestheheatedwaterfromthescreenwell tothe,discharge structure locatedabout335feetoff-shore.

Thetopofthehexagonal discharge structure, (Pig.3.5),

whichhassixports3feethighby7feet4incheswide,isabout4feetabovethelakebottomandisabout8-1/2feetbelowthelowestexpectedlakelevel.Thetransittimeofwaterthroughthecoolingsystemisabout6minutes,ofwhich14secondsisforpassagethroughthecondenser.

Promthecondensers totheexitatthedischarge structure, traveltimeisabouttwominutes.Theeffluentattheexithasaninitialvelocityofapproximately 4fps.Theprofileofthecirculating systemisshowninFig.3.7.

0og7n0nTUNNELll~OeOlITUNNELI(1O~V~IN27-8-2PLANIN22-6-4PLANEL2226ELEVATION T=nEL2286EL2I96LWEL244.0O6~EL.13~4.0EL250.0'nO'>QllfI\ELEVATION EL227.0010%200INTAKESCALE-FEET DISCHARGE

~ALLELEVATIONS AREREFERENCED TOUSLS1955DATUMFig.3.5.IntakeandDischarge Structures.

3-9DISCHARGE SHAFTIIIIIINTAKESHAFTTRASHRACKSSCREENBACKWASHCOLLECTION RECEPTACLES DISCHARGE FLUMEfTRAVELLING WATERSCREEN0I0SERVICE-WATER AREA+fCWPUMPS><g~3F6'iagramatic SketchoftheScreenwell.

E.INTAKEEL.226.5EL.222.52'LOWW.S.EL.2460'TONE DIKEMAXWSEL2680SCREENHOUSEI1100INTAKETUNNEL(LOOKINGEAST),0EL236.0E.DISCHARGE pEL230.0'L.263.0'TONE DIKE-SCREENHOUSEA~I,0~OI565DISCHARGE TUNNEL(LOOKINGEAST)PSECTIONI-I0510SCALE-FEET SECTION2-20510SCALE-FEET NOTES<ALLELEYATIONS AREREFERENCEO TOUSLS1535OATUM100SCALEFEETEXCEPTWHERESHOWNPig.3.7.Circulating-water System:Profile.

3-113.5RADIOACTIVE

.WASTEDuringoperation oftheStation,radioactive nuclidesareproducedbyfissionandbyneutronactivation ofcorrosion productsinthereactorcoolantsystem.Smallamountsofgaseousandliquidradioactive wasteswillenterthewastestreams,whichwillbeprocessed andmonitored withintheplanttominimizetheradioactive nuclidesthatwillultimately bereleasedtotheatmosphere andintoLakeOntario.Theradioactivity thatispresently releasedduetooperation oftheplantmeetsthe,Com-mission's regulations setforthin10CFRPart20.Modifications for'onformance with10CFRPart50ofboththeliquidandthegaseousradioactive wastesystemshavebeenscheduled.

Theoriginalradioactive wastemanagement systemsaredescribed indetailintheApplicant's FinalSafetyAnalysisReportdatedJune1967.Themodifications whichareproposedtoupgradetheradioactive wastetreatment systemsarediscussed intheTechnical Supplement toPetitionforConversion fromProvisional Operating LicensedatedJuly1972,andintheEnvironmental ReportforNineMilePoint,Unit1datedJune1972.Inthesedocuments, theApplicant hasprovidedhisanalysisoftheradioactive wastetreatment systemandhasincludedhisdesignestimateoftheannualreleasesofradioactivity.

Inaddition, thesemi-annual reportsofUnit1operation startinginSeptember 1969recordreleasesofliquidandgaseouswastesandshipments ofsolidradioactive wastesfromtheplant.Thefollowing evaluation isbasedonourmodel,adjustedtoapplytothisplant,andusessomewhatdifferent operating conditions.

Ourcalculated effluents are,therefore, different-from theApplicants; however,themodelusedresultsfromareviewofavailable dataofoperating powerplants.Theprincipal parameters usedinourevaluation arelistedinTable3.1.Theradioactive wastemanagement systemsatUnit1include1'iquid,gaseousandsolidwastetreatment systems.Inouranalysistwoevalua-tionsweremadeofeachsystem.Thefirstconsidered thewastemanage-mentsystemsastheynowexistandthesecondconsidered theupgradedsystems.Includedforcomparison arethereleases'f radioactivity whichhavebeenrecordedfortheplantsincestartupin'969.3.5.1LiquidWasteSystemTheliquidradwastesystemisdesignedtocollect,monitor,process,storeanddisposeofradioactive liquidwastes.Theliquidwastesare 3-12TABLE3.1PRINCIPAL PARAMETERS USEDINESTIMATING RADIOACTIVE RELEASESFROMNINEMILEPOINTNUCLEARSTATION,UNIT1HoldupTimes:A.GlandSealGasB.AirEffectorGasC.CharcoalDelay-kryptonsD.CharcoalDelay-xenonsLiquidWasteDecontamination Factors:HighPurityWaste,ExistingHighPurityWaste,UpgradedICsRb10101010Existing~Sstem2mine-0.5hrs.0days0days~MoTe10102PowerPlant,CapacityFactorFuelFissionProductLeakagel:equivalent to100,000pCi/secgassourcetermwith30minuteholdupfora3400MWtreactor)TotalSteamFlowWeightofLiquidintheReactorandRecirculation SystemWeightofSteamintheReactorFlowThroughCleanupDemineralizer ReactorBuildingLeakageTurbineBuildingLeakageGlandSealLeakageCondenser AirInleakage IodineParti.tion Coefficients:

A.'team/Liquid B.ReactorBuildingLiquidC.TurbineBuildingSteamD.AirEjectorFractionofIodineGettingThrough:A.Condensate Demineralizer B.Clean-upDemineralizer C.Charcoaldelaybeds1850MWt0.80.010.0011.00.0050.001O.lnegligible Upgraded~Sstern~2lnine5.0hrs.1.7days29.0days1010Others1010255,000pCi/sec',250,000 lb/hr.470,000lb.110600lb.300,000lb/hr.480lb/hr.1,700lb/hr.7,250lb/hr.10scfmLowPurityWaste,ExistingLowPurityWaste,UpgradedChemicalWaste,ExistingChemicalWaste,Upgraded111O'O"106106105106102106106106101061O51O51104106106ExistingasofJuly1,1972.2Scheduled forcompletion approximately springof1974forliquidradwaste; latesummer1975forgaseousradwaste.

3-13classified andtreatedasfollows:wastecollector (lowconductivity) system,floordrain(highconductivity) system,regenerant chemicalsystem,andmiscellaneous liquidwastesystem.Crossconnections be-tweenthesystemcomponents provideflexibility forprocessing byalternate methods.Twoschematics oftheliquidwastesystemsareshowninFig.3.8andFig.3.9.Thefirstfigureshowstheexistingsystemandthesecondshowstheupgradedsystemasproposed.

TheApplicant hastentatively scheduled theupgradedliquidradwastesystemforcompletion byspring1974.Priortoreleaseofanytreatedliquidwastes,samplesareanalyzedtodetermine thetypeandamountofradioactivity inabatch.Basedontheanalysis, thesewastesareeitherreleasedundercontrolled conditions toLakeOntario,orretainedforfurtherprocessing.

Radiation monitorsinthewastedischarge lineprovideahighradio-activityalarmandtripsignaltotheflowisolation valvesuchthatnoliquidswithactivityconcentrations aboveapredetermined levelwillbedischarged.

3.5.1.1ExistingWasteCollector (lowconductivity)

WasteSystemLowconductivity wastesarecollected inawastecollector tankandincaseofexcessive volumeinawastesurgetank.Routineflowsintothissystemarefromequipment drainsthatemptyintodesignated equipment drainsumpsortankslocatedinthedrywell,thereactorbuilding, theturbinebuildingandtheradwastebuilding.

Othersourcesoflowconductivity wasteincludethecondensate demineralizer rinse,thewasteconcentrator distillate, andthedrywellfloordrainsump.Theseliquidsarepumpedtoa25,000gallonwastecollector tankwhichislocatedintheradwastebuilding.

The50,000gallonwastesurgetank,locatedintheturbinebuildingisprovidedtocollectanyexcessliquidfromradioactive wastetreatment systemsurgesandtoprovidethenecessary additional collection andstoragevolumefortheliquidwastetreatment system.Thelowconductivity wasteispumpedthrougheitheraprecoatfilteroratraveling flatbedfilter.Theflatbedfilterwasaddedtotheoriginalsystemtoreducebackwashwaterrequiredoftheprecoatfilter.Theliquidwasteisthenprocessed throughamixedbeddemineralizer andcollected inoneoftwowastesampletanks.Eachsampletankhasavolumeof25,000gallons.Afteranalysis, theliquidisnormallypumpedbacktothecondensate storagetankintheturbinebuildingforreuse.Intheeventthisliquiddoesnotmeetthepurityspecifications foruseinthereactorcoolantsystemit REACTORREGENERANTS

+RINSETURBINE-CONDEN~CLEAN-UPSYSTEMREGENERATION CONDENSATE (6)DEMINERALIZERS MAKE-UPWATERFILTERS(2)ANDDEMINERALIZERS (2TOSRWSCONDENSATE STORAGETANKWASTECOLLECTOR OWCONDUCTIVITY WASTEEQUIPMENT DRAINSFROMDRYWELLANDREACTOR,RADWASTEANDTURBINEBUILDING, CONDENSATE DEMINERALIZER RINSE,,CONCENTRATOR DISTILLATE, ANDDRYWELLFLOORSUMP.WASTECOLLECTOR TANK25.000gslWASTESURGETANK50,000gslPRECOATFILTERTRAVELING BELTFILTERWASTEDEMINERALIZER WASTESAMPLETANKS25000I(2)RADIATION MONITOR.FLOORORA!s)-HIGHCONDUCTIVITY WASTEFLOORDRAINSFROMREACTOR,TURRINEANDRADWASTEBUILDINGS, FLORDAINCOLLECTOR TANK10,000gsl.PRECOATFILTERTOSRWSLOORDRAINSAMPLETANKS10,000gsl(2)LIQUIDEFFLUENTTO"RADWASTEBLDG.FLOORDRAIN.REGENERANT CHEMICALWASTERESINREGENERATION CHEMICALS, LABORATORY DRAINS,SAMPLEDRAINSANDEQUIPMENT DECONTAMINATION.

WASTENEUTRALIZER TANK15,000gslWASTECONCENTRATOR; 12gpmCONCENTRATED WASTE,TANKS5000gsl(2)SOLIDRADIOACTIVE WASTESYSTEM(SRWS)Sl'ENTRESINANDFILTERSLUDGETANKS,CENTRIFUGE ANDDRUMMINGSTATIONDRUMMEDWASTETOOFF-SITEDISPOSALMISCELLANEOUS WASTELAUNDRYDRAINSCASKCLEANINGPERSONNEL DECONTAMINATION LAUNDRYDRAINTANKS.)1000gsl(2)NOTE:1.SRWSDENOTESTHESOLIDRADIOACTIVE WASTESYSTEM.DISCHARGE STRUCTURINTAKESTRUCTURE LAKEOIITAR~IO FIG.3.8.EXISTINGLIQUID.RADWASTESYSTEM~NINE

,MILEPOINTNUCLEARSTATION,UNIT1.

REACTORCLEAN-UPSYSTEMFILTERS(2)ANDDEMINERALIZERS (2)REGENERANTS

+RINSEREGENERATION STATION+URCCONDENSATE (6)DEMINERALIZERS TOSRWSTURBINECONDENSER MAKE-UPWATERCONDENSATE STORAGETANKWASTECOLLECTOR LOWCONDUCTIVITY WASTEEQUIPMENT DRAINSFROMDRYWELLANDREACTOR,RADWASTEANDTURBINEBUILDING, CONDENSATE DEMINERALIZER RINSE,CONCENTRATOR DISTILLATE, ANDDRYWELLFLOORSUMP.FLOORDRAINHIGHCONDUCTIVITY WASTEFLOORDRAINSFROMREACTOR,TURBINEANDRADWASTEBUILDINGS.

WASTECOLLECTOR TANK25.000galWASTESURGETANK50.000galFLOORDRAINCOLLECTOR TANK10.000gal.PRECOATFILTERTRAVELING BELTFILTERPRECOATFILTERTOSRWSWASTEDEMINERALIZE RDISCHARGE50%FLOORDRAINSAMPLETANKS10.000gal(2)WASTESAMPLETANKS25.000gal(2)DISCHARGE 10)6RADIATION MONITORWASTECONCENTRATOR 20gOAlLIQUIDEFFLUENTTORADWASTEBLDG.FLOORDRAIN.REGENERANT CHEMICALWASTERESINREGENERATION CHEMICALS, LABORATORY DRAINS,SAMPLEDRAINSANDEQUIPMENT DECONTAMINATION.

WASTENEUTRALIZER TANK15.000galWASTECONCENTRATOR 12gpmCONCENTRATED WASTETANKS5000gal(2)SOLIDRADIOACTIVE WASTESYSTEM(SRWS)SPENTRESINANDFILTERSLUDGETANKS,CENTRIFUGE ANDDRUMMINGSTATIONDRUMMEDWASTETOOFF-SITEDISPOSALMISCELLANEOUS WASTELAUNDRY0RAINSCASKCLEANINGPERSONNEL DECONTAMINATION LAUNDRYDRAINTANKS1000gal(2)DISCHARGE (00)(NOTE:1.SRWSDENOTESTHESOLIDRADIOACTIVE WASTESYSTEM.2.URCDENOTESTHEOLTI(ASONIC RESINCLEANER..

DISCHARGE STRUCTURE INTAKESTRUCTURE LAKEONTAR~IOFIG.3.9..UPGRADEDLIQUIDRADWASTESYSTEM,NINEMILEPOINTNUCLEARSTATION,UNIT1.

3-16iseitherreturnedtothewastecollector tankforreprocessing ordischarged toLakeOntarioafterdilutioninthecirculating waterdischarge canal.Inourevaluation weestimatethat64,000gallonsperday,withaconcentration ofapproximately 20Xoftheprimarycoolantactivity(PCA)willbeprocessed throughthissystem.Ofthisamount90Xwillberecycledtothecondensate storagetankwiththeremaining 10XreleasedtoLakeOntario.Wecalculated'an annualreleasefromthisso'urceof0.62Ciexcluding tritium.Fortritium,BWRoperating experience providesth'ebasisforour,estimate of20Ci/yrreleasedfromalltheliquidwastesubsystems.

TheApplicant assumesnegligible releasesduetothewastecollector systemexclusive oftritium.Fortritium,theApplicant assumesareleaseof20Ci/yrfromallliquidwastesubsystems.

3.5.1.2UpgradedWasteCollector (lowconductivity)

SystemInourevaluation oftheupgradedwastecollector systemweincluded3,200gallonsofprocessed floordrainwasteand4,800gallonsrerouteddirectlyfromthedrywellfloordrainsumpforasystemtotalof72,000gpdat18XPCAbeforetreatment.

Assuming10Xofthiswastewillbedischarged wecalculated anannualreleaseof0.76curies(excluding tritium).

Thisresultishigherthanthecalculated existingsystemvaluebecauseoftheadditional floordrainvolumereroutedtothissystem.TheApplicant estimated 72,000gpdoflowconductivity wastewillbetreatedinthesystemand10Xwillbedischarged toLakeOntarioforarelease(excluding tritium)of0.4Ci/yr.3.5.1.-3FloorDrain(highconductivity)

WasteSystemHighconductivity liquidwasteiscollected inthefloordrainsumpslocatedwithinthereactorbuilding, theturbine.buildingandtheradwastebuilding.

Theaccumulation ofthesewastesintheirrespective sumpsortanksistransferred tothe10,000gallonfloordraincollector tanklocatedintheradwastebuilding.

Fromthistankthewasteispumpedeitherthroughaprecoatfilteroratraveling beltfiltertooneoftwo10,000gallonfloordrainsampletanks.Presently, thiswasteisnormallydischarged withoutfurthertreatment iftheradio-activityisbelowapredetermined level.Inourevaluation wecon-sideredthat100Xofthehighconductivity waste,approximately 8,000gpdat1XPCA,isdischarged throughthecirculating waterdischarge canaltoLakeOntarioforanannualreleaseof1.1curies,excluding tritium.~TheApplicant estimated 21,000gpdwouldbetreatedand100%%udischarged forareleaseofapproximately 0.3Ci/yr.

3-173.5.1.4FloorDrainUpgradedWasteSystemIntheupgradedsystemtheadditionofa20gpmwasteconcentrator willpermitprocessing'f floordrain,.(low purity)waste,toahighpuritycondition forrecycletothewastecollector system.Inourevaluati'on weassumedthatatotalof6,300gpdwillbeevaporated andthat50Xofthecondensate isreturnedtothewastecollector systemand50/ofthefloordrainprocessed wasteisdischarged foranegligible r'elease.

TheApplicant assumed5,300gallonsareprocessed byevaporation orfiltration with50/discharged foranegligible release.3.5.1.5Regenerant ChemicalandMiscellaneous WasteSystemsChemicalwastesoriginate fromregeneration ofthedemineralizer resin,laboratory sinks,andequipment decontamination.

Thesewastesconsisting ofhighconductivity acidandotherchemicals arecollected inthe15,000gallonwasteneutralizer tankintheradwastebuilding.

Aftersamplingandanalysisthewastecanberoutedtoeitherthefloordrainprecoatfilter,orthetraveling beltfilter,andintothefloordrainsampletank.Iftheradioactivity isaboveapredetermined levelthewasteispumpedfromtheneutralizer tanktothewasteconcentrator andevaporated.

Thedistillate isreturnedtothewastecollector (lowconductivity) systemforfurtherprocessing.

"Inourevaluation oftheexistingsystemweassumedadailyinputof9,400gallonstotheregenerant chemical-miscellaneous wastesystemandthat100Xofthewasteisroutedtothefloordrainwastesystem.Fortheupgradedsystemweestimated 2,400gpdwith100/returnedtothewastecollector (highpurity)system.Inbothsystems,theexistingandtheupgraded, weassumednodirectreleasetotheenvironment fromthissource.TheApplicant assumed100/recycling tothewastecollector system.Intheupgradedsystemanultrasonic resincleanerwillbeadded,totheresinregeneration unit.TheApplicant hasestimated thatthiswilldoubletheintervalbetweenregenerations andthusdecreasetheuseofchemicals andresultinadditional holduptimefordecay.Inourevaluation theadditional nuclideholduptimeprovidedbytheuseoftheultrasonic cleanerresultedinanegligible decreaseinradio-activereleasesfromtheregenerant chemicalsourcesincethiswastewillbeprocessed bytheconcentrator.

Thecombination oftheadditional concentrator andultrasonic resincleanerintheupgradedsystem,how-ever,resultedinacalculated decreaseofradioactivity releasedinliquidwastefrom1.8Ci/yrto0.76Ci/yr,exc1uding tritium.

3-18Forboththeexistingandtheupgradedsystems,liquidwastesfromlaundryoperations, caskcleaningandpersonnel decontamination, arecollected inoneoftwo1,000gallonlaundrydraintanksintherad-waste'uilding.

Aftersamplingandanalysisthiswasteisnormallypumpedtothecirculating waterdischarge canalforreleaseto'LakeOntario.Inourevaluation ofboth,theexisting'and theupgradedsystems,weestimated 100/.discharge ofthiswaste'(450 gpd)andcalculated areleaseof0.06Ci/yr.TheApplicant estimated anegligible releaseduetothissource.3.5.1.6SummaryofLiquidWasteTreatment SystemOurestimates oftheannualliquidreleasesarepresented inTable3.2.fortheexistingsystemandTable3.3fortheupgradedsystem.Ourcalculated releasesbasedontheparameters listedinTable3.1areafr'action ofthevaluesshowninTables3.2and3.3.However,tocompensate forequipment downtimeandexpectedoperational occurrences thevalueshavebeennormalized to4Ci/yrfortheexistingplantand2Ci/yrfortheupgradedplantexclusive oftritiumandotherdissolved gases.TheApplicant's operating experience sinceplantstartupin1969issummarized inTable3.4.Acomparison ofourestimated liquidwastereleasestotheApplicant's designpredictions andoperating experience issummarized inTable3.5.Thetablecomparesourcalculated resultswiththeactualannualliquidwastereleasesfromUnit1fortheperiod1970through1972.Operating experience todatehasresultedinhigherliquidwastereleasesthanthosecalculated fromeithertheApplicant's oroursourcetermmodel.Theoperating maintenance reportindicates

.thattheradwasteequipment hasnotperformed according todesign.Identified andunidenti-fiedequipment leakagehasresultedinlargerliquidwastevolumesthandesignedfor,andmalfunctions'ave causedsomecrosscontamination ofliquidwastesubsystems.

Improvements incorporated intothesystemin-cludetheinstallation ofthetraveling beltscreenandmodification oflinestoprovide'more flexibility intheliquidradwastesystem.Wehavecalculated thatreleasesfromboththeexistingandtheupgradedliquidradwastesystemswillnotresultinawholebodyorcriticalorgandoseinexcessof5mrem/yrintheoffsiteenvironment.

Basedonourevaluation weconcludethattheexistingliquidradwastesystemmeets10CFR20requirements andthatwiththeproposedupgrading willmeetthe"aslowaspracticable" guidelines.

3-19TABLE3.2ESTIMATEOFANNUALRELEASEOFRADIOACTIVITY INLIQUIDEFFLUENTS FROMNINEMILEPOINTNUCLEARSTATION,UNIT1ASEXISTINGJULY1,1972Nuclide~~C1/rNuclide~Ci/rNuclide2~C1/rBr-82Rb-86Sr-89Sr-90Y-90Sr-91Y-91mY-91Sr-92Y-92Y-93Zr-95Nb-95mNb-95Zr-97Nb-97mNb-97Mo-99Tc-99mRu-.103Rh-103mRh-105RU-106Rh-106Pd-109As-.109mTe-125mSb-127Te-127mTe-127Te-129mTe-1290.00040.000080.230.0110.0150.0660.0430.280.00010.0140.260.00250.000060.00210.00120.00110.00120.0840.080.00160.00160.00140.00040.00040.000080.000080.000050.00010.00040.00080.00190.0012I-130Te-131mTe-131I-131Te-132I-132I-133Cs-134I-135Cs-136Cs-137Ba-137mBa-140La-140La-141Ce-141Ce-143Pr-143Ce-144Pr-144Pr-145Nd-147Pm-147Pm-148mPm-148Pm-149Pm-151SIR-153Eu-1560.00180.00430.000780.430.050.0510.630.0360.0490.0140.0320.03.,0.'360.220.00070.00750.00540.00280.00140.00140.000060.00080.00010.000060.00020.00090.00020.00030.00009Na-24P-32P-33Sc-47Cr-51Mn-54Mn-56Fe-55Fe-59,Co-58Co-60Ni-63,,Zn-65Zn-69mZn-69Zr-95Nb-92Nb-95Nb-96Mo-99Tc-99mSn-117mSn-1218-185W-187U-237Np-238Np-239Pu-2410.0210.00230.00890.00010.04600.00440.00090.160.0610.330.0370.0030.00010.00010.00010.000080.00870.000190.000270.0630.0610.00220.00040.0014O.ll0.00050.00010.0330.00006ESTIMATEOFTOTAL(EXCLUDING TRITIUM)ESTIMATEOFTRITIUMRELEASE4.0Ci/yr20.0Ci/yr~Thesenuclides2Thesenuclidesrepresent estimateoffissionproducts.

represent estimateofcorrosion andactivation products.

3-20TABLE3.3UPGRADEDSYSTEMSESTIMATEOFANNUALRELEASEOFRADIOACTIVITY INLIQUIDEFFLUENTS FROMNINEMILEPOINTNUCLEARSTATIONUNIT1Nuclide~Ci/rNuclide~Ci/rNuclide~C1/rBr-82Br-83Rb-86Sr-89Sr-90Y-90.Sr-91Y-91mY-91Sr-92Y-92Y-93Zr-95Nb-95Zr-97Nb-97mNb-97Mo-99Tc-99mRu-103Rh-103mRh-105Ru-106Rh-106Te>>127mTe-127Te-129mTe-1290.00010.000060.000060.0380.00180.0130.0430.028,0.310.000670.0480.470.00040.00030.00040.00040.00040.10.0960.000260.000260.00030.000070.000070.000070.00030.00030.0002I-130Te-131mTe-131I-131Te-132I-132I-133Cs-134mCs-1341-3,35Cs-136Cs-137Ba-137mBa-140La-140La-141Ce-141Ce-143Pr-143Ce-144Pr'-144Pr-145Nd-147Pm-149Pm-151Sm-1530.000890.00110.000210.0760.00990.0110.210.000150.0260.0510.0110.0230.0220.0620.0250.00170.00120.00140.00040.00020.00020.000070.000150;000090.000060.00008Na-24P-32P-33Cr-51Mn-54Mn-56Fe-55Fe-59Co-58Co-60Ni-63Ni-65Zn-69mZn-69Nb-92Nb-96Mo-99Tc-99mSn-117mSn-121W-185W-187U-237Np-2390.0090.00040.00150.00780.00070.00440.0270.010.0540.0060.000480.000090.000070.000070.00150.000090.0760.0740.000380.00010.000230.0330.00010.0071ESTIMATEOFTOTAL(EXCLUDING TRITIUM)ESTIMATEOFTRITIUMRELEASE2.0Ci/yr20.0Ci/yrScheduled forcompletion inspringof1974.thesenuclidesrepresent estimateoffissionproducts.

Thesenuclidesrepresent estimateofcorrosion andactivation products.

3-21TABLE3.4SUMMARYOFREPORTEDRELEASESFROMNINEMILEPOINTNUCLEARSTATION,UNITllAnnualReleasesCuries1969197019711972Totalidentified andunidentified liquidreleasesTritiumreleases0.9w02810321928Totalidentified andunidentified noblegas,releases559,500250,0005205000Totaliodinesandparti-culatesingaseouseffluents w00.060.80.95SolidHasteShipped:1969197019711972Volume(cuft)Curiecontent3,10013,000420015,000260~NineMilePointUnitNo.1startedoperation September 5,1969.

3-22TABLE3.5COMPARISON OFNINEMILEPOINTUNIT1LIUIDWASTERELEASESCI/YR.Estimated fromModelTritiumAllOthersExisting~sstem~A~S20200.342228.032.234.5Upgraded~totemReorredfrom0eratioa~A~S1970'9712020101928Note:(A)denotesApplicant's values,(S)denotesstaffvalues, 3-233.5.2GaseousWasteSystemDuringoperation oftheStationradioactive nuclidesthatmaybere-leasedtotheatmosphere ingaseousformincludefissionproductnoblegases(xenonandkrypton)andhalogens(primarily iodine);activated argon,oxygenandnitrogen, tritium,andparticulate materialincluding somefissionproductsandactivated corrosion products.

Thema)orsourceofgaseousradioactive wasteduringnormalplantoperation willbetheoffgasfromthemainsteamcondenser airegectors.

Othersourcesofgaseouswasteincludeventgasfromthemechanical vacuumpumpusedtoevacuatethecondenser duringstartups, theturbineglandsealcondenser vent,andventilation airdischarged fromtherad-waste,thereactor,andtheturbinebuildingexhaustsystems.Theexisting~astegastreatment systemandtheupgradedsystemareshownschematically inFig.3.10and3.11.3.5.2.1ExistingGaseousWasteSystemIntheexistinggaseouswastetreatment systemtheoffgasesfromtheairegectorsareallowedtodecaybyflowingthrougha30-minute holduppipe.Theoffgasesareprocessed throughaHEPAfilter,anddischarged totheatmosphere throughthemainstack.Gaseouseffluentfromtheprincipal releasepointsaredischarged totheatmosphere throughthemainstack.Turbineglandsealexhaustgasesareventedtothestackthrougha2-minuteholduppipewhichpermitsdecayoftheshortlivednuclides.

Ventilation airfromtheturbinebuilding, thereactorbuilding, andtheradwastebuildingisventedtothestack.Therad-wastebuildingventilation airisprocessed throughaHEPAfilterpriortodischarge.

Theventilation airfromthereactorbuilding'an beroutedthroughthestandbygastreatment systemincaseofradioactivity aboveapredetermined levelbeforebeingreleasedthroughthemainstack.Thestandbygastreatment systemconsistsofHEPAfiltersandcharcoaladsorbers.

Thestandbygastreatment systemisusedduringperiodsofrefueling ormaintenance whenthenormallysealeddrywellspaceispurgedbeforeentry.Thepurgeexhaustisreleasedthroughthestandbygastreatment systemtopreventradioactivity aboveapredetermined levelfrombeingreleasedtotheatmosphere.

Theprincipal parameters listedinTable3.1wereusedinourevaluation oftheexistinggaseouswastetreatment system.Ourestimates oftheannualreleasesofnoblegasesandradioiodine andtheprincipal releasepointsarelistedinTable3.6.Forthereactorbuilding, wecalculated negligible releasesofnoblegasesandapproximately 0.014Ci/yrofiodine-131.

Fortheturbinebuilding, wecalculated 1,200Ci/yrofnoblegasesand0.53Ci/yrofiodine-131.

Fortheturbineglandseal 3-24NORMALFLOW63fpsRADIATION MONITORFROMMAINCONDENSER 2STAGEAIREJECTOR30MIN.HOLDUPPIPEFILTERHEPACHIMMEY350FT.1.75MINHOLDUPPIPEPRIMARYSTEAMFROMTURBINESEALSMECH.PUMPOFFGASSYSTEMPREFILTER HEPACHARCOALHEPACONDENSER 35,000SCFM/UNIT3200SCFM~r--m~iFILTERADSORBERFILTERr-WŽISTANDBYGASTREATMENT SYSTEM,2UNITSREACTORBLDG.IIREFUELING IFLOORPREFILTERDRYWELLIIIIISUPPRESSION CHAMBERTURBINEBLDG,85,000SCFM/UNIT'RE FILTERPREFILTER RAD.WASTEFACILITYHEPAFILTER9,000SCFMVENTILATION SYSTEMNOTES:1.SOLIDLINEDENOTESNORMALOPERATION.

2.BROKENLINEDENOTESSPECIALOPERATION.

FIG.3.10.EXISTINGGASEOUSRADWASTESYSTEM,NINEMILEPOINTNUCLEARSTATION,UNIT1.

3-25'NORMALFLOW63fpsRADIATION MONITORFROMMAINCONDENSER 2STAGEAIREJECTORCONDENSER 6HRHOLDUPPIPEHEPAFILTERCHARCOAADSORBER77FHEPAFILTERCHIMME350FT.CATALYTIC RECOMBINER I2I1.75MINHOLDUPPIPEDRYERSTEAMDELAY:Kr,29.4DXe,1.7DPRIMARYSTEAMFROMTURBINE=SEALSMECH.PUMPOFFGASSYSTEMCHARCOALHEPACONDENSER 35,000SCFM/UNIT 3200SCFM~+r--FILTERADSORBERFILTERIr-WŽISTANDBYGASTREATMENT SYSTEM,2UNITSREACTORBLDG.IREFUELING FLOORPREFILTER DRYWELLIIIIIISUPPRESSION CHAMBERTURBINEBLDG.65,000SCFM/UNIT PREFILTER PREFILTERRAD.WASTEFACILITYHEPAFILTER9,000SCFMVENTILATION SYSTEMNOTE:1.SOLIDI.INEDENOTESNORMALOPERATION.

2.BROKENLINEDENOTESSPECIALOPERATION.

FIG.3.11UPGRADEDGASEOUSRADWASTESYSTEM,NINEMILEPOINTNUCLEARSTATION,UNIT1.

3-26wecalculated 4,200Ci/yrofnoblegasesand0.022Ci/yrofiodine-131.

Forthemechanical vacuumpump,weassumed16hoursperyearofoperation andcalculated areleaseof2,500Ci/yrofnoblegasesandanegligible releaseofiodine.Forthe'sourcesidentified theApplicant estimated verysmallreleasesandinclu'ded themintheanalysismadeoftheairejectoroffgasdischarged tothestack.Inbothourevaluation andtheApplicant's, thema)orsourceofradioactivity releasedistheoffgasfromthemaincondenser airejectors.

Wecalculated arelease*of 1,500,000 Ci/yrofnoblegasesandllCi/yrofiodine-131 willbere-leasedfromthissource.TheApplicant estimates 1,570,000 Ci/yrasatotaloffgasreleasebasedonanassumedoffgasreleaserateof50,000pCi/secafter30-minute delay..Operating experience attheUnit1plantshowninTable3.4givesthereleasevaluesfor1971as250,000Ci/yrfornoblegasesand0.8Ci/yrforalliodines.In1972releasevalueswere520,000Ci/yrfornoblegasesand0.9Ci/yrforalliodines.Thereasonthatourestimates arehigherthantheamountsreportedcanbeattributed tothefactthatthefuelperformance hasbeensomewhatbetterthanexpected.

Alsotheplantcapacityfactorhasbeenbetween35/to63/whereasweassumed80/inourevaluation.

3.5.2.2TheUpgradedGaseousWasteTreatment SystemTheproposedupgradedgaseouswastetreatment systemisshownschema-ticallyinFig.3.11.Toreducetheradioactivity releasedacatalytic recombiner-charcoal delaytrainwillbeaddedforthetreatment oftheoffgasesfromthemaincondenser.

Theoffgaswillbeprocessed throughacatalytic recombiner wherethehydrogenandoxygenwillrecombine intheformofsteam.Thecondensed steamwi11berecyc1edtothehotwel1.Theremovalofmostofthehydrogenandacorresponding stoichiometric amountofoxygenconsiderably reducesthevolumeofgaseswhichremaintobetreated.Non-condensible gasesF11bedelayedupto5hoursintheoriginalholduppipetoallowdecayofshort-lived noblegasesandactivation products.

Thegasstream~11beprocessed through,a sacrificial charcoalbedandthenthroughanambienttemperature char-coaldelaytrainconsisting of76,000poundsofcharcoalinsixbedsinseries.Priortodischarge throughthemainstack,theoffgaswillpassthroughHEPAfilters.toremoveanyparticulates whichmightbecarriedintotheventstream.Therewillbearedundancy ofallessential components oftheoff-gastreatment.

system.Inourevaluation wecalculated thecharcoalde1aytrainwillprovideholdupperiodsof1.7daysforkryptonand29daysforxenon.Wealsoassumedthatapproximately alloftheradioiodines whichwerepresentintheoffgasfromthemaincondenser willberetainedinthecharcoalbeds.Ourestimated annualreleasesofradioactive materials inthe 3-27TABLE3.6ESTIMATEOFANNUALRELEASESOFRADIOACTIVE MATERIALS INGASEOUSEFFLUENZS FROMNINEMILEPOINTNUCLEARSTATIONUNITl.ASEXISTINGJULY1,1972NuclideCuriesPerYearReactorTurbineGlandMainCond.Bld.Bld.SealAirEectorMech.Vac.Approx.PTotalKr-83mKr-85mKr-85Kr-87Kr-88Kr-89Xe-131mXe-133mXe-133Xe-135mXe-135Xe-137Xe-1381853571903191903302802202405501503603801,000110038,00070,000390170$000220,0001,2003404,800.130$000100,000370,0006,10036000038,00070,000390170,000220,0001,9003404,8002,220130,000100,000350370,0007,500360000I-131I-1330.0140.06Appr'ox.Suma1,2000.533.10.022ll.00.1364.04,2001,500,000 a12682,5001,500,000

-4a-lessthan1Ci/yrnoblegasesorlessthan10Ci/yriodine.

3-28.effluentfromthegaseouswaste.treatment systemarelistedinTable3.7.Weestimated areleaseof11,000Ci/yrofnoblegasesand0.56Ci/yrofiodine-131.

TheApplicant estimated 10,800Ci/yrofnoblegasesandnegligible radioiodine releases.

Wehavecalculated thatreleasesfromtheupgradedradwastesystem'will notresultineitherawholebodyoracriticalorgandoseinexcessof5mrem/yratthesiteboundary.

Basedonourevaluation weconcludethattheupgradedgaseouswastesystemwillmeetour"aslowaspracticable" guidelines.

Theupgradedsystemisscheduled tobeoperational bylatesummerin1975.'3.5.3SolidWasteSystemThesolidradioactive wastesystemisdesignedtocollect,process,package,andprovidetemporary storageforsolidwastespriortoshipmenttoalicensedburialground.Radioactive solidwastesresulting fromstationoperation usingeithertheexistingortheupgradedsystemincludethefollowing:

(1)concentrates fromtheradwasteevaporators, (2)spentresinsandfiltersludgefromthespentresintank,(3)routineoperation wastesuchaspaper,airfilters,rags,etc.,(4)miscellaneous highlevel'olid wastessuchascontrolrods,fuelchannelsandcontaminated replacedequipment.

Thebottomsfromthewasteconcentrator arecooledpriortotransfer, totheplant'spackaging

facility, mixedwithanadsorbent, loadedincontainers, andstore'd'forsh'ipment.

Spentresinsfromthemixedbeddemineralizers areflushedtothepackaging facilities, dewatered, loadedintocontainers, andstoredforshipment.

Filtersludgesaredewatered, andtransferred toshippingcontainers.

Thesolidwastesystemcentrifuge residueisalsotransferred directlytopackaging.

Solidwastescontaining mediumtohighradioactivity includethecon-centrated processfluids,filtersludgesandspentresins.Thesewastesarepackagedwithsemi-remote handlingequipment.

Lowlevelactivitywastesresulting fromroutinehandlingandmaintenance arecollected incontainers locatedinappropriate zonesaroundthestation.Thesecontainers aremonitored duringfillingtoensurethatpermissible doserates'renotexceededbeforefinalpackaging.

Whenfullthecontainers aremovedtoacontrolled accessstorageareatoawaitshipment.

Contaminated equipment toolargetobehandledinanormalmanneristreatedasaspecialcaseandprocedures fordecontamination, shielding, storage,andshipmentofsuchitemsaredesignated onanindividual casebasis.

3-29TABLE3.7UPGRADED'SYSTEMl ESTIMATEOFANNUALRELEASESOFRADIOACTIVE MATERIALS INGASEOUSEFFLUENTS FROMNINEMILEPOINTNUCLEARSTATIONUNIT1CuriesPerYearNuclideReactorBldMech.TurbineGlandMain,Condenser Vac.Approx.Bld.SealAirEectorPumTotalKr-83mKr-85mKr-85Kr-87Kr-88Kr-89Ze-13lmXe-133mXe-133Xe-135m'e-135 Xe-137Xe-13845187553220572401905503113091360903802801,1003301000067390602,70056160390280300750602,2005,100450350,8201,3001,400I-131I-1330.0140.060Approx.Suma1,2000.533.14,200000220.133,300a2,50011,000a0.56a3.3Scheduled foroperation approximately insummerof1975.a-lessthan1Ci/yrnoblegasesorlessthan10Ci/yriodine.

3-30TheApplicant's recordofsolidradioactive wastefromUnit1operation for1971shows'hat 13,000cubicfeetcontaining 200curiesofactivitywereshipped.For1972,theApplicant reportsthat15,000cubicfeetofsolidwastecontaining anactivity, of260curieswereshipped.Weestimatefromacomposite ofoperating BWRplant,shipments that11,000cubicfeetatanactivityof2700curiesistheexpectedsolidwastefromaplantofthistype.Weconcludethatthehandlingandpackaging ofthesolidwastefromUnit1isinaccordance withAECandDepartment ofTransportation regulations.

3.6CHEMICALANDBIOCIDEEFFLUENTS.

Theprincipal chemicals usedintheroutineoperation oftheStationin-cludesulfuricacidandsodiumhydroxide forregeneration ofresininthecondensate andmakeupdemineralizers, andferricsulfateandlimeformakeup-water clarification.

Wastesfromall'these systems,except'conden-sate-demineralizer regeneration, areaddedtothecirculating waterbeforedischarge intothelake.Wastesfromcondensate-demineralizer regeneration areaddedtotheradwastesystem.Disposalofradioactive chemicalwastesisdiscussed inSection3.5.Solutions containing ferricsulfate(50ppm)andlime(150ppm)areaddedtorawlakewaterintheclarifier ofthetreatment systemformakeupwater(Fig.3.12)toproducesediment-free watertobedemineralized foruseintheprimaryreactor-condensate cycle.Chemicalwastesfromthemakeupsystemconsistofintermittent blowdownofsolidsfromtheclari-fier,backwashings fromthepressureandactivated charcoalfilters,andneutralized solutionfromthedemineralizer regeneration cycle.Theclarifier

blowdown, about20"gphcontaining ferrichydroxide, calciumcarbonate, andsuspended materialoriginally presentinth'elakewater,isdischarged toasettlingbasin.Aboutonetonofsolidsisdredgedfromthebasinquarterly andtruckedtoaland-fill disposalareainthesouthwest quadrantofthesite.TheApplicant hasstatedthatthedis-posalareaissituatedsothatsludgedoesnotrunoffintoanynavigable

'watersortheirtributaries oraffectground.water.Theclearoverflowfromthesettlingbasinisdischarged tothelakeviaadrainageditch."Xhecomposition oftheoverflow, assuppliedbytheApplicant, islistedinTable3.8.Theanthracite pressurefilterandtheactivated-charcoal, filterarebackwashed threeorfourtimesamonth.Thewastewater,containing suspended andorganicmaterialoriginally presentinlakewater,isdischarged tothelakeviaastormdrain.

FERRICSULFATELIMERINSEWATERFROMCLEARWELL RINSEWATERFROMCLEARWELL IOOGPMMAKEUPWATERFROMLAKEONTARIO20GPHCLEAROVERFLOWPSOPPMQISOPMCLARIFIER IS'OIA20GPHCLARIFIER SLOWDOWNCLEARWELL DEMINERALIZER FEEDPVMPII60GPM)DURING(SHUTDOWNONLYNTHRACITE PRESIVREFILTERBACKWASHACTIVATECHARCOALFILTERBACKWASHSETTLINGBASINISo500GALONETON/3MONTHSDREDGEDANDDISPOSEDOFINSPOILAREAONSITESTOANDRAINTOLAKEONTARIOCAUSTICODARINSEWATERSULFURICACIDMAKEUPWATER{FREEOFSVSPENDED MATERIAL1DRAINAGEDITCHTOLAKEONTARIOREACTORMAKEUP36,000GAI100GPMMAXMIXEDBEDANIONCATION2.000GALDEMINERALIZED SEALINGWATERSTORAGEWATERREGENERATION WASTESCOOLINGWATERFORCLOSEDLOOPSYSTEMSSTORAGEEGENERATION-WASTE NEVTRALIZATION TANKPHCONTROL20.000GALIOOGPMNAXTOCIRCULATING WATERDISCHARGE Fig.3.12.Makeup-water Treatment.

3-32TABLE3.8COMPOSITION OFSETTLING-BASIN OVERFLOW(INPPM,EXCEPTFORpH)IIHardness(asCaC03)Alkalinity (asCaCO)Calcium(asCa)++Magnesium (asMg)++Iron(asFe)+HSodium(asNa)+Chloride(asCl)Sulfate(asSO<)Dissolved solidsSuspended solidspH(range)1233536<0.1030662109.8-10.2Applicant's Environmental Report.Basedupontheadditionof50ppmFe2(SO)3and150ppmoflimetotheUnit1clarifier andasludgeblowdownrateof20gphtotheclarifier

.settling basin.

3-33Regeneration wastesofspentacidandcausticsolutions, approximately 16,000gallonsofmainly9000ppmsodiumsulfate,areneutralized toapHbetween6.5and8.5inatankbeforebeingdischarged tothelakeat100gpmviathecirculating-water discharge, wheretheyaredilutedbyafactorofabout3000.Thedischarge normallyoccur'sforaboutthreehoursonceeveryeightdays.Theaverageincremental increaseofdis-solvedsolidsinthereturning circulating water(268,000gpm)isabout4ppm.Table3.9showsthecomposition ofthedischarges fromthewater-treatment facilityalongwiththeamountsofchemicalconstituents ori-ginallyremovedfromthelakewater.bythedemineralizers.

Theincremental concentrations occuronlyduringperiodsofactualdischarge ofdeminer-alizerwaste.Thecationandaniondemineralizers requireregeneration threeorfourtimesmonthly;,the mixed-bed unitoneortwotimesmonthly.TheApplicant obtainedapermitin1965todischarge thesechemicalwastesintowatersofNewYorkState.Foremergency use,twodieselelectricgenerators andonedieselfirepumpareavailable.

Thefueloilusedcontains0.4to0.7sulfurandleavesanegligible amountofash.Exceptforanemergency requiring theiruse,theseunitsareoperatedonlyfortestingintermittently; releaseofcombustion productsisconsidered tobeinsignificant.

Drainagefromroofs,andfromtheadministration

building, ship,andstore-area floors,whichhavenopotential.

forradioactivity, isdis-chargedtothelakeviaastormsewer.Wastefromlaundering ofprotective clothingisprocessed intherad-wastesystem(Section3.5)and,aftermonitoring, isdischarged intothecirculating wateratacontrolled rate.Duringnormal.operation,,about 100poundspermonthofdetergent, 50/ofwhichissodiumhexametaphosphate, produces130gpdofwaste.Duringscheduled Stationoutages,about450poundsofdetergent permonthisused,and1700gpdoflaundrywasteisproduced.

Treatment ofradiochemical wastesisdiscussed inSection3.5.3.7SANITARYWASTESANDOTHEREFFLUENTS Thesewagefacilityusesanactivated sludge,extendedaerationsystemfollowedbychlorination andthenoxygenation ina2800-square-foot pondw'ithaseasonalvariation indepthof2to15feet.Theeffluentisthencarriedbyadrainageditchtothelake.Excesssludgeisremovedquarterly fromtheStationtoastate-approved disposalareabyastate-licenseddisposalfirm.

TABLE3.9CHEMICALDISCHARGES FROMMAKEUPWATERSYSTEMIon~(orTDS)SourceofIonPoundsperdayaAmountDischaredIncremental Conc.inEffluent, ppmConc.inPercentage LakeOntario,IncreaseinppmDischarge Lakewater c6.70.1544.00.3NaClSOHCOPO4NO3TDSSodiumhydroxide forregeneration LakewatercLakewatercLakewatercLakewatercLakewatercSulfuricacidforregeneration Lake.watercLakewatercLakewatercLakewaterc53.23.01.50.30.0025.4111.08;48.40.030.021.190.070.030.0074x100.122.490.190.197x104x104'416.68.91.60.0130.330.1114.70.190.14246.57.20.30.40,40.48.30.20.40.31.8Basedonestimated averageflowthroughdemineralizers.

.Discharged into268,000gpmcirculating waterfor160minuteseveryeightdays.Concentrations

-areforperiodsofactual'discharge.

collectedfromlakewaterondemineralizer resins,thenreleasedduringregeneration.

IncludesS04fromferricsulfateaddedinclarifier.

3-35Thefacilityhasacapa'city of15,000gpd.Withaper-capita requirement of35gpdandamaximumworkforceof108employees, themaximumloadonthesystemwouldbe3880gpd,wellbelowthedesigncapacity.,

The"Applicant's reportedsampleanalysisshowsthatthefacilitymeetsthefollowing operating requirements:

Settleable solidsremovedSuspended solidsremovedBOD(5day)reducedChlorineresidual100/95/95/1ppmmaxThechlorinedemandofLakeOntariointhevicinityoftheStationis7.5ppm.Fromoperating experience withtheApplicant's OswegoSteamStation,theresidualchlorineintheeffluentfromthesewage-treatment plantisexpectedtobeconverted tochlorideasaresultofthehighchlorinedemandofthewaterintheoxygenation pond.TheApplicant hasobtainedapermitfromtheStateofNewYorkDepartment ofHealthtooperatethiswaste-treatment facility.

Solidwastescollected ontrashracks,lunchroom andofficewastes,andmachine-ship scrapsaretruckedoffsitefordisposalatastate-approved waste-disposal site.3.8TRANSMISSION FACILITIES Twosingle-circuit 345-kVtransmission linesconnecttheStationoutputtotheApplicant's existingsubstation inClay,NewYork,about27milessoutheast ofthesite.Thetransmission right-of-way (Fig.3.13)isownedbytheApplicant.

Ittraverses terrainranginginelevation from250feetatthesiteto400feetatthesubstation andpassesthrough10milesofopenfarmland, aboutfourmilesofwetlands, fivemilesofwoodedareasandeightmilesoffalloworpastureland.Toallowforprobableneedforafuture345-kVtransmission line,a500-footright-of-way waspurchased.

Inadditiontothetwo345-kVlinesfromNineMilePointUnit1inthecenteroftheright-of-way, twosingle-circuit115-kVlinesarealongthewesternedgeforaboutfourmilesfromthesitetowheretheyjointheApplicant's Lighthouse Hill-Oswego 115-kVgrid+Wood-pole H-framestructures, Fig.3.14,carrythemajorportion(about25miles)ofthe345-kVcables.'or theinitiall.7milesfromtheStationandthefinal0.3mileintothesubstation, latticesteeltowersareused.About30milesofunpaveddirtroadsprovideaccessforlineinspection andservice.

3-36LA/I'EOIV7AJF/0NINEMILEPOINTNUCLEARPOWERSTATIONSCRIBAJAMESA.FITZPATRICK NUCLEARPOWERPLANT"f/'IIII~'INEWIHAVENIIIIIV0LNIEYIIIIIIIIIIwJIIIIIIIPALERM0IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISCHREPPIIIIIILCLAYSUBSTATION Fig.3.y3Transmission Facilities.

Fig.3.lp.Transmission-line Structures NorthofClay.

4-14.ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTSOFCONSTRUCTION 4.1EFFECTSONLANDUSE4.1.1StationSiteOnly45acresofthe900acresintheplantsiteareusedforplantstructures andauxiliary systems.The45acreshavebeenlandscaped.

TheApplicant hassetaside130acresofthesiteasawildlifehabitatin1969bypostingthenorthwest cornerofthesite.TheApplicant hasstatedthattherearenoplansforthecreationofalargerhabitat.Inaddition, theApplicant hasmadeareasonable effortformultipleuseofthesitebyopeninga'visitorreception centerandmuseum.Incon]unction withthiscenterthereisanaturetrailthroughwoodedareaandpicnicareasonthebluffsoverlooking LakeOntario.Anewradwastebuildingwillbeconstructed onsite.Thisstr'ucture, whichwillbe80feetby60feet,by30feetabovegradeand30feetbelowgrade,willbecompleted twoyearsafterstartofconstruction approximately inJanuary1974.Themaintenance ofthepresentsitegradewillminimizepossibleerosionduringconstruction.

Excavated materialwillbeusedingrading;theremaining materialwillbedis-posedofoffsiteinamanneracceptable tothe'appropriate stateagencies.

TheApplicant hasstatedthatcarewillbetakenthatrock,soil,wastebuildingmaterial, oil,gasoline, oranyothermaterialconnected withconstruction oftheStationwillnotcontaminate thelakeorgroundwater.

TheApplicant hasstatedthattheamountofgaseousdischarges fromconstruction equipment inthevicinityofthesitewillbebelowthelevelspermitted inthestateandfederalair-quality standards andcriteria.

Thenormalprecautions.

employedinlarge-scale construction willbetaken;roadsprinkling willbeusedtoreducetheairbornedustexpectedtooccurduringconstruction activities.

Thesmallamountofblastingisexpectedtobemadewithappropriate concernfortheintegrity oftheexistingstructures andsafetyofonsitepersonnel.

TheApplicant planstousenetstocon-troltheresultant debris.Itisrecommended thatanytopsoilremovedshouldbesalvaged, protected andrespreadduringthegradingoperation.

Theareashouldbelandscaped immediately afterconstruction iscompleted.

TheStaffhasinspected thesiteandbelievesthatnoimpacts:on neighboring landswillresult,fromconstruction oftheradwastebuilding, Theincreased trafficandnoisewillbeoflittlecon-sequenceandtemporary.

Mostofthetrafficandnoiserelatedtoconstruction willbelimitedtothedaylighthours.

2626VOLTAGE:345kvMATERIAL:

Wood(treated)

AVERAGESPAN:700FOUNDATION:TobebackfilledwithcrushedstoneMINIMUMHEIGHT:80MAXIMUMHEIGHT:100Scale1=15Fig.4.1.Wood"H"Frame:SingleCircuit.

4-34.1.2Transmission LinesTowersusedmostoftenalongtheNineMilePoint-Cl'ay transmission linearethestandardwood-pole "H"frame(Fig.4.1).Atallstrainpoints,alatticestructure isemployed(Fig.4.2).TheApplicant didnothavethebenefitoftheStateofNewYorkDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation guidelines andrecommendations for'transmission-line locationandconstruction whentheoriginal500-footcorridorwasselectedandcleared(theNineMilePointUnit-Clay Circuit).

Theconstruction ofthistransmission linehasresultedinaverywideclearedzone,whichhaslongstraightsections.

Theredonotappeartobeanyexcludedareasatroads,streams,ormarshes,norwasthereanyfeathering oftheright-of-way.

Herbicides wereusedinclearingtheoriginalright-of-way.

Tordon101withthickener wasappliedin1966tothenorthernfourmileswiththeaidofahelicopter.

Theremainder oftheright-of-way wasgivenafoliarapplication of2,4,.5-Tfromthegroundin1970.TheApplicant hasindicated thatcertainshrubbery wasnotremovedfromthecorridor, andtenacresoflandusedtogrowChristmas treeswereleftuntouched.

Tenhornswereremovedwhenthetransmission corridorwasestablished.

4A28-6VOLTAGE:345kVMATERIAL:

Galvanized SteelAVERAGESPAN:800'OUNDATION:

GrillageorReinforced ConcreteMINIMUMHEIGHT:61(tocrossarm)

MAXIMUMHEIGHTr95(tocrossarm)

Scale1=16'ig.4.2.LatticeSteelTower:SingleCircuit.

5-15.ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTSOFSTATIONOPERATION 5.1IMPACTSONLANDUSE5.1.1StationEnvironsStructures andauxiliary facilities havebeendesignedtoconformwithcontemporary architectural practices.

Themostprominent viewoftheplantisfromthelake;onlythestackcanbeseenfromthenearestpublicroad,whichisaboutonemilefromtheStation.ThepresenceoftheStationdoesnotlimitpublicaccesstothelakeshore.Traditionally, thissitehasnotbeenusedbythelocalresidents eitherforboatingorbathing.Thelakeshoreatthispointissteepandstonyanddoesnotrepresent apotentially valuablerecreational resourceasfaraswater-related activities areconcerned.

Beforeacquisition bytheApplicant, thesitewasusedasanartillery range.Itisconcluded thatthelanduseofthe,siteanditsimmediate environswillnotbeadversely affectedbytheoperation oftheStation.5.1.2Transmission-line EnvironsThetransmission towersystemhasvisualimpactontheobserverintherelatively flatandopenterrainthroughwhichthelinepasses.Thecorridoriscoveredwithvegetation (mostlygrassesandherbaceous weeds).Themaintenance ofthistypeofcoverwillpreventerosionwithinthecorridorandreducerunoff.Maintenance ofthe.transmission lineshouldfollowtheNewYorkStateDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation guidelines andrecommendations.

TheStaffbelievesthatmeansotherthanherbicides shouldbegivenintensive consideration fortransmission-line maintenance.

Theplantingofshrubbery andshortfoodplantsforgamewouldbedesirable.

However,ifherbicides areused,theserecommendations shouldbefollowed:

(a)Onlyselective application ofapprovedherbicides shouldbepermitted tomaintain"tightgroundcover,"whichwillallowgrowthofcompatible weedsandwoodyspeciesandencourage wildlife-habitat growth.(b)Nosprayingshouldbedonewithin100feet-ofwatercoursesorstatereforestation areas.(c)Treatment shouldnotbemorethanonceayear.

5-2(d)Nocontamination ofpotential humanfoodstuffs, including wildberries,shouldbepermitted.

I(e)Nocontamination ofpotablewatersuppliesshouldbepermitted.

(f)Ifpasturesaresprayed,ownersofthepasturesshouldbenotifiedinadvanceofsprayingandtheirwrittenapprovalsecured.(g)AssoonastheAdministrator ofEPAissuesstandards forpesticide applicators, allsprayingshouldbedonebyanindividual meetingthesestandards orunderhisimmediate supervision.

Allpesticide applicators shouldbecertified underStateprovisions andcomplywithapplicable Statestandards.

(h)Noformulation withadioxincontamination levelthatexceedsO.lppmshouldbeused.(i)Aftersufficient timehaselapsedforvegetation damagetobecomeapparentbutwithinthesamegrowingseason,visualinspection shouldbemadefordriftorvolatilization contamination anddamageofthevegetation offtheright-of-way andactiontakentoensurethatdriftorvolatization beheldtoaminimuminfutureapplications.

Theaboverecommendations ontheuseofherbicides innowayabrogateapplicable statelaws,regulations, orregistrations suchasthere-stricted-use listoftheNewYorkStateDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation.

Allherbicides, pesticides andrelatedchemicals shouldberegistered inaccordance withPL92-516,TheFederalInsecticide, Fungicide andRodenticide Act.TheApplicant shoulddevelopsufficient fieldstudyandmonitoring pro-gramstoensurethattheaboverecommendations arefollowedtotheextentpossibleandthatnorareorendangered speciesofplantsoranimalsaregeopardy.5.2IMPACTSOFWATERUSE5.2.1WaterConsumption AllwaterfortheStation(forcooling,makeup,andplantoperation) istakenfromthelakeandessentially allofitisreturnedtothelake.TheStaffhascalculated thattheincreaseinevaporation duetotheheatrejection oftheStationtothelakewillbeO.lpercentofnaturalevaporation offthelake.Therefore, nomeasurable impactisexpectedontheoverallwaterbalance.'

5-35.2.2ThermalStudies\SinceNineMilePointUnit1wentintooperation in1969,severalfieldsurveysoftheplumesresulting fromthedischarge ofheatedcondenser coolingwaterintoLakeOntariohavebeenconducted.

"Anexamination ofthesedata showsthattheplumeextentanddirection arestronglydependent onwind-induced lakecurrents, waveactionandupwelling.

Athoroughdiscussion oftheeffectofthesefactorsbyvariouswindregimesisgiveninReference 5.ThedatareportedbytheApplicant's consultants arefor12surveysinwhichtemperature measurements weretakenatvariouslakedepthsandreducedtoisothermplots.Ofthese,twosurveys(Figs.5.1and5.2)arediscussed furtherbecausetheyrepresent extremecasesofinterestfortheirpotential biological impact.Pigure5.1(PieldSurvey,November16,1971)repr'esents asituation inwhichanextensive stretchofshoreline willbeaffectedbythethermaldischarge.

Duringthissurvey,thewindwasfromthenorthat5-10mph.Thewarmerwaterspreadoutalongtheshoreandslightlywestwardbecauseofaweakcurrent.Waveswereslight(sixinchestoonefoot)andlittleupwelling wasobserved.

Asanindication oftheextentofshoreline

affected, temperatures forabouttwomilesofshore-linewereatleast5'Fgreaterthanlakeambienttemperature.

Belowthesurface,lessshoreline wasaffected.

However,evenatadepthof5feet,approximately oneandaquartermilesofshoreline hadtemperatures greaterthan5'Faboveambient.Thethermalplumedidnotextendmuchdeeperthanfivefeetbecauseatadepthof7-8feet,thetemperatures werenotfarfromtheambientlakevalue.Figure5.2(FieldSurvey,July30,1971)represents asituation inwhichlessshoreline isaffected.

Onthisoccasion, thewindwasfromtheeastat,0-5mphwithwavesat1-2inches.Asaresultawedgeofwarmwaterwasobservedthatextended3000feetoffshorefortheisothermofthe5'Faboveambienttemperature.

Inothersurveys,isotherms typically rangedfrom1000to2000feetoffshore.

Fortheothersurveysinwhichthewindandwaveconditions weredifferent, considerably lessshoreline wasaffected; aboutonehalforlessthanthatindicated above.5.2.3EffectsofChemicalDischarges Thechemicals thatwillbeusedintheStationandtheirdischarge con-centrations aregiveninTable3.9.Themajorchemicalwasteexcluding NoYcmbcr16,1971WINDAIRTEMP.SKYCOVERWAVESSURFACEAMBIENTN5-10mph10'C(50F(106"-I'5'C(49.1'F(STATIONDATANETOUTPUT565MWcDISCHARGE FLOW2.6x10'pmTEMP.IN11.7'C(53'F)TEMP.OUT269'C(84'F)~~~~~~cccdhtc+gOItc.'bI~"Ie.530~10IIu18111'~xcII.534.~'~.,~~X,~~>"c.5~~S,~".~~w"-E3ET4ccWI.("'2!NINEMILEPOINTNUCLEARSTATION500(I(~~WT)Fig.5.1.Three-dimensional ThermalSurveyofNineMilePoint:Nov.16,1971(surfacetemperatures, C).'

?>sJuly30,1971WINDE0-5mphAIRTEMP.19.4'C(67'F)SKYCOVERIwithhazeWAVESEI"-2"SURFACEAMBIENT22$'C(72$'F)STATIONDATANETOUTPUTDISCHARGE FLOWTEMP.INTEMP.OUT490MWe25x10'pm21.7C(71'F)372'C(WF)<<3's2.524.5Z524.5.'9.5>e5.5SegO\eiae~'<<.s.-"23.5<<.."~z5.5fI."tjj'IYZWT3.a'.~.~/!NINEMILEPOINTNUCLEARSTATION50011Fig.5.2.Three-dimensional ThermalSurveyofNineM.lePoint:July30,1971(surfacetemperatures,

'C).

5-6liquidradioactive wastesandtreatedsewageisaneutralized solutionofsodiumsulfateandothersalts(originally removedfromlakewater)fromthemakeup-demineralizer regeneration.

Thissolutionisdischarged duringathree-hour periodonceeveryeightdaysalongwiththeheatedwater.Thissolutionwillbedispersed anddilutedinthelake.Ascalculated fromthedatainTable3.9,thetotaldissolved solidsinthecooling-water effluentfromtheStationwillbeincreased by4.4ppmduringthedischarge periodsoranoverallaverageof0.56ppm(a0.2%increaseinthenaturallevel).Thisincreaseissmallincomparison withthenaturalvariation inthelake.Forexample,theresidueonevaporation (totalsolids)variedatonestationoffOswegobetween128and533ppmduringa6-1/2-year period(seeTable2.2).Onthisbasis,nodetectable effectoninshorewatersisexpected.

The198lb/day"averagedischarge ofchemicals fromtheStationwillincreasethedissolved-solids contentofthe400cubicmilesofwaterofLakeOntarioby0.002ppm,or0.0007%percentury(80%capacityfactor).Forsuchlongtimeperiods,completemixingcanprobablybeassumed.Thisisanegligible fractionoftheexistingtrendof96ppm/century increasefor1910-1960.

Therefore, theStaffjudgesthatnolake-wide effectwillbediscernible.

Theonlychemicals clearlyrelatingtotheeutrophic trendinLakeOntariowhoselevelswillbeinfluenced byoperation ofUnit1arethephosphate anddissolved-nitrogen (ammonia, nitrate,andnitrite)speciesremovedfromlakewaterinproduction ofmakeupwaterandlaterreturnedtothelakeasawastefromion-exchanger regeneration.

Themeanvalueofthephosphate (Table2.3)innearbylakewateris0.19mg/1;thesumofthemeannitrogencontentsofammonia,nitrate,andnitrite(Table2.3)is0.61mg/1.Calculating asinthedevelopment

'fTable3.9,theaveragequantityofexcessdissolved chemicals returnedtothelakewillbe0.034lb/dayphosphate andO.lllb/dayofnitrogen.

Phosphate isalsoreleasedtothelakeviathecirculating waterinusedlaundrydetergent andinStationsewage.Duringnormaloperation, theunitreleases100lb/monthofdetergent; during"scheduled outages".,

itreleases450lb/month.

Whilenodetailedestimateofthetotaldurationof"scheduled outagesisavailable" itwillbelessthan20%becausetheexpectedcapacityfactoris0.80.Thetotaldischarge wouldthusbe100lb/monthfor80%ofthetimeand450lb/monthfor20%ofthetime.Annualdetergent releasewouldthusbe2040lbs.Since50%ofthematerialissodiumhexametaphosphate, themaximumorthophosphate releasewillbe950lb/yroranaverageof2.6lb/day.Concentration increments inthedischarge willbe0.5or2.2partsperbillionphosphate, depending onwhetherthereisascheduled outage.

5-7SewagefromtheUnithasaveraged12mg/1phosphate content,basedoneffluentanalyses.

Atthemaximumexpecteddailyflow(duringrefueling-overhauling) of3880gal,thephosphate discharged willbe0.039lb/day.Thetotalphosphate discharge willthusbe3.0lb/day.Thisdischarge ismuchsmallerthanthatfromothersources;forexample,Thongsuses230,000lb/dayastherateofphosphate inputtoLakeOntarioinhismaterial-balance calculations.

This'changeof0.001/intherateofadditionofphosphate tothelakeduetotheoperation ofUnit1isundetectable.

Theeffectwillalsobeinsignificant locally.Theaverageincreaseinthephosphate concentration inthecirculating waterdischarge willbe0.0008mg/1,a0.4/increase.

Thiseffectwillbeundetectable.

ThenearestlakewaterintakeforapublicwatersupplyisinOswego,abouteightmileswest.Thenearestrecreational areaonLakeOntarioisSelkirkShoresStatePark,tenmileseastofthesite.TheApplicant's modelstudieshaveshownthatforatypicalvelocityof0.4fpsforthelakecurrent,thedischarged waterwillbediluted156and235times,.respectively, bythetimeitreachestheOswegointakeandtheStatePark.Byusingamodelofasurfacedischarge fittedtothefieldtemper-aturedataofUnit1discharge, theStaffconcludes thattheAppl'icant's calculations forthedilutionfactoratOswegoandSelkirkarereasonable.

Inviewofthealreadylowconcentrations ofchemicals (seeTable3.9)thatreachthesepoints,noimpactontheconsumptive orrecreational useofthewaterisexpected.

Privatewatersuppliesintheareausegroundwater.Thenearestoperating wellisabout3500feetfrom,theStation.ThewatertableinthevicinityoftheStationslopestowardthelake;therefore, groundwatercontamination isextremely unlikely.

5.2.4Compliance withWaterQualityStandards Withtheexception ofthelimitsontotaldissolved solids,thephosphate concentration inthedischarged sewage,andthethermal-plume size,theeffluents ofUnit1conformtoallcriteriaandstandards oftheStateofNewYork,MinimumFederalWaterQualityCriteria(MFWQC)providedbytheEnvironmental Protection Agency,andtheInternational Agreement onGreatLakesWaterQualitybetweentheUnitedStatesandCanada(April15,1972).

5-8Thefollowing-is=thedetailedconsideration arrangedintheorderoftheNewYork=State Standard701.3,ClassesandStandards forFreshSurfaceWaters,ClassAA.102.3~Floatingsolids;settleable solids;oil;sludgedeposits; tasteorodor-producing substances (seealsoMFWQC1.1,1.2,and1.3):Thereisnodischarge

'fromUnit1'ofmaterials that,formobjectionable

deposits, thatprovidefloatingdebris,oils,scumandothermatter,orsubstances producing objectionable color,odor,tasteorturbidity toLakeOntario.Sewageorwasteeffluents:

Disinfection isrequired; thegeometric meanoffecalcoliformcountsinthelakeislimitedbyregulation to200/100ml(MFWQC2.2.1).ThesanitarywastesfromUnit1haveextendedaerationsecondary treatment andchlorinedisinfection beforeoxygenation inapondanddischarge intothelake.A24-hourcomposite sampleinSeptember 1971showed430fecalcoliformbacteriaper100mlintheoxygenation-pond outlet.Duringthoseperiodswhenrainwater orothersurfacerunoffsintheditchcarryingtheeffluenttothelakeisgreaterthanabout2.2timestheinstan-taneoussewageflowrate, thecriterion willbecompliedwith.Forotherperiods,asmallzonewillbeproducedinthelakewithinwhichthefecalcoliformcountisinexcessofthecriterion; thiszonewillprobablynotbemorethanafewfeetinaveragediameter, sincethemaximumaveragedailyflowcorresponds toonly2.7gal/min.pH:Thecombination oftheInternational Agreement andMFWQCapparently wouldrequirethateffluentpHbemaintained at6.7-8.3,"exceptwhenduetonaturalcausesandinnocaseshallbelessthan5.0,normorethan9.0.WhenthepHislessthan6.5ormorethan8.3,discharge ofsubstances whichwouldincreasethebuffering capacityofthewatershouldbelimited."*

TheUnit1circulating waterisreturnedtothelakeatthesamepHatwhichitwasremovedfromthelake.TheStaffjudgesthattheregulation iscompliedwithbecause:thenaturalpHofLake,OntariointhevicinityoftheStationrangesfrom7.2to9.0(seeTable2.3);thepHisnotmeasurably changedbypassage'throughtheStation;andnosignificant buffering capacityisaddedtothecirculating water.*Fromthe"ReportoftheCommittee onWaterQuality'riteria totheFederalWaterPoihlution ControlAdministration, U.S.Department oftheInterior" (TheGreenBook").TheMFWQCwasformulated byusingthisreportasagauge.

5-94.Dissolved Oxygen:Themostrestrictive applicable standardisItem2.1.1.1(b) oftheMFWQC,whichrequires thatthedissolved,,

oxygen(DO)benotlessthan6.0mg/1(exceptthattheDOmaybebetween5.0and6.0mg/1fornotmorethanfourhourswithin'ny 24hourperiod,.provided thewaterqualityisfavorable in,all,otherrespectsandnormaldailyandseasonalfluctuations occur),.Thedissolved oxygeninLakeOntariointhevicinityofNineMilePointhasrangedfrom6.8to14.4mg/1(Table2.3).Thislevelisinconformity withwidespread observations ofoxygencontentofthewaterofLakeOntario,'n onestudy,~~summertime satura-tionsrangedfrom9.5to13mg/1.TheoxygencontentinthecoolingwaterhasbeenobservedbytheApplicant nottobe,diminished bypassagethroughthecondenser eventhoughthetemperature isincreased.

TheStaffconcludes thatthestandardiscompliedwith.5.ToxicWastes,Deleterious, orColoredSubstances:

Fortheprotection ofpeoplewhomightusethelakewaterasasupplyofdrinkingwater,theStandards oftheU.S.PublicHealthServiceapply.'imits areprovided-for some21chemicalspeciesorgroups.Ofthesespecies,onlyiron(limit0.3mg/1)andsulfate(limit250mg/1)areaddedtothecirculating water.Theironcontentofthelakeisoftheorderof0.005mg/1.Unlessthereisalocalincidence ofhighconcentration inthelake,theconcentration ofironinthedis-chargeisnotexpectedtoexceedthe0.005'mg/1naturally occurring, witha0.4/increasewhenthemakeup-water demineralizer isregen-.rated.Noviolation oftheStandardisexpected.

'ThesulfateinLakeOntarioneartheStationisabout13to50mg/1(Table2.3),andtheincremental concentration duringperiodsofdischarge ofregeneration wastesfromthemakeup-water demineralizers is2.49mg/1forUnit1(Table3.9).Themaximumtotalisthuswellbelowthe250mg/1specified intheStandard.

TheStandardiscompliedwith.Forallotherchemicals inthewaterexceptsodiumion,theconcentration inthecirculating waterdischarge isthesameasinthelakewaterexceptduringperiodsofdischarge ofwastesfromregeneration ofmakeup-water ionexchangers.

Atthesetimesthereisabouta0.4/increaseintheconcentrations ofnearlyallspeciespresent.Asanapproximation, thoseionspresentinthelakewaterbelow'helimitsallowedintheStandards arereturnedtothelakeinthesamestate.Thus,iftheconcentrations naturally presentinthelakearebelowtheStandards, therewillbenoviolations.

Allionsforwhichtheaveragenaturallevelsareknown(seeTable5.1)arebelowthemax'imumpermitted level;thus,exceptfor 5-10TABLE5.1DrinkingMaterStandards forLakeOntarioSubstances ArsenicBariumCadmiumChromiumLeadChlorideCopperManganese NitrateSulfateTotaldissolved solidsZincCyanideFluorideSeleniumSilverAlkylbenzenesulfateCarbonchloroform extractPhenolsLimit,mg/10.051.00.010.05,0.052501.00.054525050050.2~l0.010.050.50.20.001Concentration inLake,mg/1Unknownb('a")0.00009,0-0.01200007dd0.0008,0-0.16430(Table2.3)0.006,d0-0.068e0.00050.14(Table2.3)30(Table2.3)233(Tab)e2.3)0.007,0-0.075UnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknown0-2.25U.S.PublicHealthServiceDrinkingMaterStandards, 1962.Arsenicwasundetectable inabout95XofsamplesintheUnitedStates(13).Averageconcentration in99XofsamplesintheUnitedStates(13).Refexence (12).Table2.2.

5-11rarelocalincreases insomesubstances (e.g.,phenols),

noviolations areexpected.

Fortheremaining substances, nostatement canbemadewithcertainty becausetheconcentrations areunknown.Thereisnoreasontoexpectviolations.

Sixtoxicsubstances affecting fishlifeareidentified intheNewYorkStateStandard, referring tonaturalwaterswithamedianalkalinity of80ppmorabove'ofcalciumcarbonate equivalent (whichistrueforLakeOntario).

Noneofthesesubstances areaddedtodischarge streamsbutwillhaveminorconcentrations periodically inthecirculating-water discharge asindicated above.Levelsofammoniaorammoniumcompounds nearbythelake(limit2.0mg/1atpHat"orabove8.0)havebeen0.0-5.7mg/1NH,withanaverageof0.57mg/1(Tables2.2and2.3).Thelevelofferro-cyanideor'erricycanide (limit0.'4mg/1)inthelakeisunknown,butsmall;thestatusofcyanide(limit0.1mg/1),copper(limit0.2mg/1),zinc(limit0.3mg/1),andcadmium(limit0.3mg/1),aregiveninTable5.1.Ofthosesubstances presentinthenaturalwater,thelevelsarebelowthosepermitted intheStandard, andnoviolation willoccur.Noreasonisknowntoexpectviolations tooccurfortheremaining ions.6.Additional Items:NewYorkStatethermalstandards Asmentioned inSection5.2.2,athermalplumeresultsfromthedis-chargeofheatedwaterintothelake.Thesurfaceareasthatareencompassed bythe3'Fisothermvariesfrom50to400acres.TheNewYorkStatecriteriathatgovernthermaldischarges imposethefollowing restrictions ondischarges intolakes:"Thewatertemperature atthesurfaceofalakeshallnotberaisedmorethan3degreesFoverthetemperature thatexistedbeforetheadditionofheatofartificial origin,exceptthatwithinaradiusof300feetorequivalent areafromthepointofdischarge, thistemperature maybeex-ceeded(6NYCRR,704.1)."However,afootnotetothisstandardprovides:

"Xtisrecognized thataradiusof300feetorequivalent areamaybetooliberalortoorestrictive andthatalesserorgreaterareamayberequiredorpermitted undertheprocedure setforthin'Additional limitations ormodifications',

section704.2,1nfm."

5-12Thesenumerical limitations forthermaldischarges wereadoptedonJuly25,1969,afterthedischarge forUnit1wasconstructed.

Section704.4oftheStateCodesetsthefollowing restrictions onexistingdischarges:

"Indetermining whetheradischarge existingpriortotheadoptionoftheabovecriteriacomplieswiththeapplicable standardofthermaldischarges

('onealoneorincombination withothersubstances orwastesinsufficient amountsoratsuchtemperatures asto,beinjurious tofishlife...or impairthe.watersforanyotherbestusage...'6 NYCRR,701.3etseq.]),thesecriteriaareintendedonlytobeaframeofreference."

TheStaffhasnotednoadverseeffectontheaquaticbiotaduetothethermaldischarge, thusNineMilePointUnit1thermaldischarge complieswiththeStandard(6NYCRR704.4,6NYCRR701.3).Intheinternational agreement forwaterqualityoftheGreatLakes,thelevelofdissolved solidsinLakeOntario"shouldnotexceed"200mg/1.Sincetheaverageleveloftotaldissolved solidsinLakeOntarioisabout233mg/1(range127to489,Table2.3),with-drawingandredischarging mightappeartoviolatetheintentwithrespecttototallevel.Inviewof-thefactthattheincreaseindissolved solidscausedbytheoperation ofUnit1isverysmall(seeTable3.9),itisbelievedthattheintentoftheStandardinpreventing increases in,theleveloftotaldissolved solidsisbeingmet.TheMFWQCalsorestrictphosphorus.

Thetotalphosphorus isnottoexceed50pg/1inanylakeoratanypointwhereitentersthelake(Section2.1).Thephosphorus contentofthesewagefromUnit1is4mg/1.Thus,fortimeswhenthereisnowaterflowingintheditchfromwhichsewageisdischarged tothelake,theMFWQcriterion forphosphorus isexceeded.

Becausethequantityofphosphorus issmallandthesewageflowrateislow,thesizeofthezoneinwhichtheconcentration exceedsthecriterion issmall.Whenstormwaterintherivuletisflowingatarategreaterthan40timesthesewageflowrate(i.e.,greaterthan146gpm),the50yg/1concentration willnotbeexceededbecauseoftheresultant dilutionofthesewagebeforedischarge tothelake.TheMFWQClimitradioactivity inthelaketothelevelsintheU.S.PublicHealthStandards fordrinkingwater.Theseallow100picocuries.

(pCi)perliterofgrossbetaactivityintheabsenceofstrontium andalphaemitters, 3pCiofradium-226 and10pCi/1ofstrontium-90.

5-13Withthesestandards appliedtothecirculating-water discharge, thedatainSection5.4.1indicatethatthedischarge containsanestimated 30pCi/lofgross9-emitters.

Thisissubstantially belowthe1000pCi/1permitted.

Astrontium-90 discharge of0.021'Ci/1 isexpected.

Thisissubstantially belowthestandard(10pCi/1).Itisanticipated thatnoradium-226 willbeemitted,andtherefore, theStandardforthatradionuclide willnotbeexceeded.

Section2.2.4oftheMFWQClimitsthecolorandturbidity sothataSecchidiscwillbevisibleataminimumdepthof1meter.Unit1willnotdischarge waterthatismeasurably moreturbidorcoloredthanthatdrawnin.Themaximumturbidity readingavailable (Table2.3)is6JacksonTurbidity Units.Themaximumlengthofthissolu-tionforwhichvisibility ismaintained isunknown,butextrapolation ofthelengthinthetableinStandardMethods*downwardfrom25.Jacksonunitsprovidesanestimated minimumpathlengthforthelakewaterinexcessofonemeter.Itis,therefore, estimated thatthestandardwillliterally befulfilled.

Ifthereareoccasions whenthelaketurbidity willexceedthestandard, noviolation oftheintenttorestricttheincreaseofturbidity willhaveoccurred.

Sections3and4oftheMFWQC,requiring thatmixingzonesofdischarges besmallcomparedwiththesizeofthelakeandthattherebeampleundisturbed portionsofthelake,willreadilybemetbydischarges fromUnitl.5.3RADIOLOGICAL IMPACTONBIOTAOTHERTHANMANThepathwaysbywhichbiotaotherthanmanmayreceiveradiation dosesinthevicinityofanuclearpowerstationareshowninFigure5.3.Tworecentcomprehensive reports"~havebeenconcerned withradio-activityintheenvironment andthepathwaysbywhichtheradioactive materials canreachbiota.Depending onthepathwaybeingconsidered, terrestrial andaquaticorganisms willreceiveeitherapproximately thesameradiation dosesasmanorsomewhatgreater.doses.Noguidelines havebeenestablished fordesirable limitsforradioactive exposuretospeciesotherthanman.-However,itisgenerally agreedthatthelimitsestablished forhumansarealsoconservative forotherspecies.TheApplicant hasproposedanimprovedradioactive-waste treatment systemforUnit1,whichwillsignificantly reducetheamo'untofradionuclides releasedtotheatmosphere andthelake.Thefollowing analysesareper-formedassumingtheexistence ofthisimprovedsystem,whereappropriate.

• Table163(l)in"Standard MethodsfortheExamination, ofWaterandWastewater,"

13thEdition,APHA,AWWA,WPCF,NewYork,1971.

5-14Thequantities andspeciesofradionuclides expectedtobedischarged annuallybyUnit1inliquidandgaseouseffluents havebeenestimated bytheStaffandaregiveninTables3.3and3.7respectively.

Forthedetermination ofdosestobiotaotherthanman,specificcalcu-lationsaredoneprimarily fortheliquideffluent.

Dosestoterrestrial animalssuchasrabbitsordeerduetothegaseouseffluentarequitesimilartothosecalculated forman(Section5.4).Theliquid-effluent quantities, whendilutedbythetotalannualcoolantdischarges ofUnit1,would,produceanaveragegrossactivityconcentration, excluding tritium,of1.2x109microcuries permilliliter inthe'lakebetweentheplantdischarge regions.Additional discussion concerning "liquiddilutionispresented inSection5.4.Themaximumdosestoaquaticorganisms livinginthewatercontaining radionuclides discharged fromtheStation,willbedelivered toaquaticplants.Thisisaconsequence ofphysiological mechanisms thatconcen-tratewithinplantsanumberofelementsthatcanbepresentintheiraqueousenvironment.

Theextenttowhichelementsareconcentrated infish,invertebrates, andaquaticplantsuponuptakeoringestion hasbeenestimated.

Valuesofrelativebiological accumulation factorsofanumberofwaterborne elementsforseveralfreshwater organisms areprovidedinTable5.2.Theannualradiation dosestobothaquaticandterrestrial biota,including man,wereestimated ontheassumption ofconstantconcentrations ofradio-nuclidesatagivenpointinboththewaterandair.Figure5.3showsthatradiation dosehasbothinternalandexternalcomponents.

Externalcomponents originate fromimmersion inradioactive airandwaterandfromexposuretoradioactive surfaces.

Internalexposures arearesultofingesting andbreathing radioactivity.

Dosestoaquaticplantsandfishlivinginthedischarge regionduetowateruptakeandtoingestion (internal exposure) werecalculated tobe39and1.3mrads/year, respectively, forUnit1operation.

Thedischarge-regionconcentrations werethosedescribed above,anditwasassumedthatmaximumconcentrations werepresentalloftheyear.Allcalculated dosesarebasedonstandardmodels.However,thedosesarequiteconservative sinceitishighlyunlikelythatanyofthemobilelifeformswillspendasignificant portionoftheirlifespaninthemaximum-activity concen-trationofthedischarge region.Bothradioactive decayandadditional dilutionwouldreducethedoseatotherpointsinthelake.Externaldosestoterrestrial animalsotherthanmanaredetermined onthebasisofgaseouseffluentconcentrations anddirectradiation 5-15aTABLE5.2Freshwater Bioaccumulation FactorsforRadioelements (pCi/kgorganismperpCi/1water)ElementFishInvertebrates PlantsElementFishInvertebrates PlantsNa3(l)3(l)Cr2(2)2(3)Mn2(1)4(4)Fe3(2)3(3)Co5(2)'(3)Ni4(1)1(2)Zn1(3)4(4)Ag3(3)3(3)W1(0)3(1)Rb2(3)2(3)Sr4(l)7(2)Y1(2)1(3)Zr1(2)1(3)Nb3(4)1(2)Mo1(2)1(2)2(2).P1(5)4(3)Rul(2)1(4)Rh1(2)5(3)Sb4(1)1(3)Te4(2)l(2)I1(0)4(3)Cs1(3)2(2)Ba1(1)3(1)Ce1(2)l(3)Pr1(2)5(2)Nd1(2)1(4)Pm'(2)l(4)Np1(4)l(3)Lal(2)1(2)H1(0)l(5)2(3)2(3)2('4)2(2)2(1)1(3)2(2)l(3)1(3)1(3)1(3)3(2)1(3)1(0)1(5)2(3)2(3)l(2)1(2)3(2)5(2)1(4)1(4)1(4)l(4)1(3)1(4)1(0)From,W.H.Chapman,H.L.Fisher,andM.W.Pratt,"Concentration FactorsofChemicalElementsinEdibleAquaticOrganisms,"

UCRL-50564, Dec.30,1968.bNumbersinparentheses represent powersoften.'

GASEOUSOPLRADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTWATERSUPPLYLIQUIDIII>gR)Oo(>)rnm~gI~csIIIIIIZZIsOZZOOmOX8mmXZIOORTERRESTRIAL ORGANISMS Terrestrial PLANTSSEDIMENTCONCENTRATION AquaticSUBMERGED ORGANISMS BottomandSedllnent DwellersMotileOrganisms Terrestrial SwimmersFishInsectsMicroorganisms OtherNonmotile Organisms Fig.5.3.Generalized ExposurePathwaysforOrganisms OtherThanMan.

5-17contributions at,thelocations wheresuchanimalsmayactuallybepresent.Becausetheconcentrations areprimarily usedinthecalculations fordosetoman,theyarediscussed inSection5.4.Theexternaldosestoanimalsatthesamelocations arethesameasthosetoman.Anestimatecanbemadefortheingestion dosetoaterrestrial animalsuchas,aduck,whichisassumedtoconsumeonlyaquaticvegetation growinginthewaterinthedi'scharge region.Theduck-ingestion dosewascalculated tobeabout20mrads/year.

Allofthecalculated inges-tiondosesarebelievedtorepresent upper-limit "estimates, becauseequilibrium wasassumedtoexistbetweenallaquaticorganisms andallradionuclides

'inwater.Anonequilibrium condition foraradionuclide inanactualexposuresituation wouldresultinasmallerbioaccumulation and,therefore, inasmallerdosefrominternalexposure.

Also,therearemanypathwaysofinternalexposuretoterrestrial biota,butthepathwayselectedassumedthatthemuskratorduckconsumedonlyaquaticvegetation growinginthewaterinLakeOntarionearthedischarge region.Theliterature relatingtoradiation effectsonorganisms isextensive, butveryfewstudieshavebeenconducted ontheeffectsofcontinuous low-level exposuretoradiation (fromingestedradionuclides) onnaturalaquaticorterrestrial populations.

Themostrecentandpertinent studiespointoutthat,whiletheexistence ofextremely radiosensitive biotaispossibleandwhileincreased radiosensitivity inorganisms mayresultfromenvironmental interactions, nobiotahaveyetbeendiscovered thatshowasensitivity toradiation exposures aslowasthoseanticipated intheareasurrounding Unit1.IntheBEIRreportitisstatedinsummarythatevidencetodateindicates thatnootherlivingorganisms areverymuchmoreradiosensitive thanman.Therefore, nodetectable radiological impactisexpectedintheaquaticbiotaorterrestrial mammalsasaresultofthequantityofradionuclides tobereleasedintoLakeOntarioandintotheairbyUnitl.5.4RADIOLOGICAL IMPACTONMANRoutinepowergeneration byUnitl,willresultinthereleaseofsmallquantities offissionandactivation productsintheenvironment.

Thesereleases.

willbekeptaslowaspracticable inaccordance with10CFR50andwell'within thelimitsspecified in10CFR20.NuclidereleasesfromUnit1havebeenmeasuredsincethestationbegangenerating powerin1969.TheStaffhasalsoestimated theprobablenuclidereleasesfromtheStationaftertheadditionofaproposedimprovedradioactive wastetreatment system.Estimations weremadeofradiation dosesto"manatandbeyondthesiteboundary.via themostsignificant pathwaysdiagrammed inFig.5.4.The zXfOzz0QOmXCXI37zrXOOzGASEOUSI-lIIIIl~~I~ol~olHloz)%m<C$X)m)rnIRADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTFORAGEand/orCROPSWATERSUPPLYGroundWaterSurfaceWaterANIMALFLESHand/orANIMALPRODUCTSLIQUID{PLUSSOLID)STORAGETANKSTRANSPORTATION FISHFLESHzGlmroOzz0coKzAUmXmOfllmXoCOCam0zXmzIOOzMANFig.5.4.Generalized ExposurePathwaystoMan.

5-19calculations arebasedonconservative assumptions regarding thedilutions

'ofeffluentgasesandradionuclides inthecoolantdischarge, andtheusebymanofthe'lantsurroundings.

5.4.1Radioactive Materials ReleasedinLiquidEffluents Expectednuclidereleasesintheliquideffluenthavebeencalculated forUnit1assumingcompletion oftheimprovedradioactive-waste treat-mentsystem.Therespective'alues arelistedinTable3.3.Effluent, activities discharged intoLakeOntariobyUnit1during1971havebeenmeasured~~

andarepresented inTable5.3.SinceUnit1operatedatabout56/ofitstotallicensecapacityduring1971,themeasuredeffluents wereincreased bythefactor0.80/0.56

=1.43toapproximate a'ullyearofnormal(80/)operation.

Thesemeasuredandnormalized releaseswereusedtoestimateexistingpotential doses.Thedischarge structure ofUnit1isdesignedtoimprovediffusion oftheheated.waterwiththelakewater.Thediffusers increasemixingofthecoolantwaterwiththelakebyafactorof3.Concentrations ofradionuclides inthemixingzonesreflecttheadditional dilution.

Intheiaxnediate vicinityoftheUnit1discharge, thegrossactivitycon-centration, exclusive oftritium,isestimated tobe1.2x10pCi/cmand2.9x10pCi/cmwithandwithouttheaugmented radioactive wastetreatment system,respectively.

Duringnormalreactoroperations, afractionofthenoblegasesproducedwillbereleasedinthecoolantwaterandsubsequently discharged intothelake.TheAECDirectorate ofRegulatory Operations hasanalyzedoperating reactorcoolantdischarge waterfornoblegascontent.Underconditions ofhighestannualaveragenoblegasconcentrations inthedischarge water,nosignificant doseswouldbedelivered tohumanbeings.Consumption ofpotablewaterfromLakeOntarioconstitutes theprincipal exposurepathwayto.manfortheliquideffluents.

BoththeOnondaga"CountyWaterDistrictandthecityofOswegouseLakeOntariowater.Dilutionoftheeffluents fromthemixingzonetothenearestintake,whichisabout8milesfromthesite,wasconservatively estimates tobe15bytheApplicant.~~

Dosestoindividuals consuming 1.2liters/day ofthiswaterwerecalculated usingstandardmodels.Otherpathwaysofrelativeimportance involverecreational useofthelakeinthevicinityofthedischarge zone.Individual dosesfrom"consuming fishcaughtintheimmediate discharge areawereevaluated usingthebiological accumulation factorslistedinTable5.2andstandardmodels.Swimming, boating,andfishinginthedischarge regionwerealsoincludedintheevaluation.

5-20TABLE5.31971EffluentReleasesfromNineMilePoint,Unit1Liquid,CiGases,CiCr-51Mn-54Co-58Fe-59Co-608.57(12.25).5.91(8.45)3.30(4.72)2.92(4.18)6.50(9.30)Sr-890.17(0.24)Mo-Tc-990.23(0.33)I-1311.34(1.92)I-1330.26(0.37)Cs-1340.49,(0.70)

Xe-138Kr-87Kr-88Kr-85mXe-135Xe-13322,414(32,100)35,868(51,300)33,483(47,900)20,287(29,000)75,588(108,000) 42,718(61,100)Cs-1371.47(2.10)Ba-La-140 0.05(0.07)Np-2390.33(0.47)Na-240.09(0.13)Totalidentified andunidentified noble,gasreleases253,240(362,000)

Totalidentified andunidentified liquidreleasesTotaliodinesandparticulates ingaseousstreams32.2(46.0)0.8(1.14)Fromoperating experience ofNMP-1;56/oftotalgeneration capacity.

bNumbersinparentheses areextrapolations to80/annualoperating time; 5-21Tables5.4and5.5summarize thepotential individual dosesfromtheliquideffluents."

Allcalculations wereperformed twic'e"'to illustrate potential effectswith.andwithouttheadditionoftheaugmented radio-activewastetreatment system.Operating data(Table5.3}wereusedtoillustrate presentpotential doses.Staffestimates ofnuclidereleasesafterinstallation oftheimprovedradwastesystem(Table3.3)provideddataforlong-term doseassessments.

5.4.2Radioactive Materials ReleasedtotheAtmosphere Gaseousradioactive effluents fromtheplantwillresultinthemostsignificant radiation dosestothepublic.Aswiththeliquideffluents, themeasuredreleasesforUnit1'Table5.3),corrected toafullyearof'ormal(80/)operation, wereusedtocalculate exis'ting potential doses."AECstaffestimates oftheprobablegaseousreleasesafterinstallation, oftheaugmented

'radwaste wereusedtoevaluatefuturepotential doses.Alldosecalculations wereperformed usingannualaveragesite.meteoro-logicalconditions andassumingthatreleasesoccurataconstantrate.Dosesduetoradioactive gasesreleasedfromstacksincludethecontribution fromimmersion inthepartofthecloudwhichhasreachedgroundlevelaswellasthecontribution fromtheelevatedplume.Hence,thegivengaseous-diffusion factors(X/Q's)canonlybeusedtodirectlycalculate dosesassociated withingestion orinhalation pathways.

Theprimaryfoodpathwaytomaninvolvestheingestion bydairycowsofradioiodine deposited ontograzingareas.Consumption ofmilkfromthesecowscanresultinexposuretothehumanthyroid.Dosestoachild'sthyroidwhichwouldresultfromconsuming oneliterofmilkdailyfromacowgrazingfivemonthsannuallywerecalculated forthenearestfarm(0.64md.les,SW)usingrecognized models.Anotherfoodpathwaytomanofsecondary importance involvesthecon-sumptionofleafyvegetables subjecttoradionuclide deposition fromthestackplume.Thethyroiddoseresulting fromanannualconsumption of72kgmofleafyvegetables producedatthenearestfarmduringthethree-month growingperiodwasevaluated andfoundtobe0.034and0.017mrem/yrbeforeandafterinstallation oftheupgradedradwastesystem,respectively.

Dosesduetogaseouseffluents aresummarized inTables5.6and5.7.

5>>22TABLE5.4AnnualDosefromLiquidEffluents underEquilibrium Conditions toIndividuals atVariousLocations.

beforeInstallation ofAugmen'ted'adwaste SystemDose,mrem/yrLocationPathwayTotalBodyThyroidGITractBonePublicwaterIngestion,'upplies

-8mi1.2liters/day 4.3x10~6.2xlO~1.5xl01.0x102LakeOntario-neardischarge LakeOntario-neardischarge Ingestion offish,20g/daySwimming, 100hr/yr68x10117x10-217xl095xl0-15.4xl0"LakeOntario-neardischarge Fishingandboating,1.4xlO~500hr/yr 5-23TABLE5.5AnnualDoses'from LiquidEffluents underEquilibrium Conditions toIndividuals atVariousLoc'ations afterInstallation ofAugmented RadwasteSystemDose,mrem/yrLocationPathwayTotalBodyThyroidGITractBonePublicwaterIngestion, supplies-8mi1/2liters/day 1,3x1043.2x108.lx10"1.2x104LakeOntario-neardischarge LakeOntario-neardischarge LakeOntario-neardischarge Ingestion offish,20g/daySwimming, 100hr/yrFishingandboating,500hr/yr1.9xl028.4xlO42.9x102g.7x1026.9xlPS1.7x104 TABLE5.6AnnualDosesfromGaseousEffluents underEquilibrium Conditions" toIndividuals atVariousLocations beforeInstallation ofAugmented RadwasteSystemDose,mrem/yrLocationAtmospherIc Dispersion Factor(X/Q;sec/m)PathwayTotalBodySkinThyroidBoundarydose(1.2mi.E)1.9x108Directplumeradiation

("shine")

Cloudimmersion andinhalation 5.06.9-5.0Summercampa(1.0mi.WSW)28xl08Cloudimmersion andinhalation 0.500.570.50INiagargMohawkvisitorcenter(0.5mi.W)1.4x108'Cloudimmersion andinhalation 2.12.42.1Nearestdairyfarm(0.64mi.SW)1.3x108Milkconsumption andcloudimmersion 6.57.80.69aAssumesanannualoccupancy ofthreemonths.bAssumesanannualoccupational dwell-time of2000hours.Thyroiddosesaiecalculated foratwo-yearoldchildconsuming 1literofmilkdailyfromcowsgrazing5monthsperyearatthislocation.

TABLE5.7AnnualDosesfromGaseousEffluents underEquilibrium Conditions toIndividuals

-atVariousLocations afterInstallation ofAugmented RadwasteSystemDose,mrem/yrLocationAtmospheric Dispersion Factor(X/Q;sec/m)hPathwayTotalBodySkinThyroidBoundarydose(1.2mi.E)19xlOSDirectplumeradiation

("shine")

Cloudimmersion andinhalation 0.0670.0930.072Summercampa(1.0mi.WSW)2.8x109Cloudimmersion andinhalation 0.0070.0080.0073NiagaraMohawkvisitorcenter(0.5mi.W)1.4x109Cloudimmersion andinhalation 0.0120.0130.012Nearestdairyfarm(0.64mi.SW)1.3x108Milkconsumption andcloudimmersion 0.0940.0170.34a"'ssumesanannualoccupancy ofthreemonths.bAssumesanannualoccupational dwell-time of2000hours.cThyroiddosesarecalculated foratwo-yearoldchildconsuming 1literofmilkdailyfromcowsgrazing5monthsperyearatthislocation.

5-265.4.3.DirectRadiation Normalreactorpowerplantoperations resultinsomehumanexposuretodirectradiation Q.e.,radiation fromcontained sources).

Theprincipal sourcesofhumanexposuretodirectradiation thatwouldresultfromtheoperation ofUnit1arethehigh-pressure turbinesoftheboiling-water reactors.

Asaconsequence ofnuclearreactions occurring intheprimaryheatexchangeloopofthesesystems[particularly, the0-16(n,p)N-16],energetic gammaraysareproduced.

Intheirpassagethroughthecontain-mentandtheatmosphere, thefluxisattenuated andthegammaenergyisdegraded.

Estimates ofdirectradiation dosemaybeobtainedbyusingvaluesmeasuredatanothersite.~4Theclosestdistancetotheshoreline fromtheStationturbineisabout550feetinthenortherly'direction.

At,anoperational levelof0.8fortheplant,thedirectradiation dosedelivered toapersonboatingatthislocationfor500hoursperyearisestimated tobe6mremperyear.Allotheroffsite,direct-radiation dosesduetooperation ofUnit1willbelessthantheabovequotedvalueunderthesameconditions.

5.4.4Population DosesFromAllSourcesRadiation dosescalculated bytheStaffareintendedtoapplytoanaverageadult.Specificpersonswillreceivehigherorlowerdoses,depending uponhisage,livinghabits,foodpreferences, orrecreational activities.

Thecombineddoses(man-rem)*

duetogaseouseffluents toallindividuals livingwithinafifty-mile radius'oftheplantwascalculated usingtheprojected 1980population datafurnished bytheApplicant.

Valuesfortheman-remdoseatvariousdistances fromtheplantaresummarized inTable5.8.Presently, according totheApplicant, about190,000peoplederivetheirdrinkingwaterfromtheintakelocated8mileswestoftheplant.Thetotalexposuretothispopulation wasevaluated usingthedrinking-water dosepresented inTables5.4and5.5.Basedonwaterusagetables,wasestimated thatanadditional 360,000peopleobtaintheirdrinkingwaterfromotherlocations onthesouthsh'oreofLakeOntario.Thepopulation exposureforthisgroupwasevaluated byapplyingageneraldilutionof100overtheconcentrations intheimmediate discharge region.Theman-remcontribution fromotherwaterintakesonthelakeisexpectedtobenegligible.

• Man-remisanexpression forthesummation oftotalbodydosestoindividuals inagroup.Itistheproductofthenumberofpersonsinthatpopulation multiplied bytheaveragetotalbodydoseinremreceivedbyeachmemberofthatpopulation.

TABLE5'.8Cumulative Population (annualman-remdose,andaverageannualdose)jnSelectedAnnuliAroundIMP-,1Cumulative Dose,man-rem/yr, AverageIndividual Dose,mrem/yr,Radius'iles Cumulative Population, 1980withoutwithwithoutwithAugmented RadwasteSystem10203040500.0940.0240.0170.0140.0120.00320.00191.21000.1.20.0170.0320.0632.31.023100.864.552900.1443,1009.50.220.13102,00013217,00018678,0002015060,000 300.190.0820.00120.0300.000430.0280.000400.260.290.4230.0200.000286.53370.600.00831.7 5-28Inestimating thecombineddosesresulting fromthe=consumption offishharvested fromLakeOntario,,1970 reportedfishlandings(3,235,000 lbs)fromthelake.inthe'nited StatesandCanadawereused.~TLecoolant-water"discharges'were.

conservatively assumedtobedilutedbyanaverageof100'over'hose dilutions intKeimmediate discharge region.Theedibleweightof"the'ish.

wasfurtherassumedtorepresent one-halfofthegrossweight.Theexposedfishingandboatingpopulation wasestimated torepresent 25Xofthe,totalpopulation withinafifty-mile radius,andeachpersonwasassumedtobe.exposedduring1hour/yrofswimmingand5hours/yr'of boatinginthemixingzone.Thetransportation ofcoldfueltoareactor,ofirradiated fuelfromthereactortoafuel-reprocessing plant,andofsolidradioactive wastesfromthereactortoburialgroundsiswithinthescopeoftheAECreportentitled, "Environmental SurveyofTransportation ofRadioactive Materials toandfromNuclearPowerPlants".Theenvironmental effectsofsuchtransporation aresummarized inTable5.9.Thepopulation dosesfroma11sources,including cloudimmersion, drinking-water ingestion, consumption offish,recreation, andtranspor-tationaresummarized inTable5.10.'5.4.5Evaluation ofRadiological ImpactUsingconservative estimates, thetotalman-remfromalleffluentpath-waysreceivedbytheapproximately 1,060,000 personswhowilllivewithinafifty-mile radiusofUnit1wouldbeabout2.5man-remperyearassumingtheinstallation oftheaugmented radwastesystem.Bycomparison, anannualtotal'f'bout 110,000man-remisdelivered tothesamepopulation asaresultoftheaveragenaturalbackground doserateofaboutO.lremperyear9athevicinityoftheplant.Opeiation ofUnit1willthenbeanextremely minorcontributor totheradiation dosethatpersonslivingintheareanormallyreceivefromnaturalbackground radiation.

5.5NONRADIOLOGICAL EPPECTSONECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS5.5.1EffectonTerrestrial Environment TheStationisnotama)orobstruction tothefreemovementofterrestrial animals.Onlyabout45acresofthesiteareactuallyusedforpowergeneration ortransmission forUnit1,including theProgressCenter.Thewildlifehabitatofthese45acreshasbeenlostasaresultof 5-29TABLE5.9Environmental ImpactofTransportation ofFuelandWasteto-andfromaTypicalLight-water>>cooled NuclearPowerReactora,NormalConditions ofTransport Unirradiated fuelandreturnofemptycontainers Numberofshipnents peryou12truckloads Irradiated fuelandreturnofemptycontainers 120truckloads or20railcarloads or10bargesSolidxadioactive wastes46truckloads orllxailcarloads EnvizonmentaZ I'mpao8Heat,weight,andnumberofshipments Negligible NumberofRadiation DosesPersonsExposedEstimated DoseRangetoExposedIndividuals>

Cumulative DosetoExposedPopulationc Transport workers2000.01to300mrem/yr3man-rem/yr GeneralPublic:Onlookers 11000.003to1.3mrem/yr2man-rem/yr Alongroute600,0000.0001to0.06mrem/yrDatasupporting thistablearegivenintheCommission's "Environmental SurveyofTransportation ofRadioactive Materials toandfromNuclearPowerPlants,"datedDecember1972.bTheFederalRadiation Councilhasrecommended thattheradiation dosesfromallsourcesofradiation otherthannaturalbackground andmedicalexposures shouldbelimitedto5000milliremperyearforindividuals asaresultofoccupational exposureandshouldbelimitedto500milli-remperyearforindividuals inthegeneralpopulation.

Thedosetoindividuals duetoaveragenaturalbackground radiation isabout130milliremperyear.Man-remisanexpression forthesummation ofwholebodydosestoindi-vidualsinagroup.Thus,ifeachmemberofapopulation groupof1000peopleweretoreceiveadoseof0.001rem'1,mfllirem),

or,if2peopleweretoreceiveadoseof0.5rem(500millirem) each,thetotalman-remdoseineach'casewouldbe1man-rem.

5-30TABLE5.10AnnualDosetotheGeneralpopulation forOperation.

ofNineMilePointUnit1Cumulative Dose,man-rem/yr, withoutwi.thPathwayAugmented RadwasteSystemCloudDrinking-water ingestion Fishconsumption 301.10.70.40.030.02Recreation (swimming, fishing,andboating)0.010.001Transportation ofnuclearfuelandradioactive wastesTotalw34 5-31construction activities.

Someforestanimalsandmuchofthevegetation formerlyinhabiting thetransmission linerights-of-way waslost.'owever, otherformsofwildlifewhich.inhabitforest-edge areashaveprobablycolonized therights-of-way.

Thelossofanimalsandvegetation willhesmallcomparedwith.thelargenumberslivinginsimilarhabitatsavailable inthispartofNewYork.Almostallofthewaste'heat isreleasedtothelakeviathecondenser coolingwaterandiseventually dissipated intotheatmosphere.

Wispysteamfogwillsometimes occuroverthethermalplumedepending onthemoistureintheairandthetemperature ofthep'lume.Observations oftheoccasional steamfogthatoccursoverthethermaldischarges indi-cate'itwillbethinandwispyand,becauseofairturbulence, willrarelypenetrate morethan10-50feetinlandbeforedisappearing.

The'ensity ofthesteamfogisnotexpectedtobesufficient tointerfere withshippingorothermodes.oftransporation onthelakeoronland."Manyyearsofobservation atpowerstationsindicatethatnoserious'tmospheric effectsareexpectedfromheatfromtheonce-through coolingsystem.ChurchhasfoundthatnaturalsteamfogoverLakeMichiganneverpenetrated inlandmorethan200metersbeforedisappearing.

TheApplicant's measurements ofsoundintensity indicated thatthemaximumsoundproducedatthesiteboundaries wasfromthetransformer atalllocations; soundintensity fromthetransformer wasequaltoorlessthanthebackground noise.TheStaffconcludes thattheoperation ofUnit3.isnotexpected'to'aveameasurable effectontheterrestrial environment.

5.5.2EffectonAquaticEnvironment Possiblemajorenvironmental impactsonthe'aquatic ecosystem ofLakeOntarioduetotheoperation oftheStationincludefishlossesatthecooling-water-intake screens,entrainment ofunscreened organisms throughthecondensers, andeffectsofthermalandchemicaldischarges.

a.IntakeEffectsTheApplicant hascollected fishtrappedandimpingedonthetraveling screensatUnit1toassessthepotential forfishloss.Thedatacollected bytheApplicant aresummarized in:Table5.11.Datawerecollected onanhourlybasisfrom4to24hours,on32sampling'daystocovertheperiodfromMay30,1972til=June27,1973,thusrepre-sentinganannualpatternofmortality atthescreens.Inasmuchasthesamplingdesignfordatacoll'ection hasnotSeensatisfactory, onlygrossapproximations canbemadeabouttheannualfishkill 5-32TABLE5.11TotalFish-impingement CatchatNMP-1;May30,1972-June 27,1973Date1972May30June,22July14August1August9August20September 7September 25October12October17November7November20December5December19TotalNumbers~2085815,2582,0412591,80917171272885103020687984I'Alewife66.045.766.469.238.720.064.975.073.018.811.150.80.00.3Smelt23.738.919.70.06.50.024.60.014.640.011.13.758.668.01973January3January29March14March21March28April4April11April18April25May2May9May16May23May30June6June13June20,June271,5978138916,50326,8904,516496,7789,4632$5327,6682,7097,4882j5151,1371,4484,2692,9793,9460.20.04.596.999.297.999.898.183.698.093.491.185.777.080.997.293.293.179.175.686.53.10.72.00.11.814.71.75.24.912.316.811.10.54.25.2Totalfor32SamplingDays617,8851Dataforhourlyratesconverted todailyrates.

5-33attheNineMilePointsite.-ThefishkilldatafortheNMP-,1intakearedominated bylargenumbeisofalewivescollec'ted'during spring.*Disregarding suchsurgesofal'ewifemortality attheintake,theNMP-1intake'ay havecollected atleast1,000,000 fish(weighing about50,000lbs)duringtheperiodJune1972-,June1973.,'If, however,thepeakmortality ofalewivesisincluded, thenumberoffishkilledduring-theyearcouldbe,between2and4million.Becauseofthesimilarity indesignoftheintake,additional fishareexpectedtobekilledattheintakesifandwhenJ.A.FitzPatrick andNMP-2plantsgointooperation.

However,theadditional mortality attheseplantsisnotexpectedtobealinearfunctionofcoolingwaterflowratebecauseoftworeasons.First,allthreeplantsarelocatedatonesiteand,therefore, areverymuchlikecompetitive predators; afishkilledatoneplantisnotavailable totheothertwoplants.Second,theintake'elocities attheFitzPatrick andtheNMP-2plantsarelessthanthatatNMP-1."Therefore, the'taffestimates thatabout2,500,000 fish(weighing 125,000lbs)peryear'(excluding thehighmortality ofalewivesinspring)maybekilledatallthreeplants;if'hehighmortality duringspringisincluded, thetotalnumberoffishkilledmaybebetween5and7million.Theroleandimportance ofalewivesinGreatLakesisuncertain atpresent.Ononehandalewiveshavebeenheldresponsible fordegrading fisheries oftheGreatLakeswhileontheotherhandtheirpresen'ce hasbeendefendedashavingplayedaratherharmlessroleaftertheinitialimpactofintroduction.

Whatevertheview,onebasicfact'ustnotandcannotbeignored,i.e.,thealewivesrepresent aquaticproduction fromthelakesandprovideanintensive foragebaseforatop-carnivore.

ThesuccessofthesalmonstockingprograminLakeMichiganiscloselykeyedtotheflourishing abundance ofalewives.

TheStateofNewYorkandtheProvinceofOntariohaveinitiated similarsalmonstockingprogramsforLakeOntario.-

Atpresent,itisnotpossibletoascertain whetherthesalmonstockingprogramwillbeassuccessful inLakeOntarioasithasbeen'inLakeMichigan, norisitpossibletoestimatetheimpactofalewifemortality atNMPsiteonsuccessofthesalmonstockingprogram.Nevertheless, theStaffconsiders alewifeproduction andabundance inthelakeasanaturalresourcewhichshouldnotbewasted.Also,thereisnoassurance thatacommercially important specieswhichmightinthefuturereplacealewivesinabundance willnotbeasvulnerable atthecoolingwaterintakesasthe.alewives.

• Inspring,alewivesmoveintoshallowinshorewatersfromdeepo'ff-'hore waters.Thealewifedie-offsarecommonintheGreatLakesduring'uch periods.

5-34Regarding theimplications ofsuchfishkillsontheecosystem ofthelake,theStaffmakesadistinction betweenthephrases"significant fishkills"and"undesirable fishkills."Thesignificance ofthefishkill"dependsuponthelevelofdisruption ofintri'cate inter-andintra-species'elationships in"thelake.Therefore, thesignificance ofthesefishkillscannotbeevaluated orpredicted unlessthe,ecological investigations areunderwayforaconsiderable periodoftime.TheApplicant's ecological investigations atthissitearedesignedtomakeaneffortinthisdirection.

Theconceptofundesirability offishkillsstemsfromthefactthatfishkillsfromunnatural causesandnaturalcatastrophic eventsacttolowerthethreshold level-alevelbeyondwhichthefishkillscanresultinsignificant andperhapsirreversible damagetothepopulation.

Sincethethreshold levelisnotknown,itwouldbeprudenttominimizethefishkills.IntheStaff'sassessment, fishkillsatthesitecanbecalled"undesirable" andmightacttolowerthethreshold value,thusdiminishing themarginforfuturedevelopments onthelake.Thedataavailable showthatlargefishkillshaveoccurredattheNMP-1-intakeanditappearsthattheymaynotbemanageable withoutdesignchanges.Underthecircumstances, therefore, theStaffisre-quiringtheApplicant tocollectfishimpingement datathreetimesperweekandtocontinuethecomprehensive ecological surveyprogramdescribed inSection6thatwasinitiated earlierthisyear.Whenthesedataareavailable (approximately March.1974andJune1975,respectively) theStaffwillevaluatetheseriousness ofthefishkill.Ifsignificant fishmortality occursattheintakescreens,modification oftheexistingintakeordevelopment andimplementation ofotherpreventive methods,orboth,willberequired.

b.Entrainment EffectsTheorganisms notremovedbythe3/S-in.-square wiremeshofthetraveling screenswillpassthroughtheStation's coolingsystem.Entrained organisms includesmallfish,fisheggsandlarvae,zoo-andphytoplankton, etc.Damagetotheseorganisms canoccurfromoneormoreofthefollowing causes:(1)physicalimpactinthepumpandcondenser tubing;(2)pressurechangesacrossthecondensers; and(3)thermalshockinthecondenser andthedischarge tunnel.Theextentofdamagetotheentrained organisms ismainlyafunctionoftwovariables.

Oneisthe"residence time,"theperiodfromintaketodischarge, whichcanbesubdivided furtherinto:(1)thedurationofmechanical-injury hazards;and(2)thedurationofthermalexposureinadditiontomechanical injury.Theothervariableisthetemperature rise.inthecondensers.

5-35Thetotalresidence timefortheentrained organisms inthesystem,fromintaketodischarge, ismorethansixminutes.Theresidence timeinthecondensers isabout14sec.Fromthepointofentryinto'thecondensers tothedischarge attheendofthetunnel,theorganisms areexposedtothetemperature increaseforovertwominutes.Atmaximumexpectedoutput,theStationrequiresatotalflowof600cfs,whichisdischarged ataATof31.2'F(theATthroughthecondensers is32.0'F.Theseasonaltemperature variation ofthecoolingwaterflowattheintakeisabout33'F-77'F.Becausethereisnomixingorcoolingofthedischarge waterbeforeitreachestheoutletsattheendofthedischarge tunnel,theentrained organisms areexposedforoverthreeminutestoapproximately 63.2'Fand108.2Fduringextremewinterandsummerconditions, respectively.

Laboratory studiesshowsthatjuvenilewhiteperchatambientrivertemperature below80'Fsurvived15-minute exposuretoa15'Ftemperature increase.

However,thesefishexhibited someindications ofthermalstressduringexposure.

Inanotherstudyconducted atapowerplant,survivalwasnilforyoungfishexposedto.96'Ffor93seconds(ambient=75'F,AT~21'F).FishinthisstudyincludedsevenspeciesfoundintheNineMilePointarea.Consequently, fishlarvaeandsmallfishthatmaybeentrained areexpectedtosufferfromthermalshockwithahighmortality whenambientwatertemperature is65'Forabove.Dataareinsufficient tomakeaconclusion concerning possibleadverseeffectsofaATof31.2'Fonjuvenilefishatlowambientwatertemperatures.

Investigations outlinedinSection6shouldprovidethenecessary data.Resultsofseveralstudiesonentrainment ofzoo-andphytoplankton havebeenreported.

InGreenRiver,Kentucky, 100/mortality wasreportedforzooplankton whentheambientwatertemperature wasraisedfrom82to98.6'F.Withatemperature riseof14.4'21.0'F(at50'51.8'Fambienttemperature),

17-19Xofthecopepodsandcladocera werekilledatastationonCayugaLake,NewYork.Highmortality ofzooplankton isexpectedattheStationwhendischarge temperature exceeds'95'F.

Resultsobtainedfromstudiesconducted atastationonYorkRiver,Virginia, indicatethatatambienttemperatures of32'50'F,atemperature riseincreased biological production; however,atsummerambienttemperatures of50'68'FandaATofabout10'Fandabove,itdepressed production.

"InstudiesattheChalkPointPlantontheChesapeake Bay,atemperature riseofabout14.5'Fstimulated photosynthesis whenthenaturalwatertemperature was57.6'Forbelowandinhibited photosynthesis when'thetemperature was68'Forabove.~

5-36Noreasonable predictions can.bemadeofthepossibility ofincreased production inentrained phytoplankton duringlowambienttemperatures.

However,photosynthesis proba51ywill.be'nhibited when'hedischarge temperature exceeds-95'F.hEntrainment studiesbytheApplicant haveshownthatmostorganisms donotsurviveexposureto105'F.Mechanical stressdoesnotappeartobesignificant atmoderat'e laketemperatures (50'59'F)~Onthe'basisofcurrently available information, theStaffconcludes thatsmallfishandfishlarvae.arenotexpectedtosurvivepassagethroughtheplantthroughout theyearandhighmortality ofallzooplankton isexpectedtooccurduringsummer.TheStaffhasevaluated theeffectsofentrainment intheNineMilePointareaandtheeasternendofthelake.Thewatercirculation throughtheplantwillbe51,840,000 cubicfeetperday,whichisabout0.9/ofthevolumepresentin2-mileby2-mileby50-feetdepth.Thus,thefractionofwaterbeingcirculated atanytimeisnotlargecomparedwiththevolumeavailable intheimmediate vicinityfortheplant.Furthermore, thewaterintheareashouldnotbeconsidered ashavingitsowndistinctidentityasthereisgoodmixingofinshore-offshorewaters.Xtisexpectedthatevenwith100/killofzoo-andphytoplankton, theentrainment effectswillbediffusedoverawidearea,andtheyarenotexpectedtobemeasurable.

Theshort-lived organisms, whichhaveinmostcasesregeneration periodsoflessthanthreeweeks,mayrespondtotheheatedplumebyincreased growthandhigherproductivity andthustendtooffsetanyadverseeffectsthatmayoccurintheimmediate vicinityoftheplants.Fishlarvaedonotcomeunderthesamecategory, andadditional studieswillberequiredonspawningan'dnurseryareasandonabundance toestablish impactoftheirentrainment inthecirculating water.Amorequantitative assessment oftheeffectsofdamagetoplanktonwillrequiredatabased,onlimnological aspectsofthelakeandonplanktonpopulations inthevicinityofthesite.TheApplicant hasmadeneitherreliablestudiesonplanktoninthelakenearthesitenorproperandadequatestudiesofplanktonentrainment.

Thesestudiesarenecessary forabetterassessment oftheeffectsofdamage.c.Thermal-discharge EffectsInassessing theimpactofthermaldischarge onaquaticbiota,theStaffhasusedasa'uide'theApplicant's monitoring datapertaining tothetemperature distribution andareaoftheplume.TheApplicant's measure-mentshaveyieldedestimates of61-"461acresastheareawithinthei2.7'FisothermatATof27'F.~Sincetwoofthedischarge openingsare 5-37directedtowardtheshore,considerable temperature risebetweenthedischarge outlets.andtheshoreline occurs.The,Staff's'analysis indicates thatatemperature riseof5'Fabove.ambientcouldextenduptoapproximately 2milesoftheshoreline.

ThesurfaceareaandvolumeofthelakewithintheO'.Fisothermareapproximately 300acresand3000acre-feet, respectively.

(1)FishesTheresponseoffishtothethermalplumemaybepreference, avoidance, oraphysiological adjustment.

Thepreferred temperatures formanyspeciesareequaltoorhigherthantheambientacclimation temperatures.

Studieshaveshownthatwhiteperch(foundintheNineMilePointarea)preferred 90'Fwhentheambientacclimation temperature was75'F,and88'Fwhenitwas86'F.Atlowerambienttemperatures, theperchpreferred 41'Fwhentheacclimation temperature was34'r35'F.'Similarresponsewasobservedforyellowperchandotherspecies.TheApplicant's studieshaveshownthatfishintheareaareattracted totheplumeandpreferitsslightlyhighertemperature.

TheApplicant hasreportedincreased abundance offishinandaroundtheplume,perhapsbecauseofavailability ofdeadordyingorganisms inthedischarged water.Fishspeciesincluding carp,smallmouth bass,sunfish,andalewiveshavebeenreportedtoresideintheplumeatNineMilePointduringcoldermonths.Apreference fortemperatures higherthantheambientdoesnotcontinuewithincreasing temperature.

Afinalpreferendum isreachedbeyondwhichavoidance canbeexpectedtooccur.Thisresponsehasbeennotedtooccurat44'Fforwhiteperchacclimated to34'Fandat95'Fforwhiteperchacclimated to77'F.Therefore, althoughfishareattracted toandresideintheplume,theywillavoidtemperatures thatmaybehigherthantheirfinalpreferendum.

Anoccasional smallfish,however,maytravelintotemperature's thatmaybelethal-suchazoneisexpectedtobesmallat.theStation's discharge.

Somefish,particularly whensmall,donotrespondpredictably totemperature gradients duringconditions oflowambienttemperatures.

Becauseofthislowthermalresponsiveness, whichhasbeenknowntooccurinwhiteandyellowperch>,(foundneartheNineMilePointarea),somesmallfishprobablymayswimintothehightemperatures oftheplumeinwinter.Thesefishmaydiefromthermalshockorsecondary effectsorsurviveonreturntoambienttemperatures orlessheatedwater.Itshouldbenoted,however,thatthepreferred temperatures discussed abovearedetermined forthemostpart,byveryshorttermlaboratory experiments and,onlyindicatefishpreferences overtemperatures theywereacclimated toatthetime.Preferred temperatures inthiscontextmayormaynotindicatebiologically desirable temperatures forgrowth,maturation, reproduction, etc.

5-38TheApplicant hasreportedanincreaseincommercial fishinginthevicinityoftheplume,fromUnit1.Becauseofa6'Fisothermextending 1mile.alongtheshoreline, itcanbepostulated thatatherma1barriermaydevelopwhich.mightrestrictorpreventfreemovementoffishesalongtheshoreinsummer.TEeApplicant's ecological studieshaveshownagenerallackoffishesintheuppersixfeetofwater.Duringsummer,thecold-water speciessuchastheintro-ducedsalmonwouldfindtheshorewaters toowarmevenwithoutthethermaldischarge andareexpectedtoinhabitdeeperandcoolerwaters.Therefore itisnotexpectedthattheplumewillserveasabarriertofreemove-mentoffishesalongtheshoreline astheywillbeabletomoveunderoraroundtheplume.TheApplicant's studieshavenotcoveredthethermal-barrieraspectoftheprobableimpact.TheStaffwillrequirethatstudiesbeimplemented to'ullyinvestigate theeffectsofthispossiblethermalbarrieronresidentandintroduced fishpopulations.

Also,becauseofthelargeareaofthethermalplume,suddenwintershut-downsarelikelytocause"coldkills"affecting fishesresidinginornearthethermalplume.Inordertominimizethenumberoffishthusaffected, theStaffrecommends thatanyplannedshutdowns inwinterbecarriedoutoveralongenoughperiodoftimetoreducetherateofdecayofdischarge temperature.

(2)PlanktonDuringsummer,anisothermwithaATofll'Fhasbeenobservedtoextendto75feetaroundthedischarge.

Thus,underthemaximumsummerambienttemperature, watercouldbeheatedtoabout88'F(uptomaximumdischarge temperature) withinarelatively smallvolumeandsurfacearea'.Althoughatemperature rangeof95'104'Fhasbeenreportedasthebestsuitedforthegrowthoftheblue-green algae,theStaffdoesnotanticipate displacement indominance fromdiatomandgreenalgaetoblue-green algae.Standingcropsofgreenalgaeanddiatoms,however,mayincrease.

Studiesconducted inandad)acenttothesurfaceplumeofUnit1during1969and1970haveshownincreases inthestandingcropof25timesforBosiminaspp.and1.2timesforDaphnia ze5mcuvva intheoverallstudyarea.Primaryproduction wasnotsignificantly affected.

Thesefindings, however,cannotbeconsidered conclusive becausethe,populations werenotobservedintheirgrowthphase,andestimates ofinstantaneous birthrateswerenotgood.Studiesonzoo-andphytoplankton should.beconducted todetermine sea-sonalandspeciesvariations intheabundance anddiversity oforganisms.

Overallimplications ofsuppressed orenhancedproductivity ratescanthenbeassessed.

Inview'ofthetotalvolumeandareaofthelake,anychangeinproductivity thatmayensuewi11belimitedtotheNineMile 5-39Pointarea.Duetostrong'currents andgoodmixingcharacteristics ofthewaterinthisarea,anysignificant effectonbenthosduetoasinkingplumeisnotexpected.

(3)BenthosThespeciesstructure andabundance ofthebenthiccommunity thatmayinhabitthelooseoverburden beyondthe20-footdeptharenotknown.Benthicorganisms intheimmediate vicinityofthedischarge maybeaffectedbydirectcontactwiththeplume.However,organisms undertheplumeareunlikelytobeaffectedbecauseofthebuoyancyoftheplume',however,itdoesaffectbenthosneartheshoreline.

Theentrained organisms thatdieinthecondensers maysettleandprovidefoodtothebenthos.TheApplicant's studieshaveshownthatC'Ladophova growthproceedsearlierafterthewinterinareaswithintheinfluence ofthethermalplume.Thegrowthis,however,suppressed intheseregionsduringsummerowingtoincreased temperatures, withthegrowthstoppingatabout77'F.~~Theincreased abundance ofGaumusintheareasunderthewarmplumecouldbeduetothethermaldischarge.

Theincreased abundance ofdarters(bottom-dwelling fish)couldbeduetothedeadordyingorganisms inthedischarge water.TheStaffdoesnotexpectthatthethermaldischarge willhaveasignificant deleterious effectontheplankton, benthosandfishlifeintheNineMilePointarea.d.EffectsofChemicalDischarges Thechemicals tobedischarged fromUnit1andtheirconcentrations inthedischarge tunnelaregiveninTable3.9.AsnotedinSection3.6,chemicals willnotbedischarged continuously.

Concentrations offerricsulfateandsodiumsulfateareextremely low,andtheStaffdoesnotexpectthesesaltstohaveanyadverseeffectsonaquaticlife.TheApplicant hasnotfoundanysignificant reduction oftheoxygencontentinthecoolingwaterbypassagethroughthecondenser systemeventhoughthetemperature isincreased."

5-,405.6EFFECTSONTHECOMMUNITY Sincetheconstruction ofNineMilePointUnit1iscompleteandsincethereactorispresently operating, anyshort-term effectsonthecom-munityhavealreadybeenrealized.

Atpresent,effectsonthelocalcommunity areminimal"becausealltheoperational activities occuronthe900-acresiteexcepttheoccasional maintenance onthesubstation, transmission lines,andright-of-way.

Sincemostoftheworkisdoneinsidebuildings andcannotbeseenorheardbylocalresidents, theonlydirectimpactisfromhighwaytraffictoandfromthesitebyplantemployees andbyvisitorstotheProgressCenter.TheStation's full-time operating Staffnumbersabout68inallphasesoftheStation's activities withanannualpayrollofabout$1,000",000.

Mostoftheseworkerswererecruited fromoutsidetheimmediate areaoftheStation.Thissmallnumberofworkersandtheirfamilies, dis-persedamongseveralcommunities, doesnotimposeanoticeable loadonhospitals, schools,orothercommunity services.

Additional gobshavebeencreatedawayfromthesiteareainactivities relatedtothepro-duction,shipment, anddisposalofradioactive materials.

Theschooldistrictbenefitsgreatlyfromtheincreased taxbaseproducedbytheStation.TheApplicant's taxrollfor1971wasapproximately

$3,000,000.

Alargepartofthetaxgoestotheschooldistrict.

Thus,theoveralleconomiceffectofthisStationisafavorable taxbaseforthelocalcommunity.

5-41References 1."ThreeDimensional ThermalStudy,Nine,MilePoint,.July22,1970,"letterfromJohnF.Storr(Consultant inLimnology andOceanography, Buffalo,N.Y.)toR.Clancy.(Manager, Environmental Engineering, NiagaraMohawkCorp.,Syracuse, N.Y.)datedJan.16,'-1971.

2."ThreeDimensional ThermalSurvey,August14,1970,"letterfromJohnF.StorrtoR.ClancydatedNov.16,1970.3."ThreeDimensional ThermalSurvey,Sept.30,1970,"letterfromJohnF.StorrtoR.ClancydatedNov.16,1970.4."ThreeDimensional ThermalStudy,NineMilePoint,Oct.21,1970,"letterfrom'John F.StorrtoR.ClancydatedFeb.1,1971.'5.Preliminary SafetyAnalvsisReport,NineMilePointUnit1,"AppendixB:Limnology, NineMilePoint,LakeOntario.6."ThreeDimensional ThermalStudies,1971,"letterfromJohnF.StorrtoR.ClancydatedFeb.15,1972.7."1970LakeTemperature andCurrentStudies,"

StoneandWebster,June1971.8.ReporttotheInternational JointCommission onthePollution ofLakeOntarioandtheInternational SectionoftheSt.LawrenceRiver,bytheInternational LakeErieWaterPollution BoardandtheInter-nationalLakeOntario-St.

LawrenceRiverWaterPollution Board,1969,page92.9.J.Thon,"Empirical Relationship forTotalPhosphorus SystemintheLowerGreatLakes,"Proc.TwelfthConf.onGreatLakesResearch, AnnArbor,Michigan, May5-7',1969,pp.786-788.10."Treaties andOtherInternational Acts,"SeriesNo.7312,U.S.Dept.ofState.Available fromSuperintendent ofDocuments, U.S.Government PrintingOffice.11.HughH.Dobson,"Principal IonaandDissolved OxygeninLakeOntario,"

Proc.10thConf.onGreatLakesResearch, Toronto,Ontario,April10,1967,pp.337-356.

5-4212.Y.K.Chau,V.K.Chawla,H.F.Nicholson, andR.A.Vollenweider, "Distribution ofTraceElementsandChlorophylla inLakeOntario,"

Proc.13thConf.onGreatLakesResearch, Buffalo,N.Y.,April1-13,1970,Part2,pp.659-672.13.JohnH.KoppandRobertC.Kroner,"TraceMetalsinWatersoftheUnitedStates:AFiveYearSummaryofTraceMetalsinRiversandLakesoftheUnitedStates,"(Oct.1,1962-Sept.

30,1967).Published byU.S.Dept.oftheInterior, FederalWaterPollution ControlAdministration.

14."Radioactivity intheMarineEnvironment,"

PanelonR.I.M.E.oftheCommittee onOceanography, NAS-NRC,1971.15.16.R.J.Garner,"Transfer.

ofRadioactive Materials fromtheTerrestrial Environment toAnimalsandMan,"CRCCriticalReviewsinEnvironmental Control,2,337-385,1971.S.J.Auerbach, "Ecological Considerations inSitingNuclearPowerPlants.TheLong-Term BiotaEffectsProblems,"

NuclearSafety,12,25,1971.17."Recommendations oftheInternational Commission onRadiological Protection,"

ICRPPublication 2,PergamonPress,1959.18."TheEffectsonPopulations ofExposuretoLowLevelsofIonizingRadiation,"

ReportoftheAdvisoryCommittee onBiological EffectsofIonizingRadiations, NAS-NRC,1972.19."ReportonReleasesofRadioactivities fromPowerReactorsinEffluents During1971,"AECRegulatory Operations, 1972.20."Applicant's Environmental Report,NineMilePointNuclearStationUnit1,"Operating LicenseStage,NiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation, July1972.21.Applicant's Environmental Report,NineMilePointNuclearStation,Construction PermitStage,Section2.2.1.22.23.J.F.FletcherandW.L.Dotson,"HERMES-ADigitalComputer.

CodeforEstimating RegionalRadiological EffectsfromtheNuclearPowerIndustry,"

HEDL-TME-71-168, UC-80,ReactorTechnology, December1971."Meteorology andAtomicEnergy,1968,"D.H.Slade,ed.,TID-24190.

5-4324.W.M.Lowder,P.D.Raft,andC.V.Gogolak,"Environmental.

GammaRadiation fromNitrogen-16 DecayintheTurbinesofaLargeBoilingWaterReactor,"

HASLTM72-1,February1972.25.Applicant's Environmental Report,R.E.GinnaNuclearPowerPlantUnitNo.1,August1972.26.J.E.Carson,"TheAtmospheric EffectsofThermalDischarges intoaLargeLake,"J.AirPoll.Cont.Assoc.,22,523-528,July1972.27.P.E.Church,"Steam-fog OverLakeMichiganinWinter,"Trans.Am.Geophysical Union,27,575-578,1964.28.Applicant's Environmental ReportonIndianPointUnit3,AppendixS,Consolidated EdisonCompany,N.Y.,Nov.12,1970.29.J.W.MeldrimandJ.J.Grift,"Temperature Preference, Avoidance, andShockExperiments withEstuarine Fishes,"Bull.No.7,Ichthyol.

Assoc.,Middletown, Del.,1971.30.B,C.Marcy,"Survival ofYoungFishintheDischarge CanalofaNuclearPowerPlant,"J.Fish.Res.Bd.,Canada,28,1057-1060, 1971.31.C.C.CoutantandA.J.Brook,"Biological AspectsofThermalPollution.

'I.Entrainment andDischarge CanalEffects,"

CRCCriticalReview,pp.341-381,1970'2.M.A.Churchill andT.A.Wojtalik, NuclearNews,80,1969(citedinRef.31).33.W.D.Youngs,in"EcologyofCayugaLakeandtheProposedBellStation(NuclearPowered),"

R.T.OglesbyandD.J.Allee,eds.,Publ.No.27,WaterResources andMarineSciencesCenter,CornellUniv.,Ithaca,N.Y.,1969(citedinRef.31).34.J.E.WarinnerandM.L.Brehmer,AirWaterPoll.Int.J.,10,227,1966(citedinRef.31).35.R.P.MorganandR.G.Stross,Chesapeake Sci.,10,165,1969(citedinRef.31).36.R.G.Ferguson, "ThePreferred Temperature ofFishandTheirMidsummer Distribution inTemperate LakesandStreams,"

J.Fish.Res.Bd.,Canada,15(4),607-624,1958.

5-4437.J.Cairns,Jr.,"EffectsofIncreased Temperature onAquaticOrganisms,"

Industrial Wastes,l(4),pp.150-152,1956.38.M.W.Fenlon,D.C.McNaught, andG.D.Schroder, "Influences ofThermalEffluents UponAquaticProduction inLakeOntario,"

Proc.14thConf.GreatLakesRes.,pp.21-26,1971.39.J.F.StorrandR.A.Sweeney,"Development ofaTheoretical SeasonalGrowthResponseCurveofCEadophcu'a glame~@ztoTemperature andPhotoperiod;"

Proc.14thConf.GreatLakesRes.,pp.119-127,1971.40.Applicant's Environmental ReportforNineMilePointNuclearStationUnit1,Supplement 1,NiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation, pp.S1.1-23,24.

6-16.ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAM6.1AQUATICMONITORING PROGRAMTheApplicant hasconducted amonitoring programintheNineMilePointareasince1963inconnection withthepreoperational andoperational monitoring programforUnit1.Datacollection fromJuly1963throughDecember1969wasinfrequent.

OnlysinceMay1970hastheApplicant collected dataonfishdistribution, foodpreferences offishes,andbenthoswithsomecontinuity.

Samplingandobservation ofplanktonfromtheintakeanddischarge wellsofUnit1duringJune-October 1971pro-videneitherestimates ofplanktonabundance intheareanorabaseforreasonable assessment ofdamageduetoentrainment.

Samplingoflakewaterforusualchemicalandphysicalparameters forcorrelation withbiological dataisentirelywanting.TheStaffbelievesthatthestudiesastheyhavebeenconducted bytheApplicant willnotprovideinformation adequatetoassesstheoperational effectsoftheStationonaquaticbiota.TheApplicant's environmental monitoring programhasbeenextensively revisedandaugmented bytheStafftoallowdetermination oftheoperational effectsofNineMilePointUnit1andthepreoperational characteristics ofbothNineMilePointUnit2andJamesA.FitzPatrick plants.Inessence,thestudyprogramisdesignedtoevaluatetheimpactofallthreeplantsintheNineMilePointarea.Theprogramiscomprised ofthefollowing.

a.GeneralEcoloicalSurveObjectives oftheGeneralEcological Surveyare:(1)Determination ofdistribution andrelativeabundance ofspeciesinspaceandtimeinthebioticgroups(phytoplankton, zooplankton, periphyton, benthos,andfish);(2)Determination ofchangesinbiological parameters andtheirsignificance withinandoutoftheareainfluenced bythethermalplume'3)Determination oftherelationship ofchangeswithinandamongbioticgroupsandwiththephysicaland,chemical characteristics oftheenvironment; and,(4)Determination oftherelationship ofchangestotheoperation oftheplantandsignificance oftheeffectofsuchchangesontheecosystem.

6-2Thegeneralecological survey'ill spanatleastatwo,(2)yearperiod,endingapproximately inJune1975.The'program scope'isshowninFig.6.1andTable6.1.Studies-on-various-biotic gro'upswillinclude:Phytoplankton

-Monthly,duplicate sampleswillbecollected'from approxi-matelyone(1)meterbelowthesurface='at eachofthesamplinglocations inallfourtransects

.Phytoplankton densitywillbedetermined (units/ml)fortotalphytoplankton (diatoms, andgreenandblue-green algae)present.Wherepossible, i'dentification willbetospeciesandthedensityofdominantorganisms willbe'reported.

.Chlorophyll-a andprimarypro-ductivity (asdetermined bylightdarkbottle~"Cmethod)willbedeter-minedformonthlysamplesateachofthesamplinglocations

.Zo'oplankton

-Monthlyreplicate sampleswillbecollected atsamplingstationsinallfourtransects byverticaltowsfromthebottomtothesurfaceofthelakeinsuchawayastoensuresamplingof~sis,Pontoorea,andGammaruspopulations

.Ifthesethree'populations arenotproperlysampledadditional samplingwithothersamplinggearwillbedonetoensureatotalpictureofzooplankton fauna.Organisms will'eidentified to'helowestpossibletaxonomic leveland"enumerated.

DensityinnumbersperMwillbedetermined forma)orzoopl'ankton taxa"-anddominantspecies.Periphyton

-Monthly,four(4)replicate sampleswillbeexaminedfromartificial substrates ateachofthesamplinglocations inallfour,transects.

Thesampleswillbeanalyzedforbiomass,speciescomposition, andrelativeabundance.

Benthos-Replicate samplesofthemacroinvertebrate community willbecollect'ed everyothermonthateachof'thesamplinglocations'n allfourtransects.

Organisms willbeidentified tothelowestpossibletaxaandenumerated.

Resultswillbereportedintermsoftotalbiomassandnumbersoforganisms perunitareaofthesubstrate sampled.Fish-Adultandimmaturefishwillbecollected twicepermo'nthbytrawling, gillnets,andseines.Whereverpossibletrapnetswillalsobeused-toensureacompleterepresentation offishpopulations inthearea.Trawli'ng willbedoneforapproximately 15minutedurations foreachsampleatthreestationseachinthreetransects.

Thegillnetswillbesetfor48hoursandfishshallberemovedatapproximately 12hourintervals tocorrespond withthediurnalcycleatallstationsiriallfourtransects;-

Trawlingwillalsobedoneatnight.

T-TRAWLING5-SEININGG-GILLNETTINGP-PERIPHYTON8-BENTHOSPP-PHYTOPLANKTONZP-ZOOPLANKTON

~EL-FISHEGGS8(LARVAEELFORTRAWLINGTHISISONETRANSECTNMPPFITZTYWCAL*NMPETGBPPZPT,G,B,P,PP,ZP 40G,B,P3060WATERDEPTHS,FT.(NOTTOSCALE)50ELEL+STACKNIAGARAMOHAWKPOWER=CORP.T,B,P,PP,ZP GB,P,PP,ZP PS2015105SPLEASANTPOINTALCANCO.TRANSECTS NMPW-WestConvolNMPP-NMPPlentFITZ-FitsPetrickPlentNMPE-EastConvol0RADIOMASTWSGOOSWEGO10,000SCALEINFEETII'Alltransects aresampledforsimilarparamters.

PIG.6.3..SamplingLocations andBioticGroupstobeSampledintheVicinityofNineMilePointAreaofLakeOntario.

6-4TABLE6.1-Frequency ofSamplingforEcological StudiesintheNineMilePointAreaofLakeOntarioStudy/Biotic GroupFrequency (April-December)

A.GeneralEcological SurveyPhytoplankton Zooplankton Periphyton BenthosFish-Trawling, Seining,GillNettingLakeWaterChemistry MonthlyMonthlyMonthlyEveryOtherMonthTwiceperMonthTwiceperMonthB.Impingement ofOrganisms Collection ofimpingedfishC.Entrainment ofOrganisms ThroughtheCondenser ThreetimesperweekTwicepermonth,throughout theyear 6-5Ageandgrowthstudieswillbeconducted andfoodhabitsdetermined forthreespecies:yellowperch(Perteflsvescense),

whiteperch(Moroseofindividuals ofeachspeciescollected willbenotedalongwithin-dividuallengthsandweights.Foralargesample,arepresentative randomsubsample willbesatisfactory.

Coefficient ofcondition, willbecalculated foreachsexbymonths.Fecundi'ty measurements willbemadeonspeciesspawninginthevicinityofNineMilePoint;periodicity ofspawningwillbedet'ermined forthesespecies.Fisheggsandlarvaewillbesampled,at5equidistant locations eachin1/2,1and2mileradii.Sampleswillbecollected atsurface,mid-depth, andbottomwithappropriate samplinggear.Sampleswillbecollected, weeklyduringdaylightandnightfrommidJunetomidSeptember andonlyduringdaylightfromApriltomidJuneandmidSeptember toDecember.

Lakewaterchemistry

-Waterquality,surveyswillbeconducted tocom-plementthesamplingforbioticgroups.Sampleswillbecollected twicepermonthin20ft.and60ft.ofwateratthewestandeastcontrolsandoffNineMilePointandanalyzedfor:Dissolved OxygenTemperature SpecificConductance CarbonDioxidepHTotalandOrthophorphorous TotalKgeldahlNitrogenAmmoniaNitrogenNitrateNitrogenBOD(5)TotalsolidsTotalSuspended SolidsSilicaTurbidity Chlorophyll Theinformation gatheredunderthegeneralecological surveywillbeanalyzedinaccordance withacceptedbiostatistical methodsforsignificance andcorrelation withinandamongbioticgroupsinordertomeetthestatedobjectives.

AttheendofeachstudyyeartheresultsfromtheGeneralEcological Surveywillbeanalyzed, evaluated bythelicenseeandtheassessment reported.

6-6b.IminementofOranismsTheobjective ofthisstudyistoestimatethe.numberandweightoffishimpingedonthetrashracks-andthetraveling screensinthein-takestructure duringdayandnightinvariousseasonssothatthesignificance ofthisfishmortality totheecosystem maybedetermined andcorrective measurestakenifdeemednecessary.

Theimpingement studywill'spanatleastatwelve(12)monthperiodendingapproximately inMarch1974.Afterthisperiodanevaluation reportofthestudywithappropriate substantiated recommendations willbemadebythe'icensee.

Species,numbers,lengths,andweightsofallfishremovedatthetravel-ingscreensandtrashrackswillberecordedonathreetimesper',weekbasis.Onceaweeksampleswillbecollected insuchmannerthatdiurnalvariations canbeidentified.

Intheeventoflargecollections, repre-sentative subsampling forvariousparameters willbesatisfactory.

Theageandgrowthanalysiswillbeperformed forthetwomostabundantspeciescollected duringagivenseason.Theinterimresultswillbeanalyzedandevaluated bythelicenseeandtheassessment reportedperiodically.

c.Entrainment oflanktonfishesandlarvaeTheobjective ofthisstudyistodetermine theextentofentrainment andthemortality ofentrained organisms.

Theentrainment studieswillspanatleastatwo(2)yearperiodendingapproximately inJune1975.Theinterimresultswillbeanalyzedandevaluated bythelicenseeandtheassessment reportedperiodically.

Twicepermonth,replicate sampleswillbecollected duringdayandnightforallentrained organisms atfollowing locations:'1)

Intakeforebay,(2)discharge forebay,(3)atthedischarge beforemixingwithambientwateroccurs,(4)inthemixingzone,and(5)intheplume2'Faboveambient.Simulated laboratory studieswillbeacceptable whereactualfieldsamplingisnotpossibleduetodesignfeatures.

Phytoplankton

-,Theviability ofphytoplankton aftercondenser passage'ndtheconcentration ofchlorophyll-a andphotoshnthetic rateasdeter-minedby~4Cuptakeshallbedetermined at7,24,48and72hoursaftercollection.

,6-7Zooplankton

-Organisms willbeidentified tothelowestpossibletaxaandviability shallbedetermined assoonaspossibleaftercollection upto24hourperiod.Attemptswillbemadetoidentifysizeselective mortality.

Fisheggs,fry,andyoungoftheyear-Twoplanktonnetswillbepermitted todriftinthecurrentintheforebay.Thecontentsofnetswillbeexaminedforfisheggsandlarvaewhichwillbeidentified andenumerated forapproximately five(5)minutecollections.

Extentofmortality willbedetermined infieldandlaboratory thermalshockstudies.Attheendoftwoyearsoftheentrainment studytheresultswillbeanalyzed, evaluated bythelicenseeandtheassessment reported.

6.2THERMALMONITORING PROGRAMFieldinvestigations ofthethermalplumeshallbeundertaken tocorrelate thedataobtainedfromtheaquaticenvironmental programdiscussed above.Theseinvestigations shouldbemadeforthedifferent seasonsunderdifferent hydrological andmeteorological conditions, withavarietyofmeasuring techniques.

Detailsofthethermalmonitoring programwillbegivenintheTechnical Specifications.

6.3RADIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING Unit1hasbeenengagedinanenvironmental monitoring programsince1967,twoyearspriortostartup.Thissameprogram,withminorchanges,servestodetermine operational effectsofUnit1(andfurnishes pre-operational datafortheFitzPatrick andtheproposedUnit2plants).ThedetailsoftheprogramareoutlinedinTables6.2and6.3.Figures6.2and6.3indicatethesamplinglocations.

Dataobtainedd atthepre-operational stagehavenotindicated theexistence ofanyradiological anomalies atthesamplinglocations.

Postoperational studieshavenotshownanybuildupofradioactivity intheenvironment associated withplantoperation.

Theonlycriticism oftheprogramconcernsthestateddependence ofsampleanalysesonthemeasuredplantradioactive releases.

ItistheopinionoftheStaffthatanalysesshouldbecarriedoutindependent ofreleasequantities.

However,atthistime,thisdependence isnotofconcernsincetheanalysesarebeingroutinely.

performed toobtainbaselinedatafortheFitzPatrick andtheproposedUnit2plants.Itistherefore.

concluded thattheNineMilePointsitewillbesuffi-cientlymonitored sothatnoadverseeffectswillremainundetected.

TABLE62.Radiological Monitoring ProgramforLakeOntarioTypeofSampleTypeofAnalysisCollection Frequency NumberofLocations 1.Fish2.Clams:GBandSr-90SpringandfallGB,GSA,Sr-90SpringandfallTwoTwo3.Gammarus(freshwatershrimp)4.LakewaterGB,GSA,Sr-90GB,GSA,SpringandfallWeekly.TwoDownstream ofeffluentdischarge aGB-GrossbetaGSA-GammaspectralanalysisNotesonGradedProgram:A.Noenvironmental lakeprogramforeffluentdischarged atlessthan1x10pCi/mlaverageconcentration.

B.Standardenvironmental lakeprogramasshownforitems1through3foreffluentdischarged between1x10to1x10pCi/mlaverageconcentrations.

C.Standardenvironmental lakeprogramasshownforitems1through4foreffluentdischarged above1x107'pCi/mlbutlessthanMPCinaccordance withAppen-dixB,TableII,Column2,ofCFR20andnote1thereto.D.Anappropriate numberofsamplesshallbetakenateachlocation.

TABLE6.3Radiological Monitoring ProgramforLand(ForsamplingstationsseeFigs.6.1and6.2)TypeofSampleTypeofAnalysisa Collection Frequency NumberofStationsLocationl.Airparticulates 2.Precipitation GSA(monthly)

GB-all(24hrs.decay)GBandGSAWeeklyMonthlyElevenEleven5on-site6off-site5on-site=6off-site3.FilmbadgesorTLD'sGrossgammaMonthlyEleven5on-site6off-site5.FarmmilkGrossbeta,Sr-90,I-1316.AirbornehalogensGSA4.Radiation monitors"GrossgammaContinuous MonthlyWeeklySix'djacent dairyherdsEleven5on-site1off-sitePlantvicinity5on-site6off-siteaGSA-GammaspectralanalysisGB-GrossbetaGBandGSA-GrossbetaandgammaspectralanalysisNotesongradedProgram:A.Noenvironmental landprogramforstackreleaseslessthanapproximately 3percentofmaximumreleaserate.B.Standardenvironmental landprogramasshownforitems1through5forstackreleasesbetweenapproxi-mately3to10percentofmaximumreleaserate.C.Standardenvironmental landprogramasshownforitems1through6plusweeklyforfarmmilksamplesforstackreleasesbetween10to30percentofmaximumreleaserate.D.Environmental landprogramupgradedtotwiceweeklyonsiteforitem1,weeklyonsiteforitem2,bi-monthlyon-siteforitem3andweeklyforitem5forstackreleasesgreaterthanapproximately 30percentofmaximumreleaserate.E.Aftersubstantiating dataisanalyzedforanyofthereleaseratelevels,theenvironmental landprogramisdegradedbyonelevel,i.e.,B.toA.,C.toB.andD.toC.

6~0i..r!MEXICO~~IDp\///B/\/\//C\/i0/'I/\/r/r\r/rSITEI/OSWEGO1/IIr~(/n/\G/g1//~/\/E/'I/F-//\I/h1PULASKI0hlILESMONITORFig.6.2.Off-siteRadiological Monitoring Stations.

LAR'8ON7-A8/0W2WIIIIE2ElIIIgIIININEMILEPOIHTNUCLEARSTATIONE3E1IIIIIE5E6ETIIIPROPERTY+

LINE~rIARGJAMESA.FITZPATRI'CK NUCLEARPOWERPLANTEdIIIIIEdITOMEXICO~kY~PROPERTY LAKEVIEW~~LINEDISTAHCEFROMSNORE50100600900II003000DEPTH(BELOWL.'W.DATUM)6I2'IB213060APPROXIMATE LAKEDEPTHS44441444SCALE-FEETFig.6.3.Lake-sampling Transects andLocations ofOn-siteRadiological Monitoring Stations.

6-126.4TERRESTRIAL MONITORING PROGRAMAterrestrial monitoring programtoensurethattherecommendations inSections5.1.2arefollowedshouldbeincluded.

'Theprogramshouldincludeafieldstudytodetermin'e thepresenceandstatusofrareorendangered plantsandanimalsatthesiteandalongthetransmission lineright-of-way.

Ifendangered speciesarepresent,stepsshouldbetakentopreventtheirdestruction duringthecontinued operation ofthefacility.

6-13\,References l."Applicant',s Environmental Report,Construction PermitStage,NineMilePointNuclearStationUnit1,"NiagaraMohawk,PowerCorp.,Syracuse, N.Y.,p.5.5-9.,July1972.,2.Ibid.,Suppl.1,S.l.l-l,March1973.3."Applicant's Environmental Report,Operating LicenseStage,"NineMilePointNuclearStationUnit1,.Section2.8,July,1972.4.'Applicant's Environmental Report,Operating LicenseStage,J.A.FitzPatrick NuclearPowerPlant,"Section4,AppendixI,May,1971.

7-17.ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTSOFACCIDENTS 7.1PLANTACCIDENTS INVOLVING RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS Ahighdegreeofprotection againsttheoccurrence ofpostulated accidents inUnit1isprovidedthroughcorrectdesign,manufacture, andoperation, andthequalityassurance programusedtoestablish thenecessary highintegrity ofthereactorsystem,whichwascon-sideredintheCommission's SafetyEvaluation, datedMay26,1969andadditionally intheSafetyEvaluation forpowerincreasedatedMarch3,1971.Deviations thatmayoccurarehandledbyprotective systemstoplaceandholdtheplantinasafecondition.

Notwithstanding, theconservative postulate ismadethatseriousaccidents mightoccur,eventhoughtheymaybeextremely unlikely; andengineered safetyfeaturesareinstalled tomitigatetheconsequences ofthosepostulated eventswhicharejudgedcredible.

Theprobability ofoccurrence ofaccidents andthespectrumoftheirconsequences tobeconsidered fromanenvironmental-effects standpoint havebeenanalyzedusingbestestimates ofprobabilities andrealistic fissionproductreleaseandtransport assumptions.

Forsiteevaluation intheCommission's safetyreview,extremely conservative assumptions wereusedforthepurposeofcomparing calculated dosesresulting fromahypothetical releaseoffissionproductsfromthefuelagainstthe10CFRPart100sitingguidelines.

Realistically computeddosesthatwouldbereceivedbythepopulation andenvironment fromtheaccidents whicharepostulated wouldbesignificantly lessthanthosepresented intheSafetyEvaluation.

TheCommission issuedguidancetoapplicants onSeptember 1,1971,re-quiringtheconsideration ofaspectrumofaccidents withassumptions asrealistic asthestateofknowledge permits.TheApplicant's responsewascontained inthe"Environmental Report"submitted byNiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation datedMarch2,1973.TheApplicant's reporthasbeenevaluated, usingthestandardaccidentassumptions andguidanceissuedasaproposedamendment toAppendixDof10CFRPart50bytheCommission onDecember1,1971.Nineclassesofpostulated accidents andoccurrences ranginginseverityfromtrivialtoveryseriouswereidentified bytheCommission.

Ingeneral,accidents inthehighpotential consequence endofthespectrumhavealowoccur-rencerateandthoseonthelowpotential consequence endhaveahigheroccurrence rate.TheexamplesselectedbytheApplicant forthesecasesareshowninTable7.1.Theexamplesselectedarereasonably homogeneous intermsofprobability withineachclass.Commission estimates ofthedosewhichmightbereceivedbyanassumedindividual standingatthesiteboundaryinthedownwinddirection, usingtheassumptions intheproposedAnnextoAppendixD,arepresented in TABLE7.1.Classification ofPostulated Accidents andOccurrences Class'.3~AECDescritionTrivialincidents Smallreleasesoutsidecontainment Radioactive wastesystemfailureAlicantsExamlesNotconsidered.

Turbinesteamleak.Inadvertent discharge ofradwastetank.4~Fissionproductstoprimarysystem(BWR)Noeventsidentified.

5.Fissionproductstoprimaryandsecondary systems(PWR)NiA,6.Refueling accidentFuelbundledropincanal;heavyobjectdropontocore.7.SpentfuelhandlingaccidentNoeventsidentified.

8.Accidentinitiation eventsconsidered indesign-basis evaluation intheSafetyAnalysisReportLossofcoolantaccident, steamlinebreakaccident, andcontrolroddropaccident.

Radioactive liquidstoragetankaccident.

Off-gassystemaccident.

9.Hypothetical.

sequenceoffailuresmoreseverethanClass8.Notconsidered.

7-3Table7.2.Estimates oftheintegrated exposurethatmightbedelivered tothepopulation within50milesofthesitearealsopresented inTable7.2.Theman-remestimatewasbased'nthepro)ected population within50milesofthesitefortheyear2010.Torigorously establish arealistic annualrisk,thecalculated dosesinTable7.2wouldhavetobemultiplied byestimated probabilities.

TheeventsinClasses1and2represent occurrences whichareanticipated duringplantoperations; andtheirconsequences, whichareverysmall,areconsidered withintheframework ofroutineeffluents fromtheplant.ExceptforalimitedamountoffuelfailurestheeventsinClasses3through5arenotanticipated duringplantoperation; buteventsofthistypecouldoccursometimeduringthe40yearplantlifetime.

Accidents inClasses6and7andsmallaccidents inClass8areofsimilarorlowerprobability thanaccidents inClasses3through5butarestillpossible.

Theprobability ofoccurrence oflargeClass8accidents isverysmall.Therefore, whentheconsequences indicated inTable7.2areweightedbyprobabilities, theenvironmental riskisverylow.Thepostu-latedoccurrences inClass9involvesequences ofsuccessive failuresmoreseverethanthoserequiredtobeconsidered inthedesignbasesofprotection systemsandengineered safetyfeatures.

Theirconsequences couldbesevere.However,theprobability oftheiroccurrence isjudgedsosmallthattheirenvironmental riskisextremely low.Defenseindepth(multiple physicalbarriers),

qualityassurance fordesign,manufacture andoperation, continued surveillance andtesting,andconservative designareallappliedtoprovideandmaintainahighdegreeofassurance thatpotential accidents inthisclassare,andwillremain,sufficiently smallinprobability thattheenvironmental riskisextremely low.TheAECiscurrently performing astudytoassessmorequantitatively theserisks.Theinitialresultsoftheseeffortsareexpectedtobeavailable inearly1974.ThisstudyiscalledtheReactorSafetyStudyandisanefforttodeveloprealistic dataontheprobabilities andsequences ofaccidents inwatercooledpowerreactors, inordertoimprovethequantification ofavailable knowledge relatedtonuclearreactoraccidents probabilities.

TheCommission hasorganized aspecialgroupofabout50specialists underthedirection ofProfessor NormanRasmussen ofMITtoconductthestudy.Thescopeofthestudyhasbeendiscussed withEPAanddescribed incorrespondence withEPAwhichhasbeenplacedintheAECPublicDocumentRoom(letter,DoubtoDominick, datedJune5,1973).Aswithallnewinformation developed whichmighthaveaneffectonthehealthandsafetyofthepublic,theresultsofthesestudieswillbe 7-4TABLE7.2.SummaryofRadiological Consequences ofPostulated Accidcntsl/

ClassEventEsCfma'ce FractionoflnCFRPart20limitatsiteboundary2/

'stfaated DosetoPopulatfon fn50mlleradfus,manrem1.02,03.03,13~2TrfvfalIncfdencs Smallreleasesoutsidecontsfnment RadwasteSystemfailuresEqufpment leakageormalfunctfon ReleaseofwastegasstoragetankcontentsReleaseofliquidwastestoragecontents3/0.034n.13<0.0013/5'20<0,14.04.14.2Plssfonproductstoprfsarysystem(BWR)Fuelcladdingdefectsnff-design transfents thatinducefuelfailuresabovethoseexpected3/0.0013/0.525.06.06.2Pfssfonproductstoprimaryandsecondary systems(PWR)Refueling accfdents PuelbundledropHeavyob)ectdropontofuelfncoreN,A>>'O.nnl<0.001NA>><0.10.497.07~17.27.3SpentfuelhandlingaccfdentPuelassemblydropfnfuelrackHeavyobdectdropontofuelrackFuelcaskdrop<0.001<0,0010.0260.10.194.08.0Accidentfnftfatfon eventsconsidered fndesignbeefsevaluatfon fnCbeSAR8,18.1(a)Ixkss-ofCoolantAccidents SmallbrcakLargebrcakSteakfninstrument lfnefromprimarysystemthatpenetrstes thecontafnsent

<0.0010.001<0,001<0.18,7<n.l8.2(a)8.2(b)8.3(s)8,3(b)Rodejectfonaccident(PWR)Roddropaccldnnt(BWR)Steamlfnn breaks(PWR'soutsidecontainment)

Steamllne break(BWR)SmallbreakLargebreakN.A.0.001N,A,0.0010,007n.62N.A,0.18n.901/Thedosescalculated asconsequences ofthepostulated accidents arebasedonairbornetrancport ofrcdfoactivo materials resulting fnbothadirectandaninhalation dose.Ourevaluation oftheaccidentdoseeassumesthatthoapplfcant's environmental monitorfngprogramondappropriate additional monitoring (whichcouldbeinitfated subsequenr.

toaliquidreleaseincidentdetectedbyin-plantmonitoring) woulddetectthepresenceofradioactivity inthccnvironmcnt inatiaelymannersuchthatreaedialactioncouldbetakenifnecessary tolimitexposurefromocherpotential pathwaystoman.2/Represents thecalculated fractionofawholebodydoseof500area>>ortheequivalent.

dosetoanorgan.Q/Thesereleasesareexpectedtobeaeaallfractionof10CPRPart20lfaftsforeithergaseousorliquideffluents.

7-5madepublicandwouldbeassessedonatimelybasiswithintheregulatory processongenericorspecificbasesasmaybewarranted.

Table7.2indicates thattherealistically estimated radiological consequences ofthepostulated accidents wouldresultinexposures ofanassumedindividual atthesiteboundarytoconcentrations ofradio-activematerials thatarewithintheMaximumPermissible Concentrations (MPC)of10CFRPart20.Thetablealsoshowstheestimated integrated exposureofthepopulation within50milesoftheplantfromeachpostu-latedaccident.

Anyoftheseintegrated exposures wouldbemuchsmallerthanthatfrom"naturally occurring radioactivity.

Whenconsidered withtheprobability ofoccurrence, theannualpotential radiation exposureofthepopulation fromallthepostulated accidents isanevensmallerfractionoftheexposurefromnaturalbackground radiation and,infact,iswellwithinnaturally occurring variations inthenaturalbackground.

Itisconcluded fromtheresultsoftherealistic analysisthattheenvironmental risksduetopostulated radiological accidents areexceedingly smallandneednotbeconsidered further.7.2TRANSPORTATION ACCIDENTS INVOLVING RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS Asdiscussed inSection5.4.4,theCommission's staffhasrecentlycompleted ananalysisofthepotential impactontheenvironment oftransporting fuelandsolidradioactive wastesfornuclearpowerplantsunderexistingr'egulations.

Theresultsofthisanalysiswerepublished inareportentitled"Environmental SurveyofTrans-portation ofRadioactive Materials toandfromNuclearPowerPlants,"datedDecember1972.Thereportcontainsananalysisoftheprobabili-tiesofoccurrences ofaccidents andtheexpectedconsequences ofsuchaccidents, aswellasthepotential exposures totransport workersandthegeneralpublicundernormalconditions oftransport.

ForUnit1,thecharacteristics ofthereactorfuelandwastesandtheconditions oftransport forthefuelandwastefallwithinthescopeoftheEnvironmental SurveyofTransportation.

Theinitialfuelsupplyfor'nit1wassuppliedbyGeneralElectricfromitsfabrication facilities locatedinSanJose,California.

Newfuelelementswereshippedapproxi-mately3P00milesfromthefabrication planttothesitebytruck.ThereactorcoreofUnit1contains532fuelassemblies andabout133fuelassemblies arereplacedeachyear.SpentfuelelementsareshippedfromthesitebyrailtotheGeneralElectricReprocessing PlantinMorris,Illinois, ortheNuclearFuelReprocessing PlantinWestValley,NewYork,ortheAlliedGulfNuclearServicesReprocessing PlantinBarnwell, SouthCarolina.

Inanycase,theshippingdistanceiswithinthe1,000milesusedasabasisforanalysisinthesurvey.Solidradioactive wasteswillbeshippedbytrucktotheWestValley,NewYork,siteortotheNuclearEngineering CompanyfacilityinMoreheadt 7-6Kentucky, ortotheChem.NuclearfacilityinBarnwell, SouthCarolina.

Thiswillinvolveapproximately 46shipments peryear.Inanyevent,thedistanceiswithinthe1,000milesusedasabasisforanalysisinthesurvey.Inaccordance withtheproposedamendment (Sect.F)toAppendixDof10CFRPart50',published onFebruary5,1973;andthesubsequent rule-making

hearings, Table7.3summarizes theenvironmental impactofaccidents duringtransportation offuelandwastetoandfromtheplant.(Normalconditions oftransport weresummarized inTable5.9.)Table7.3Environmental impactofaccidents duringtransportation offuelandwastetoandfromNineMilePointUnit1AspectEnvironmental riskRadiological effectsCommon(nonradiological) causesSmall1fatalinguryin100years;1nonfatalinjuryin10years;$475propertydamageperyear 8-18.IMPLICATIONS OFTHESTATION8.1THEREQUIREMENT FORPOWERThegrovthofpopulation andindustryinthenortheastern regionoftheUnitedStateshasresultedinacontinuing increaseinthedemandforelectricpower.Thisincreaseinpo~erconsumption isexpectedtocontinueintheforeseeable futurebecauseofpopulation growthandincreasing per-capita consumption ofelectrical pover.TheApplicant supplieselectricpovertoapproximately 3.6millionpeopleinupstateNewYork.TheApplicant's franchise territory (Fig.8.1),whichincludesabouthalfofthetotallandareaofNevYorkState,isdividedintotwomajorsectors:oneisinthewesternpartofthestatebetweenthePennsylvania border,LakeErie,andLakeOntario;andtheotherisinthecentralandnortheastern partofthestatebetweenLakeOntario,theSt.LawrenceRiver,andtheVermontborder.MajorloadcentersareatBuffalointhewest,Syracuseinthecenter,andAlbanyintheeast.TheApplicant isamemberoftheNevYorkPowerPool(NYPP)togetherwithsixotherprivateutilities andthePowerAuthority oftheStateofNevYork(Table8.1).ThePoolcoordinates thehour-to-hour operation ofthestate'sentiregenerating capacitytomeetdemandreliablyandeconomically.

PowerPoolstandardoperating procedures andNevYorkPublicServiceCommission ordersrequirethatallareasofthestateassistanyareawherethereisapowershortage.

SinceupstateNewYorkisawinter-peaking areaanddownstate NevYorkisasummer-peaking area,thiscoordination ofgeneration bythePoolisintendedtoinsurethatreservecapacityisusedwithmaximumefficiency forthebenefitofcustomers throughout thestate.TheNevYorkPowerPoolmembersagreetomaintaininstalled capacityatleastequaltothatrequiredtomeetan18%%ureserveduringitsmostrecentannualpeakload.Planningofnewpowerfacilities inthenortheastern sectionoftheUnitedStatesandinadjoining sectionsof,Canadaiscoordinated bytheNortheast PowerCoordinating Council.TheCouncilhasestablished reliability criteriafortheNevYorkPowerPoolandothermembersystemswhichrequirethatthegenerating supplyequalorexceedarealoadatleast99.9615%%u ofthetime,equivalent toaprobability oflossofloadofonedayintenyears.TheApplicant hasstatedthatoperation ofUnit1fillsapartoftheNewYorkPowerPool'splanformeetingthisreliability criterion.4 8-2ssopssVtysno"+syr"ltassetr,,'v'avsonqVO5v,sVhVtnr(~wvrb~<<tse.o+po>+AreaservedbyHiaesrsMohawkPrincrpsl efeclriclransmrssion systemNiagaraMohawk345,000volttransmission lines345,000volttransmission linesolothersystemsInterconnectrons wrlhothersystemsFig.8.1,NiagaraMohawkServiceArea.From-Applicantss AnnualReport1964.

8-3TABLE8.1.NewYorkPowerPoolMembersPeakLoadMWeSummer1972Winter1972-735667,8722,6201,4214,392579854800602734Total19,225CentralHudsonGasandElectricCorp.Consolidated EdisonCo.ofN.Y.,Inc.LongIslandLightingCompanyNewYorkStateElectricandGasCorp.NiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation OrangeandRocklandUtilities, Inc.Rochester GasandElectricCorporation PowerAuthority oftheStateofNewYorkJamestown Munici~al ElectricSystem4LongSault,Inc.VillageofFreeport" 6036,104,2'.277',7242 4827481827894.56142917,836DatafromApplicant's Environmental Report,Supplement No.2.January1973peaks(fromApplicant's Environmental Report,Supple-mentNo.1).TheApplicant; operatesnuclearNineMileUnit1at610MWeandplanstobuildnuclearNineMileUnit2for1100MWe.4NewYorkStatecompanies thatarenotmembersoftheNewYorkPowerPoolbutreporttheirloadsandcapabilities aspartoftheNewYorkStateInterconnected Systems.

8-48.1.1PowerDemandThepeakdemandontheApplicant's systeminthewinterof1972was4827megawatts.

Thiswasmetbyac'ombination ofownedandleasedgenerating facilities andpurchased powerasshowninFig.8.2.About.27%oftheelectrical energywassuppliedtoresidential customers, 61%tocommercial andindustrial customers, and12%tomunicipalities, schools,andothercustomers."~

TheApplicant's pro)ected demandforthesystemforthenextdecadeindicates thattheincreaseinloadwillbemostlyinthewesternandcentralregions.From1960through1972thetrendrateofgrowthofannualpeakdemandfortheApplicant's systemwasabout4.6%peryear,(Fig.8.3).Thecorresponding rateofNYPPwas5.5%peryearfromitsformation in1966through1971.Thenumberofresident'ial andcommercial customers increased by5.4%and0.4%,respectively, intheApplicant's franchise areafrom1961to1966andby7.9%and1.6%,respectively, from1966to1971.7Thenumberofindustrial customers increased 9.5%duringthefirstfive-year period,thentherateofincreasedeclinedto2.6%duringthesecondfive-year period.8.1.2PowerGeneration Unit1hasbeeninc'ommercial operation since1969.The610-MWegenerating capacityofUnit1isanimportant partofthetotalinstalled capacityofthe'Applicant's systemasitrepresented 12.6%ofthepeakpowerdemandinthewinterof1972(Fig.8.2).TheApplicant madeananalysisofthosetimesduring1971and1972whenUnit1wasshutdownoroperating atlessthan80percent'ower.

AlthoughtheApplicant wasabletomeetitscustomers'equirements withoutloadcurtailment orvoltagereduction duringthesetimes,gas-turbine operation andrelianceonpowerpurchases werenecessary onseveraloccasions.

Themaximumpurchaseduringthistimeperiodwas460MVeduringNovember1972.TheApplicant's pro)ected demandandsupplyforwinterpeakload1973-1976,withandwithoutthecapacityofUnit1,areshowninTable8.2.IfUnit1isnotinserviceduringthenextfouryearstherewillbeinsufficient reservecapacityin1973and1975,basedontheApplicant's'eak loadforecast, tomeettheNYPPrequiredreservemargin.Shouldcompletion ofanyofthefossil-fueled generating plantsduewithinthenextfewyearsbedelayed,thereservemarginswouldbefurtherdecreased.

TheApplicant hasstatedthatifUnit1weretobeshutdown,acapacitydeficiency wouldexist,resulting indegradation ofsystemreliability.

8-5NUCLEAR610-NINEMILEPOINTUNIT1GASTURBINEANDDIESEL-371-PURCHASED FROMOTHERS"-301-HYQROELEOTRIO

-6616s'6~i~\I\a6~1~1El~5944MAXIMUMCAPABILITY IN19721117MARGIN=23.1'Yo-4827WINTERPEAKLOADIN1972PURCHASED FROMPASNY1365-CONVENTIONAL THERMALPLANTR3636'ig.8.2.MaximumSystemCapacityandLoad,MWeoftheNiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation fortheWinterof1972.

8-.6750070006500600055005000~4500UJCI~oooo2'-53500os~$e+~gP+,+108'/BANDHEIGHT3000+HISTORICAL VALUE8PROJECTED VALUE2750I960-6II965-661970-7IYEARI975-76I980-8IPig.8.3.WinterPeakPowerDemandforApplicant's System..

8-7TABLE8.2.Projected PeakSituations 1973197419751976Conditions with'ineMilePointUnit1Totalcapability, MWePeakload,MWeMargin,MWeReserve,Conditions withoutNineMilePointUnit166747494746382835300562058556105137418741608217825.933.427.435.6Totalcapability, MWe6064688468537673Peakload,MWeMargin,MWeReserve,53005620585561057641264998156814.422.517.025.7 8-88.1.3PlannedCapacityAddition; Estimates ofFuturePowerRequirements TheApplicant's predictions ofloadgrowthandadditions togenerating capacityandthe.reservemarginthrough1980areshowninTable8.3.Anothernuclearunit(NineMilePointUnit2),andtwonewoil-fired units(OswegoNo.5andOswegoNo.6),eachwithacapacityof850HWe,arescheduled tobeginoperation duringthisperiod.Generating capacityalsowillincreasefortheApplicant from)ointinstallation withConsolidated EdisonCompanyandCentralHudsonGasandElectricCorporation oftwothermalunitsattheRosetonStationintheCentralHudsonsystem.TheApplicant expectstopurchaseportionsofthepoweroutputoftheGQboaandFitzPatrick generating stationsfromthePowerAuthority oftheStateofNewYork.Nogenerating unitsarescheduled toberetiredduringthisperiod,buttheApplicant's shareoftheRosetoncapacitywillbereducedby120megawatts in1977.Figure8.4showstheApplicant's projected reservecapacityforthesystemandtheeffectofabandoning Unit1andexcluding Unit2.Thepro)ected reservemargindoesnotincludeUnit2(expected in1978)becauseitwouldbeunrealistic toabandonUnit1andthenbuildUnit2;According totheApplicant's projections, thereservemarginwoulddecreasefromtheNYPPrequiredreservemarginof18/in1977toabout3Xin1980.8.1.4Conclusion Pro)ected generating

capacity, peakdemand,andreservemarginsfortheperiods1973-76,withandwithoutUnit1,arecomparedinTable8.2.Iftheprogections proveaccurate, theApplicant wouldnotquitemeettheNYPPre'serverequirements withoutUnit1in1975.In1978andsubsequent yearsthedeficiency wouldbesevere(seeFig.8.3).TheStaffconsiders theApplicant's demandpro)ection tobereasonable bycomparison withthehistorical trend.Intheeventofadelayinthecompletion ofotherplants,theApplicant's shortageofreservemarginwouldbeevengreater.Thus,theStaffconcludes thatthegenerating capacityofUnit1isavaluablecomponent oftheApplicant's systemanditslosswouldhaveaseriouseffectontheabilityoftheApplicant tomeetNewYorkPowerPoolobligations.

8.2ADVERSEENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTSWHICHCANNOTBEAVOIDEDThefollowing arethema)orimpactsoftheconstruction andoperation oftheStation.

8-9TABLE8.3.DataonLoadandCapacityPro)ected to1980.(MWe)(NiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation)

YearInstalled

,Generating Capacitya PowerPurchased Ad)usted,PeakLoad'eserve

,ReserveCapacity(Winter)MarginMargin,X,19661967196819691970197119723,0683,0823$0633,698b3,8334,0384,278c-1,3051,4011,6031,4181,5921,6331,6664,3734,4834,6665,1165$4255,6715,944Preection3,9873,9714,3354,4424,6144,5514,827386'.751212.9331,7.667415.281117.61,120'4.3 1;11723.1197319741975197619771978197919804,518d5,368e5,3686,218f6,09887,1987,1987,1982,1562,1262,0952,0652,0342$0031,9721,9426$674.7,4947,4638,2838,1329,2019,1709>1405,3005,6205,8556,1056,3656,6356,9057$2001,3741,8741,6082,1781,7672,5662,2651,94025.933.427.435.627.738.732.826.9aInstalled Generating Capacityisthesumof'themaximumratingsofallthermalgenerating unitsunderoptimumoperating conditions; hydro'apacity isbasedonaverageseasonalstreamconditions.

Experience demonstrates thatsomeportionofthiscapacityisunavailable onaday-to-day basis.Further,thefiguresdonotincludeanyallowance forconstruction andstartupdelaysorlowdependability duringtheearlyperiodofoperation fornewunits.bAddition ofNineMilePointUnit1.Applicant's shareof)ointlyownedRosetonNo.2unit(240MW).dApplicant's shareof)ointlyownedRosetonNo.1unit(240MW).eOswegoNo.5oil-fired unit(850MW).fOswegoNo.6oil-fired unit(850MW).gReduction inApplicant's shareofRosetonplantcapacity(-120MW).NineMilePointUnit2nuclear-fired unit(1100MW).

8-10.40APPLICANT'6 PREDICTEO MARGIN,%,30I2018%RESERVEREQUIREDBY'YPPSINCE1966f%MARGINWITHOUT'NITS15210Pr,~~.',~rr'J~"1966196819701972YEARS1974197619781980Fig.8.4.ForecastofReserveMargins.

8-118.2.1LandEffectsTheoperation ofUnit1doesnotinterfere withpresentlanduse.Atpresent,nootherhigh-value useispreempted bylocatingandoperating theStationatthissite.8.2.2AquaticEffectsTheattemptbytheApplicant todocumententrapment offishesintheintakestructure andtheirsubsequent impingement onthetraveling screensisinadequate.

Sufficient evidencehasnotbeenpresented todemonstrate thattheintakeprecludes thepossibility ofsubstantial fishkillsattheintakestructures.

BecauseofahighAT(31.2'F)andaresidence timegreaterthan3minutesintheheatedwater,smallfishandfishlarvaearenotexpectedtosurvivepassagethroughthestation,andhighmortality ofzooplankton isexpectedduringsummer.Onlyasmallfractionofthelakewaterisusedfromtheareaandfurthermore, itisexpectedthatevenwith100/mortality ofzoo-andphytoplankton, theentrainment effectswillbediffusedoverawideareaandarenotexpectedtobemeasureable.

Thisassessment, however,isnotapplicable toentrainable formsoffishlifewhichdonothaveashortgeneration timelikethatoftheplankton.

Withisotherms indicating onlyasmallregionfavorable toproduction ofblue-green algae,noshiftsinalgalspeciesfromabundance ofdiatomsandgreenalgaetoblue-green algaeareexpected.

Becauseoftheaggregation offishesinthelargeareacoveredbytheplumeinwinter,thefishesareexpectedtoundergothermalshockifthestationisshutdownsuddenly.

8.2.3Radiological EffectsTheestimated radioactive release,basedonnormaloperation ofUnit1,nearthesiteboundarycouldresultinatotalbodydosetoindividuals of5mrem/year (0.067mrem/year withtheaugmented radwastesystem).Thetotalman-remdosefromalleffluentpathwaysreceivedbyapproximately 1,060,000 personswhowilllivewithinafifty-mile radiusoftheplant,wouldbeabout34man-rem/year (2.5man-rem/year withtheaugmented radwastesystem).Incomparison, anannualtotalofabout110,000man-remsisdelivered tothesamepopulation asaresultofthe'averagenaturalradiation background.

Unit1willbeaminorcontributor 8-12tothetotalradiation dosethatpersonslivingintheareanormallyreceive'.

Fluctuations inthenaturalbackground dosewillbeexpectedtoexceedthesmalldoseincrement contributed bytheoperation ofUnitl.Thepotential exposures tothepopulation frompostulated accidents duringoperation oftheplantwilldependonthetypeandmagnitude oftheaccident.

Asindicated inSection7.1,thedifferent typesofaccidents, whenmultiplied bytheirrespective probabilities ofoccurrence, resultinaverysmallannualradiation exposurerisktothepopulation.

Infact,thepotential exposurefromallthepostulated accidents iswellwithinthenaturally occurring variations inthebackground radiation.

Fromtheresultsoftherealistic analysisitisconcluded thattheenvironmental risksduetopostulated accidents involving abnormalreleasesofradioactivity duringoperation ofUnit1areexceedingly small.8.3SHORT-TERM.

USESANDLONG-TERM PRODUCTIVITY Onascaleoftimereachingintothefuturethroughseveralgenerations, thelifespanoftheStationwouldbeconsidered ashort-term useofthenaturalresources oflandandwater.Theresourcededicated exclusively totheproduction ofelectrical powerduringtheanticipated lifespanoftheStationwillbethelanditselfandtheuraniumconsumed.

(Nosignificant commitment ofwaterforconsumption orusewillhavebeenmade,since,intheforeseeable future,LakeOntariowillcontinuetobeseasonally renewed.)

Noadverseimpactonwateruseisexpectedtooccuro~ingtotheStationeffluentsi About45acresofthe'itewillbedevotedtoproduction ofelectrical energyforthenext30to40years.(TheApplicant statesthattheremaining 855acresofthesitewillbeleftinitsnaturalstate.)Atsomefuturedate,Unit1willbecomeobsoleteandberetired.Manyofthedisturbances oftheenvironment willceasewhentheStationisshutdown,,and-arebalancing ofthebiotawilloccur.Thus,the"trade-off" betweenproduction ofelectricity andsmallchangesinthelocalenvironment isreversible.

Recentexperience withotherexperimental anddevelopmental nuclearplantshasdemonstrated thefeasibility of'ecommissioning anddismantling suchaplantsufficiently torestorethesitetoits--former use.'hedegreeofdismantling, aswithmoatabandoned industrial plants,willtake'ntoaccounttheintendednewuseofthesiteandabalanceamonghealthandsafetyconsiderations, salvagevalues,andenvironmental impact.

8-13TheCommission's currentregulations contemplate detailedconsideration ofdecommissioning neartheendofareactor's usefullife.Thelicenseeinitiates suchconsiderations bypreparing aproposeddecommis-sioningplan,whichwillbesubmitted totheAECforreview.ThelicenseewillberequiredtocomplywithCommission regulations thenineffectanddecommissioning ofthefacilitymaynotcommencewithoutauthorization fromtheAEC.TheApplicant hasoutlinedabasisforcostsestimates.~

Experience withdecommissioning ofciviliannuclearpowerreactorsislimitedtosixfacilities thathavebeenshutdownordismantled:

HallamNuclearPowerFacility, CarolinaVirginiaTubeReactor(CVTR),BoilingNuclearSuperheater (BONUS)PowerStation,Pathfinder Reactor,PiquaReactor,andtheElkRiverReactor.Severalalternatives canbeandhavebeenusedindecommissioning reactors:

(Type1)Removethefuel,(possibly followedbydecontamination);

sealandcapthepipes;andestablish anexclusion areaaroundthefacility.

ThePiquadecommissioning operation wastypicalofthisapproach.

(Type2)Inadditiontothestepsoutlinedin(1),removethesuperstructure andencaseinconcreteallradioactive portionsthatremainaboveground.TheHallamdecommissioning operation wasofthistype.(Type3)Removethefuel,allsuperstructure, thereactorvesselandallcontaminated equipment andfacilities, andfinallyfillallcavitieswithcleanrubbletoppedwithearth'togradelevel.Thislastprocedure isbeingappliedindecommissioning the.ElkRiverReactor.Alternative decommissioning procedures (1)and(2)"'would requirelong-term surveil-lanceofthereactorsite.Afterafinalchecktoassurethatallreactor-produced radioactivity hasbeenremoved,alternative (3)wouldnotrequireanysubsequent surveillance.

Possibleeffectsoferosionorfloodingwillbeincludedintheseconsiderations.

TheApplicant's planisofType1,asdescribed

'above.Theestimated costin1972dollarsis$2millionplus$150,000annuallyforperpetual inspection, maintenance, and24-hoursurveillance.

Capitalizing thecontinuing costsatanassumed8.75/discountrateleadstoanequivalent totalcoat'fabout$4million.Bythemostconservative estimate(Type3above),theStaffestimates thatdecommissioning, oftheStationwillcost$30million(1972dollars).

Thisfigureisbasedonad)ustment toasingle.unit.ofthe.estimateprepared, bytheStafffortheConsumers PowerCompany,MidlandPlants,Units1and2..TheMidlandestimatewasmadebycarefulscalingofthedetailedestimates fortheElkRiverReactor.

8-148.4IRREVERSIBLE ANDIRRETRIEVABLE COMMITMENTS OFRESOURCES Manyresources areinvolvedinconstruction andoperation ofamajorfacilitysuchastheStation.Theseresources includetheland.uponwhichthefacilityislocated;thematerials andchemicals usedtoconstruct andmaintaintheStation;fuelused'ooperatetheStation:capital;andhumantalent,skillandlabor.Majorresources tobecommitted irreversibly andirretrievably becauseofoperation oftheStationareessentially theland(duringthelifeoftheplant)andtheuraniumconsumedbythereactor.Onlythatportionofthenuclearfuelthatisburnedupornotrecovered inreprocessing isirretrievably losttootheruses.Thiswillamounttoapproximately 12metrictonsofuranium-235, witha30-yearlifetimeassumedfortheStation.Mostotherresources areeitherleftundisturbed orarecommitted onlytemporarily, asduringconstruction orduringthelifeoftheStation,andarenotirreversibly orirretrievably lost.Ofthelandusedforplantbuildings, onlyasmallportionbeneaththereactor,controlroom,radwaste, andturbine-generator buildings appearstobeirreversibly committed.

Also,commitment ofsomecomponents ofthefacility, suchaslargeunderground concretefoundations andcertainequipment, are,inessence,irretrievable becauseofpractical aspectsofreclamation andradioactive decontamination.

Thedegreeofdis-mantlement oftheStation,aspreviously noted,willbedetermined bytheintendedfutureuseofthesite,whichwillinvolveabalanceofhealthandsafetyconsiderations, salvagevalues,andenvironmental effects.Theuseoftheenvironment (air,water,land)bytheStationdoesnotrepresent significant irreversible orirretrievable resourcecommitments, butratherarelatively short-term investment.

Thebiotaofthisregionhavebeenstudied,andtheprobableimpactoftheplantispresented inSections4and5.Asoutlinedinthepreceeding section,most,oftheimpactsinthevicinityofthesiteareexpectedtobelocalized andvirtually undetectable.

However,fishkillsatUnit1mayadversely affectthefishpopulation intheNineMilePointarea.Underthecircumstances, theStaffwillrequirethattheApplicant performintensive monitoring (dielandseasonal) todetermine thenumber,species,andsizeoffishkilledatUnit1andrelatethesedatatotheintakedesignandfield-sampling programasoutlinedinSection6.Whenthisinformation isavailable, theStaffwillevaluatetheseriousness ofthefish-kill problem.Iftoomanymortalities ofJuvenileoradultfishresultfromoperation ofUnit1,modifications ofexistingintake,.structure, ordevelopment andimplementation ofotherpreventative methodsorbothwillberequiredwithinaspecified period.

8>>15Shouldanunanticipated

.significant detrimental effecttoanyofthebioticcommunities appear,themonitoring programsaredesignedtodetectit,andtheApplicant wouldthenberequiredtoinstitute corrective measures.

FTheStaffconcludes thattheirreversible andirretrievable commitments areappropriate forthebenefitsgained.~'e 8-16References 1.TableofNiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation PlansforGenerating CapacityExpansion, SuppliedwithletterfromGeorgeAnastis,PublicServiceCommission oftheStateofNewYork,toCharlesLuner,ArgonneNationalLaboratory, Nov.13,1972.2."Environmental ReportfortheNineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit2,"Supplement No.3,AECDocketNo.50-410,NiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation, December1972.3.Northeast PowerCoordinating Council,"BasicCriteriaforDesignandOperation ofInterconnected PowerSystems,"

Originally adoptedbythemembersoftheNortheast PowerCoordinating Council,Sept.20,1967,revisionadoptedonJuly31,1970.4."Environmental ReportfortheNineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1,"AECDocketNo.50-220,NiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation, June1972.5."Environmental ReportfortheNineMilePointNuclearStationUnit2,"Supplement No.2,AECDocketNo.50-410,NiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation, October1972.6.TableofPeakAnnualLoadsofNewYorkStateUtilities, 1967-1971, suppliedwithletterfromLesterM.Stuzin,PublicServiceCommission oftheStateofNewYork,toLawrenceStein,ArgonneNationalLaboratory, October13,1972.7.AnnualReportsofNiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation, 1961-1971.

8."Environmental ReportfortheNineMilePoint-NuclearStationUnit1,"NiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation, p.9.4-.2,June1972.9."Transcript oftheASLBHearing,June12,1972,IntheMattersofConsumers PowerCompany(MidlandPlantUnits1and2),"DocketNos.50-329and50-330,pp.7822-7836.

9-19.ALTERNATIVES TOTHEPROPOSEDPROJECT9.1ALTERNA'TIVE ENERGYSOURCESANDSITESTheconsumption ofelectricpowerintheApplicant's serviceareaandthroughout theU.S.hasincreased sinceUnit1wasputintooperation in1969andisexpectedtocontinuetoincrease(seeSection8.1).Therefore, cessation oftheUnit'soperation wouldrequireconstruction andoperation ofnewequivalent generating capacity(inadditiontothatnowplannedtomeetexpectedloadgrowth)eitherbytheApplicant orbysomeotherutilitywhichmightsellpowertotheApplicant.

Construction andoperation ofnewcapacitywouldimposeneweconomicandenvironmental costs,whichwouldbebalancedtosomedegreebyreduction ofthecostnowassociated withoperation ofUnit1.Thepurposeofthissectionistodefinethereasonable rangeofeconomicandenvironmental coststobeexpectedfromeachoftheseveralalternatives andthentostrikethebenefit-cost balanceinordertoestablish thepreferred alternative.

Thealternative energysourcesconsidered arethosecommercially provenforbaseloadpowergeneration inthenortheast U.S.-namely,coal-fired, oil-fired, andnuclearsteam-electric plants.Hydroelectric generation isnotconsidered becausesubstantially allthepotential siteswithinNewYorkarealreadydeveloped anddevelopment bytheApplicant inotherstatesisunlikelytobelegallyavailable

'totheApplicant.

Geothermal powerisnotconsidered becausenositesinNewYorkorneighboring stateshavebeenidentified'o dateaspotential sourcesofgeothermal energy.Thepossibility ofabetteralternative siteisalsodiscussed inthissection.Possiblemodification ofUnit1thatmightreducetheexistingenviron-mentalimpactsare'onsidered inSection9.2.9.1.1EconomicConsiderations Thedepreciated construction costofUnit1is"about$145million(seeTable10.1).Becausevirtually noneoftheinvestment couldberecovered iftheplantwereabandoned, construction costofthereplacement capacitywouldmarkedlyincreasethecoatofthepowertotheApplicant andthustoits.customers.

Promthedata,shown-fnTable.9.1,theincremental cost*ofoperating Unit1toproduce'4.275EillionkWhannually(80/capacityfactor)wouldSeabout$12million.(Theestimated annualcostofthesameamountofpowerfromanewnuclearplantwouldbe$12.8millionproduction cost,plus$39.3millioncapitalcharge.**)

• i.e.,ignoringtheirrecoverable construction costs.~Basedon$213.5millionconstruction costand18.4%%ufixedchargerate.Thefixedchargerateincludestaxesaswellasdepreciation andinterestoncapital.

9-2TABLE9.1.NewYorkGenerating-plant Costsforan800-MWePlantintheMid-1970'sCapitalCost,$/kWProduction Cost,amills/kWh NuclearbFossil-oil cGasturbinesdPumpedstorage3502501201752.87.014.210.0(Pumpedwithfossil)3.5(Pumpedwithnuclear)Basedon:NewYorkStateDepartment ofPublicService,"TheNewYorkPowerSystemGeneration andTransmission Plans1971-'980,"TableVII,p.31.aIncludesfuel,operating labor,andmaintenance.

bBurninglow-sulfur oilcosting$0.70/million Btuwithaheatrateof9300Btu/kWh.cSixteen50-MWegasturbinesburningNo.2distillate fuelcosting$0.90/million Btu,withaheatrateof13,000Btu/kWh.dFour200-MWeunits-fuelcostbasedon3:2powerratiobetweenbase-loaded unitproviding pumpingpowerduringoff-peakhoursandpumped-storage output.Aheatrateof9300Btu/kWhwasassumedforthepumpingunitusingoilcosting$0.70/million Btu.

9-3Ifthereplacement powerwereproducedbyanewoil-fired plant,theesti-matedannualcostwouldbe$28.1millionproduction costplus$29.9millioncapitalcharge.Uncertainties associated withthefeasibility andcostofS02removal,oralternatively theavailability andcostoflow-sulfur coal,makeitdifficult toestimatethecostsforanewcoal-fired plant.However,theestimates fortheoil-fired plantwillserveasareasonable lowerlimit.Newfossil-fuel plantsintheNortheast arepredominantly oil-fired, implyingthatpower-industry considers theprobablecostofcoal-fired plantstobehigher.Purchased power,ifitwereavailable, wouldbeexpectedtobeatleastascostlyasthatfromanewoil-fired plantbecauseanyvendorprobablywouldbeobligedtosellhislower-cost powertohisowncustomers, ratherthantoanotherutility.Thehypothesized abandonment ofUnit1mightresultinanannualtaxsavingtotheApplicant ofabout$6.5million(stateandlocalpropertytaxes).Withthissumallowedasacreditagainstthecostsofanalternative plantorpowerpurchase, orboth,theestimated netannualpenaltytotheApplicant's customers wouldbeabout$33millionifUnit'1werereplacedbyanothernuclearplantorabout$39millionifpowerwerepurchased orafossil-fuel plantwereelected.Thepresentworth*(at8.75/ofthe26-yearstreamofpenaltycosts)wouldbeabout$335millionfortheleastexpensive alternative.

9.1.2Environmental Considerations a.Alternative EnergySourcesModernfossil-fueled plantsoperateathigherthermalefficiency thanmostcurrentnuclearplants.Also,someoftheheatisdischarged withtheothercombustion productsthroughthestacktotheatmosphere.

Consequently, theheatreleasedtocoolingwaterisabouttwo-thirds thatforanuclearplantofthesameelectrical capacity.

Oil-fired plantsreleasealmostnoradioactivity totheatmosphere.

Thenaturalradioactivity inatleastsometypesofcoalisgreatenoughthatstackemissions havebeenmeasurable, butthedegreetowhichtheeffectvarieswithcoaltypeisnotknown.Thereleaseofradioactivity

• Thepresentworth(ataspecifictime)ofafuturepaymentisthesumwhich,drawinginterestattheassumedrateuntilthetimeofthepayment,willthenequalit,i.e.,itisthediscounted valueofthepayment.

9-4frommodernnuclearplantsisrequiredtobe"aslowaspracticable",

inaccordance withCommission regulations.

Anyresulting increaseindoselevelsfromeithernuclearorcoal-fired plantswillnormallybeasmallpercentage ofdosesresulting fromnaturalbackground.

Finally,aswithcoal-powered generating plants,theemissionstandards foroilusearebecomingincreasingly stringent andcostsofcompliance areexpectedtoincrease; Substantial amountsofdust,sulfurdioxide,nitrogenoxides,carbonmonoxide, hydrocarbons, andaldehydes areemittedfromcoal-andoil-fired plants.TheEnvironmental Protection Agency(EPA)hassetlimitsonemissionofparticulate matter(dust),sulfurdioxide,andnitrogenoxidesfornew.generating plants.Thecontrolequipment andprocedures requiredtomeettheEPAstandards probablywillalsochangetheemissionoftheothersubstances tosomedegree.However,theavailable dataforcombustion withoutpollution-controlequipment4 givearoughindication ofthemagnitudes.

Forplantsequivalent toUnit1(610MWe),operating atfullpower(andwithoutemissioncontrols),

theexpectedemissions (inpoundsperday)areasfollows:Oil-fired PlantCoal-fired PlantCarbonmonoxideHydroc'arbons Aldehydes 8316008005400160027Theenvironmental impactsofcontinued operation ofUnit1andthoseexpectedfromtheoperation ofacoal-oroil-fueled plantofequaloutputarecomparedinTable9.2.Radiological andcooling-system impactsarelessforthefossil-fuel plants,asistheconsumptive useofwaterthroughevaporation.

However,theseimpactsareofsmallconsequence, according totheevaluation giveninSection5.Eithertypeoffossil-fuel plantwouldreleasemanytonsofchemicalpollutants totheatmosphere eachday,butsuchreleasefromUnit1isnil.Thelastconsideration appearstotheStafftodominatethebalanceofenvironmental effectsduringoperation, whichthusclearlyfavorsthereference plant.b.Alternative SitesInitsconsideration ofalternative sites,theStaffnotesthattheenvironmental impactsexpectedfromanother.nuclearplantofsimilar 9-5TABLE9.2.Comparative Environmental ImpactsforNineMilePointUnit1(nuclear) andAlternative Plants(610MWe)(atfull-power operation exceptasnoted)ImpactReference Unit1Oil-firedPlantCoal-fired Plant'and UseReZeasestoAir:Radioac,tivity Dust,<tons/daySulfurdioxide,tons/dayNitrogenoxides,tons/day45acres(plusexclusion area).35Ci/dayNoneNone'oneLarger'(fuelstorage,butnoexclusion area).None65019Larger(fuelandashstorage,butnoexclusion area).Small67544ReZeasestoVates:Heat,billionBtu/dayRadioactivity:

Tritium,mCi/dayOther,mCi/day10031370NoneNone65NoneNone.ChemicaZ:

Totaldissolved solids,lb/day340.450390latmConsumed:

Evaporation, milliongallons/day 7.25.34.4ZueZ:ConsumedWaste610kgU/yearc52truck-loads/year 7.8x106bbl/yearSmall1.7x106tons/year 1.7x105tons/year Aesthetic Inoffensive SimilartoUnit1exceptfortankfarmSimilartoUnit1exceptforcoalandashstorageReleaseestimates forfossilplantsarebasedontheassumptions thateachplantgustmeetstheapplicable EPAstandards4 andthattheefficiency is40/.At80/capacityfactor.Partlybalancedbyrecoveryinreprocessing of172kgU-235/year and132kgPu/year.

9-6sizewouldoccurinsomedegreeatanyothersite.Forexample,alltypesofbaseloadpowerplantswhichwouldbe'easible nowinNewYorkrequireeitherlargeflowsofwaterforonce-through cooling(268,000gpmforthe610-MWeUnit1)orasmaller,butsubstantial, flowofmakeupwaterforclosed-cycle evaporative cooling(about6000gpmwouldbeevaporated atfullpoweroperation)

.Therefore, anyuseablesitewouldbeclosetoalargelakeorriverifclosed-cycle coolingwerechosenor'oanadequately largelakeorriverifonce-through coolingwereelected.Asdiscussed in,Sections4and5,theterrestrial environmental impactsforthereference sitearerelatively smallbecausethelandisnotuniquelyvaluableinanyidentified senseandlargeamountsofroughlyequivalent landintheregionremainunusedbyman.Similarly, damagetotherelatively sparselakefaunaneartheStationassociated withwaterintakeanddischarge haslessimpactonoverallLakeOntarioecologythanwouldbetrueatanothersitewherelakebiotamaybemoreabundant-forexampleinashallowbayarea.TheStaffjudgesthatnootherLakeOntariositewouldhaveoverallenvir'onmental

~impactsufficiently lowerthanthatofthereference siteforthediffer-encetobepredictable; i.e.,theuncertainty intheprediction ofcomparative impactswouldexceedanyapparentdifference betweenthereference siteandtheapparently bestalternative site.Hadthedesignincludedsomeformofclosed-cycle cooling,suchascoolingtowersoracoolingpond,thereducedwaterrequirement shouldhaveallowedconsideration ofmanyalternative sitesremotefromLakeOntario.However,theterrestrial environmental impactsforthereference sitearesosmallthatthecomparative overallimpactofthehypothetical bestalternative sitewouldbedominated bytheimpact.onaquaticbiota.Thelatterimpactwilltendtobegreaterinimportance.

(forfixedplantthroughput andevaporative consumption ofwater)forsmallerbodiesofwater.Itis,therefore, improbable thatanysite(inNewYork)notonLakeOntariowouldbepreferable tothereference sitewithrespecttoimpactonaquaticlifeforeitherclosed-cycle oronce-thxough coolingofalargepowerplant.Theterrestrial impactsexpectedfromthecontinued operation ofUnit.1atthereference siteareverysmallandtheaquaticimpactsexpectedwouldbeworse,ornobetter,atanyotherNewYorksite.Forthesereasons,theStaffconcludes thatthereference siteisacloseapproxi-mationtothehypothetical bestsitethatmightbefoundforeithernuclearorfossil-fired plantsby..>nex~tenedinvestigation.

9-79.1.3Benefit-Cost BalanceAnyalternative tothecontinued operation ofUnit1wouldentailenviron-mentalimpactsassociated withconstruction oftheequivalent

capacity, whetherbytheApplicant orsomepossiblevendorofpowertotheApplicant.

ItappearstotheStaff,asdiscussed above,thattheenvironmental costsassociated withoperation ofanequivalent plantwouldprobablynotbesignificantly lessthanforUnit1andmightwellbegreater.Theoverallbalanceofenvironmental costthusappearstofavorcontinued operation oftheunit.Possiblereduction oftheexistingimpactsbymodification ofUnit1isconsidered inSection9.2.ITakingintoaccountthecertaineconomicpenaltytoconsumers whichwouldresultfromeithercontinuing purchaseofreplacement powerorconstruction ofareplacement generating plantbytheApplicant, theStaffconcludes thatcontinued operation ofUnit1isthepreferred course.9.2PLANTDESIGNALTERNATIVES Thissectionconsiders possiblemodifications totheApplicant's systemwhich,ifimplemented, mightchangesignificantly thebalancebetweeneconomicandenvironmental costs.9.2.1CoolingSystemModernthermalelectricgenerating plants(fossil-fueled ornuclear)discharge from5100to7000Btuofwasteheatforeachkilowatthourofnetelectrical output;thehigherfigureistypicalofcurrentnuclearplants.Oftheestablished methodsoflarge-scale cooling,themostpractical involveeither(a)transferofheattotheatmosphere bydirectevaporation ofwaterin"wet"coolingtowersorcoolingponds,'or(b)directdischarge ofheattoabodyofwater.Evenindirectdischarge theheatiseventually transferred totheatmosphere.

Depending onclimaticconditions, theheatisreleasedchieflybyevaporation orbyradiation andconvection.

Inanadditional methodofevaporative heatdissipation, nozzlesspraywaterfromacoolingpondorcanalintotheair.Thismethodisnotconsidered practical forthepresentplantbecausereliableoperation intherequiredsizehasnotbeendemonstrated.

Byanothermeansofheattransfer, "dry"coolingtowerstransferheatdirectlytotheatmosphere withoutevaporation ofacoolant(inthesamemannerasanautomobile radiator)

~Drytowershavebeenusedforrelatively smallthermalelectricplantsinaridregions,particular y

9-8abroad,butthehighcoolant-return teryerature inhotweatherresultsinacondenser back-pressure toohighforanylarge(over'300-MWe) steamturbinescurrently available.

'hus,drycoolingtowersarenotconsidered apractical alternative forthisplant.a.ThePresentSystemUnit1usesaonce-through systeminwhichvirtually theentireheatload,about4x10~Btu/hr,isdischarged intoLakeOntariointheformofastreamofheatedwaterfromthecondenser.

Thechiefadvantages ofthesystemare:(1)Totalcostsare,lowerthanthoseofanyknownalterna-tive.(2)Nomodification orcontrolofthechemistry ofthecoolingwaterisrequired.

(3)Maximumefficiency isprovidedbecausethecoolantwillenterthecondenser atatemperature lowerthanthatwithanyofthealternative systems.Thislowertemperature leadstothelowestcondensate pressureandthemostefficient turbineoperation.

(4)Thefullflowoftheonce-through coolingstreamprovidesameansofdiscarding chemicals fromdemineralizer regeneration, laboratory wastes,andradionuclides withminimumimpactbecauseofthelargedilutionbeforedischarge.

Theknownandpredicted impactsofthepresentsystem,particularly theadverseaspects,areevaluated indetailinSection5.b.PossibleAlternatives Thealternative systemsconsidered (natural-andmechanical-draft coolingtowers,andacoolingpond)sharethecommonfeatureofhavingarecirc'ulating-cooling-water circuit.Suchacircuitwouldreduceoreliminate thedischarge ofheattoLakeOntario.Inthecooling-water alternatives, onlyabout3/oftherecirculating coolingwaterwould'edischarged asblowdown, andabout3/ofthetotalheatwouldbedissipated tothelake'(Applicant's design).Damagetoorganisms inthelakewouldbereducedbecausemakeupwaterrequiredfortherecirculating systemwouldbeonlyabout7/oftheflowintheonce-through system.Somedisadvantages arealsoinherentintherecirculating systems.Becauseofevaporation inthesesystems,thedissolved-solids contentofthewaterincreases.

Thisincreased concentration ofchemicals couldincreasecorrosion andcauseformation ofcarbonate scales.Tocontroltheseproblems, thewatersystemwouldberefreshed andblowndowntolimitthetotaldissolved soildsto.aleveltwotimesthatinthemakeup 9-9water(theratiochosenbytheApplicant forpossibleevaporative coolingtowers).TheApplicant's preliminary designdidnotincludetheuseofadditives tocontrolscalingoralgalgrowth.lfscalingbecameaproblem,theApplicant proposedtouseanontoxicnonphosphate inhibitor thatwouldconformtotheFoodandDrugAdministration criteria.

Algalgrowthswouldbecontrolled, ifnecessary, byaddinganalgicideinquantities thatwouldconfoxmtoNewYorkStateWaterQualityStandards.

Anynonvolatile chemicals addedtothecooling-tower circuitwouldbedischarged tothelakeintheblowdownandwouldslightlyincreasethelevelofdissolved solidstherein.Anyproposeduseofalgicides wouldneedcarefulreviewtoassureanacceptably smallenvironmental impact.Hyperbolic coolingtowersareprominently visible;somepeopleob)ect!totheiruseonaesthetic grounds.Watersprayescapingfromthetopofthetowerwouldfallonthesurrounding ground.This"drift"wouldresultinaccumulation ofthedissolved solidsofthewaterdropletsonthegroundinthevicinityofthecoolingtower.Withthedriftassumedtobe0.005/ofthecirculating-watex flowrate(268,000gpm),the14gpmofresulting driftwouldcontainabout72lb/dayofdissolved solids(concentration about450ppm).Therateofdeposition onthegroundwouldprobablyhaveundetectable effectonlocalfloraandfaunabecauselevelswouldbesubstantially belowthequantities deposited by'ainfall.

7TheApplicant hasmadeaspecificdesignstudyofnaturalandforced-draftcoolingtowers.Forced-draft towershavetheadvantage ofsmallersizeandalower"approach" temperature (thedifference betweenthetem-peratureofthewaterleavingthetowerandtheambientatmospheric wet-'ulbtemperature) thannatural-draft evaporative coolingtowers.Becauseofthelowerapproach, forced-draft towersoffertheopportunity foralowercondensex pressureandincreased turbineefficiency.

Thedis-advantages offorced-draft towersaremorenoise,morefogging,moreground-level drift(theApplicant estimated anincreaseinsaltdeposition rateatthepropertyboundarytobeafactorof120overthatforthenatural-draft coolingtower),andadecreaseinnetelectrical outputduetotheuseofpowerfortheblowers.Acoolingpondusesthelargesurfaceareaofabodyofstoredwatertoregectheattotheatmosphere bythetransferofsensibleandlatentheat.Useofsuchapondwouldhavetheadvantages ofnonoiseoraesthetic distuxbance.

Asadisadvantage, thepondwouldrequiretheuseofanestimated 880acresofadditional landforanevaporative surfaceofaboutthatsize.XntheApplicant's study,alocationneartheNineMilePointNuclearStation(Fig.9.1)waschosen.Asubstantial 9-10C7jcUNITI'WITCHYARD LAKEVIEWRD.\/p~OPROPERTYLINEINCLUDING REQUIREDAQUISITIONIpj>>F<NgENTRAI.l\Fig.9.1.CoolingLakeat310-footElevation (880acres).%P~I~

9-11amountofperviousandimpervious fillmaterialwouldberequiredtoconstruct retaining dikes.Costsdeveloped bytheApplicant forthecooling-pond systemaregiveninTable9.3.TheStaffagreesthatthecostsareatleastapproximately correct.Estimated incremental costsforthealternative coolingsystemsconsidered above,giveninTable9.3,indicatethateachwouldaddasubstantial costtotheUnit.Thesystemwithmechanical-draft coolingtowerswouldaddthesmallestcostandwouldreducetheoverallpo~eroutputoftheStationtheleast.Backfitting suchacoolingtoweroranyofthealternative coolingsystemswouldalsoleadtoaninterruption inpowerproduction; theextentoftheinterruption woulddependonthesystemchosen.Inviewofthelackofsignificant identified environmental disadvantages oftheonce-through coolingsystemandtheadditional coststhatwouldbeincurredbyadoptionofanyofthealternative coolingsystems,thereference once-through systemispreferred.

9.2.2ChemicalDischarge SystemIInthemakeupwatersystemfo'rUnit1,limeandferricsulfateareaddedforclarification, andsulfuricacidandsodiumhydroxide areaddedinregeneration oftheionexchangers.

Useofthesechemicals leadstothedischarge ofsaltstothelake.Inaddition, thesaltsoriginally presentinthelakewater,removedintheionexchanger, aredischarged backtothelakeatthetimeofregeneration.

Thetotaldissolved solids(seeTable3.2)discharged, incremental tothosealreadyinthecirculating w'ater,isabout1981b/day.About15/ofthismaterialoriginates inthelakewater.TheApplicant suggested analternative totheproposedtreatment inwhichevaporation wouldbeusedtoeliminate chemicaleffluents resulting fromdemineralizer-regeneration cycles.Theevaporation processwouldrequireuseofafalling-film evaporator andanadequately designedlagoontostoretheconcentrated brinebottomsproducedintheevaporator.

Alternative treatment ofchemicaleffluents resulting fromthesettlingbasinoverflowandclear-well bypasswouldnotberequiredbecausetheirchemicalcomposition afterpHadjustment wouldbecomparable tothatofLakeOntario.Asimplified sketchofthesystemisshowninFig.9.2.Elimination ofthedischarge oftheregeneration chemicals bythismethodisestimated bytheApplicant toentailanadditional

$857,000directcostand$50,000annualoperating andmaintenance costs.The"presentvalue"ofthelatterfigure,assumingan8.75/costofcapital,a26-yearremaining plantlife,andapresentworthfactorof10.1379, TABLE9.3.Incremental CostsforAlternative CoolingSystems(inmillionsofdollars)Natural-draft CoolingTowerMechanical-draft CoolingTowerCoolingPondConstruction Presentvalueofconstruction Annualoperating costsAnnualvalueofcapability lossTotalannualcostsPresentvalue(1973)ofannualcostsdTotalpresentvalue(1973)16.9613.810.5681.0961.66411.4525.2611.85-9.650.690.8541.54410.6220.2721.6017.590.3121.2411.55310.6928.28Calculated from.Applicant's data.bPresentvaluecalculated forfouryears'nnual expenses(eachonefourthofthetotal)ataninterestrateof8.75%.Presentworthfactor3.2576.cUsingApplicant's values.Foraremaining lifetimeof22yearsand8.75X(presentworthfactor9.6233)aftercompletion dateof1977;broughtto1973valuebydividingby(1.0875)4.

9-13NOTE!THEOPERATION OFTHISSYSTEMIS"INTERMITTENT AHOISREOUIREOONLYUPONACCUMULATION OFLIOUIOSINTHEREGENERATION WASTE-NEUTRALIZATION TANKSFALLING-RLM EVAPORATOR PRODUCTWATERITDS5PPMOEMINERALIZER-REGENERATION WASTESIISIOOOPPMTOSWASTEBRINE)200,000PPMELECTRICAL ENERGYLINEDONSITEPONDCLEARWEI.L r---------qJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMAKEUPWATERIDEMINERALIZATIONSYSTEMREGENERATION-WASTEMEUTRALIZATION TANKSFig.9.2.Alternative Evaporative SystemforTreatingRegeneration Wastes.FromApplicant's Environmental Report.

9-14is$507,000.Thetotalpresentvalueoftheadditional costsduetothisalternative isthus91.36million.ThesmallincreaseinthechemicalcontentofLakeOntariowatercausedbyUnit1willhavenomeasurable effectontheaquaticbiota.Thedis-chargeof198lb/dayiscalculated toincreasethetotaldissolved solidsofthe400cubicmilesofwaterinthelakebyonly0.002ppm,or0.008/,percentury,andinshorechemicalconcentrations arebelievednottoincreasesignificantly (seeSection5.2).TheStaff,therefore, believestheinstitution ofanalternative systemforremovingregeneration chemicals isunnecessary.

Nochemicals aredischarged asaconsequence ofregeneration ofthecondensate demineralizer, acidcleaningoftheplant,orlaboratory anddecontamination operations; therefore, alternatives arenotconsidered fortheseoperations.

Also,noalternatives areconsidered forthesmallfractions ofapoundperdayofphosphate andsulfatedischarged fromtheauxiliary heatingboilersbecausethesequantities ofthesechemicals wouldbeundetectable andwouldhaveanegligible impact.9.2.3BiocideSystemTheUnitusesnobiocidesinitswatersystems;noalternatives aredeveloped.

9.2.4SanitaryWasteSystemPlantsanitarywastesaregivenextendedaerationandchlorination, thensenttoanoxygenation pondfromwhicheffluentflowstoLakeOntarioviaadrainageditch.ThenormalsewageloadfromUnit1is2400gallonsperday.Because,sanitarystandards aremetandnoadverseeffectonthelakefromsewagedischarge isexpected(seeSection5.2),noalternative systemisconsidered.

9.2.5Transportation Procedures

'IAlternatives, suchasspecialroutingofshipments, providing escortsinseparatevehicles, addingshielding tothecontainers, andconstructing aplantfoxfuelrecoveryandfabrication onthesiteratherthanshippingfueltoandfromtheStation,havebeenexaminedbytheStaffforthegeneralcase.Theimpactontheenvironment oftransportation undernormalorpostulated accidentconditions isnotconsidered tobesufficient to)ustifytheadditional effortrequiredtoimplement anyofthealternatives.

9-159.2.6WaterDischarge SystemTheStaffhasconsidered whethersomemodifications coul'dbemadetothepresentdischarge structure toimprovedilutionoftheheateddischarge flowbeforeitreachesthelakesurfaceandtogiveasmalleraffectedsurfacearea.Closingselectedportsonthehexagonal discharge structure, causinganincreaseindischarge velocityattheremaining openportshasbeenconsidered.

Twosituations wereexamined.

Inthefirstcase,threeslotsfacingtheshoreline(Fig.3.4)wereconsidered tobeblocked.Thischangewoulddoublethedischarge velocityatthethreeremaining ports.Inthesecondcase,theslotoppositethetunnelwasalsoclosedandthetotaldischarge flowexitedthroughtheremaining twoports.Theresultsoftheseanalysesindicatethat,forthecasesoftwoandthreeslotsopen:5(a)Closingoffsomeoftheslotsoralternatively increasing thedischarge velocitywillreducetheextentofthethermalplume,and(b)themodifications suggested arestillnotsufficient tobringthethermaldischarge intoconformance withcurrentNewYorkStatethermalcriteria.

Anotheralternative tothepresentsystemisonce-through coolingwithadischarge

diffuser, asconsidered bytheApplicant.

Withthissystemthewatercirculated throughthecondensers wouldbereturned-to thelakethroughasubmerged

)etdiffus'er.

Inthisway,moremixingoftheheatedstreamwiththelakewaterwilloccurandthusreduceecological damageassociated witheffectsofthethermaldischarge.

=Sincethistypeofdischarge structure shouldbelocatedindeeperwaterthanthepresentstructure tobeeffective, anewdischarge shaftandtunnelwouldberequired, asshowninFig.9.3.Incremental costsinclude$5.77millionforconstruction (1973value$4.70million),

and$55,000forannualoperating costs(1973value$380,000)fortheremaining lifetimeafter1977of22years.An8.75/.interest.

ratewasassumed.Totalpresentcostwouldthusbe$5.08million.Onthebasisofavailable information, theStaffhasidentified nosignificant disadvantage oftheexistingdischarge system.Also,theApplicant proposestocombinethepresentdischarge systemwiththatofUnit2whentheproposedplantisaccepted.

Consequently, theStaffbelievesthatmodifying theexistingsystemisnotnow)ustified.

9-16NEWDISCHARGE STRUCTURE (2.5Dia~NOZZLES4PAIRS)d2IODIFFUSERHEADIg522,0EXISTINGINTAKESTRUCTURE NEWDISCHARGE TUNNELEXISTINGDISCHARGE STRUCTURE o00oNEWDISCHARGE SHAFTIIL)IIIUNITISCREENWELL Pig.9.3.Once-through CoolingSystemwithDiffuserDischarge.

9-179.2.7IntakeStructure TheApplicant haspresented,no.

alternatives tothedesign'oftheintakesystem.DatafromtheApplicant's intensive monitoring programtodatehasshownthattheexistingintakesystemdoesresult,insubstantial fishkills.Consequently,-

itisrecommended thatalternative intakestructures beexamined.

Examplesofsuchalternatives include:IDesignmodifications oftheoffshoreintaketoachieve.low averageintakevelocitybyincreaseinareaofintake;Useofalimestone filledporousdykearoundtheoffshoreintakesimilartooneemployedatthePointBe'achNuclearPlant;PUseofatraveling bandscreensimilartoonescheduled tobe.installed byCentralPowerandLightatitsplantinCorpusChristi;Useofbarrackswithsmallerspacingtoprevententryoflargefishintheintaketunnel;Useofairbubblecurtainorelectricfish'screen forrepelling fishattheintake;Useoffishguidingtechniques toguidefishawayfromareaofimpingement.

Relocation oftheintakestructure toadifferent depth.9.3ALTERNATIVES TONORMALTRANSPORTATION PROCEDURES Alternatives suchasspecialroutingofshipments, providing escortsinseparatevehicles, addingshielding tothecontainers, andconstructing fuelrecoveryandfabrication facilities onthesiteratherthan,shippingfueltoandfromtheplanthavebeenexaminedbythestaffforthegeneralcase.Theimpactontheenvironment oftransportation undernormalorpostulated accidentconditions isnotconsidered tobesufficient to)ustifytheadditional effort,cost,and/orenvironmental impactrequiredtoimplement anyofthealternatives.

9-18References 1."The1970NationalPowerSurvey,"FederalPowerCommission, p.II-1-95.2.M.EisenbudandH.G.Petrow,-"Radioactivity intheAtmosphere fromPowerPlantsthatUseFossilFuels,"Science,144,April1964.'."Environmental Protection AgencyRegulations onStandards ofPerformance foxNewStationary Sources,"

40CFR60;36FR24876,Dec.23,1971.4."Compilation ofAirPollutant EmissionFactors,"

Revised1972,OfficeofAirPrograms, Environmental Protection Agency,Supt.ofDocts.,'U.S.Government PrintingOffice,Washington, D.C.5."NuclearReactorsBuilt,BeingBuilt,orPlannedintheU.S.asofJune30,1973,"TID-8200(26thRev.),U.S.AtomicEnergyCommission.

6.J.P.Rossieetal.,TID-26007, "CostComparison ofDry-TypeandConventional CoolingSystemsforRepresentative NuclearGenerating Costs,"U.S.AtomicEnergyCommission Report.7."ForkedRiverNuclearStationEnvironmental Report,"AppendixB,Attachment 5,Jersey'CentralPowerandLightCo.,AECDocketNo.50-363,Jan.1972.10-110.BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS10.1ENERGYGENERATING COSTSUsingtheApplicant's basicestimates oftotalcapitalinvestment, annualfuelcost,2andannualoperating andmaintenance cost,theStaff2hascalculated forTable10.1thetotalandannualized generating costsonthebasisgivenbelow.ThebasisusedbytheStaffdiffersfromthatoftheApplicant inthefollowing respects.

Aninterestrateof8.75/isassumed.(Applicant's assumption is9.6/).Federal,state,andlocaltaxesarenotconsidered bytheStaff.Theplantcapacityfactorisassumedtobe80/(Applicant's assumption is85/).Inordertocombinethe26-yearstreamofoperating costs,thepresentworthin1973isconsidered.

The1973presentworthofanestimated

$30millionexpenditure intheyear1999fordecommissioning oftheStationisalsoincluded.

Thisestimateisbasedonad)ustment toasingleunitoftheestimatepreparedbytheStaffforType-3decommis-sioningoftheConsumers PowerCompanyMidlandPlantUnits1and2.TheMidlandestimatewasmadebycarefulscalingofthedetailedestimates fortheElkRiverReactor.10.2,SUMMARYOFBENEFITSAprimarybenefitfromoperation oftheStationisthecontribution tothemaintenance andimprovement ofeconomicwellbeing andthequalityoflifeintheApplicant's serviceareawhichresultsfromthegeneration ofabout4.3billionkilowatthoursofelectricity peryear.Theaugmented reliability of.electricpowerwithintheNYPPareadueto610NPeofadditional generating capacityisanadditional primarybenefit.Anindirectlocalbenefittothepopulation ofthesurrounding areaistheemployment ofabout68personsforoperation oftheStationandtheresulting injection ofabout$1millionperyearintothelocaleconomy.Thecorresponding economicandsocietalcosts(roaduse,schooluse,etc.)associated withanadditional population offrom200to300persons(employees andtheirfamilies) tendtooffsetthislocalbenefit.However,nounusualeffectistobeexpectedsincetheincreaseinpopulation isrelatively small.The1970population oftheCityofOswegowas'3,744 andthatofOswegoCountywas101,000.Afurtherlocalbenefitwillbethepaymentofanestimated

$3millionannuallytolocaltaxingbodies.

10-2TABLE10.1Estimated Generating Cost(inmillionsofdollars)Construction 1973presentwortha145Annualized (amortization over26years)14.3Operating Cost:1973presentworth135Annualized:

Operation andmaintenance 1.3FuelDecommissioning Allowance:

1973presentworthTotalLife-of-Plant Cost:1973presentworth283Annualized equivalent 28Basedon1969construction costof$164.5million,depreciated 4yeaxs(stxaight line)togive$142.6million,plus1973modification cost,of$2.4million.

10-3Operation oftheStation"Progress Center"providesanadditional secondary educational andrecreational benefit.About50,000personsannuallyvisittheCenterandassociated picnicarea.10.3ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS10.3.1LandUseTheStationislocatedinanareaofdeclining agricultural usehavingnoothersignificant humanuse.Noprioruseotherthanunplanned wildlifehabitathasbeenarrestedbytheconstruction oftheStationon45acresofthesite.Sincenoecological uniqueness wasassociated withthelandandsincethousands ofacresofcomparable landinthearearemainunusedbyman,anynegativeimpactiscertainly small.Asdiscussed inSection5.1.1,therecreational potential oftheareaislimited.10.3.2WaterUseOperation oftheStationwillintroduce about30trillionBtuperyearintoLakeOntario.Calculations basedonAsbury'smethod"givetheestimated resultant increaseinmeansurfacetemperature asabout0.002'F.Theincreaseinevaporation isexpectedtobeabout2.5billiongallonsperyear,"less than0.1/ofnaturalevaporation.

Sincetotaloutflowthrough'theSt.LawrenceRiveris13-foldgreaterthannaturalevaporation, nodetectable changeinlakelevelisexpectedtooccur.Chemicaldischarges fromtheStationwillincreasethedissolved-salt contentofLakeOntariobyabout164poundsperdayofionaalreadypresentinsubstantial concentrations inlakewater.Considering theconservative assumption thattheonlyeffective processofremovalofchemicals fromthelake~atersisdilutionbyNiagaraRiverflow-through, thesedischarges wouldinseveralcenturi'es increasethedissolved-salt leveloftheLakebylessthan0.01ppm.Sincethepresentlevelisabout250ppm(Table3.2),the'increase wouldbeundetectable.

10.3.3Biological EffectsSignificant effectsonterrestrial biotawillbeconfinedtothoseduetotheremovalof45acresfromavailable wildlifehabitat.Relativetoavailable h'abitatwithintheregion,theperturbation issmall.Xtseffectisdetectable onlyintheimmediate vicinityoftheaffectedareas, 10-4Nomarkedeffectsonaquaticlifeareexpectedfromthethermaldischarge (seeSection5.5.2).Someyoungfishesmaybekilledbypassagethroughthewarmestpartofthethermalplume(withinthe15'Fisotherm).

Becausethevolumewithinthisisothermisrelatively small,theimpactonfishpopulations willbesmallandundetectable.

Virtually allfishes,fisheggs,andfishlarvaeenteringthecooling-water intakestructure willbekilled.Conceivably, whentheimpactoffishimpingement canbeassessed, designchangesmayberequiredfortheintakestructure (seesubsection 9.2.7).Thedamageto'planktonic life(otherthanfisheggsandlarvae)fromentrainment inthecoolingwaterisnotexpectedtoleadtodetectable changesinlakepopulations exceptintheimmediate

vicinity, ofthedischarge stream.10.3.4Radiological EffectsThecumulative costfromnormaloperation ofUnit1willbeabout2.5man-remperyearaftermodification ofUnit1(34man-remp'eryearbeforemodification iscompleted) forthepopulation within50milesoftheStation(expected tobeabout1millionpersonsin1980).Thedosetoindividuals inareasneartheStationwillbelessthanO.l/ofthatduetonaturalbackground.

Thedoseiswithinthelimitsimposedby10CFR,Parts20and50.10.4BENEFIT-COST BALANCETheStationasdesignedisexpectedtohaveonlyasmallimpactontheenvironment exceptwithrespecttofishpopulations intheNineMilePoint.area,forwhichnewdatamustbedeveloped beforeasatisfactory assessment canbemade.Whentheimpactcanbeassessed, andifsuchimpactisfoundtobeadverse,plantmodification wouldberequired.

Theidentified benefitsandcostsarelistedinTable10.2.TheStaffhasconsidered thesebenefitsandcostsindetail.Withresolution ofthequestionofimpactonfishpopulations intheNineMilePointarea,byadditional dataand/ormodifi-cationoftheintakedesign,theStaffbelievesthattheoverallbenefitstobeexpectedfromcontinued operation oftheStationwillsubstantially outweightheeconomicandenvironmental costsincurred.

Exceptasnotedfor"impactonfishpopulations (wherethebenefit-cost balanceforalternative intakesystemsisuncertain),

theeffectsofthedifferent alternatives considered donotchangethebalanceofbenefitsrelativetocostsinfavorofthealternatives.

10-5TABLE10.2Benefit-Cost SummaryfortheStationBenefitsPrimarybenefits:

Electrical energytobegenerated Generating

'capacity contributing toreliability of'electrical powerinNewYork4.3billionkWh/year610,000kilowatts Secondary localbenefits:

Employment ofoperating staff68personsEnvironmental CostsLandUse:Previously unusedlandforthePlantTransmission lineright-of-way 45acres+1640acresWateruse:Waterevaporated 5100gallonsperminute(average)

LakeOntariosurfaceareawithin3Fexcessisothermofthermalplume50-400acresChemicals discharged tolake164poundsperdayofsaltsoccurring naturally inlakewaterRadiological impact:Normaloperation:

Cumulative population cost(50>>mileradius)2.5man-remperyearaftermodification (34man-remperyearatpresent)Whole-body dosetonearbyresidents LessthanO.l/ofnaturalbackground aftermodification.

Biological impact;Insufficient datatoassessfishkillsatintakescreens.Possi-bilityofexcessive fishkillsatintake.Thismayadversely affectfishpopulation inthearea,butnotonalakewidebasis.

10-6References 1."Environmental ReportforNineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1,"NiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation,,

Syracuse, NewYork,June1972,p.9.8-3'.2.Environmental ReportforNineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1,Supplement No.3,"NiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation,

Syracuse, NewYork,May1973.3.Transcript oftheASLBHearing,June12,1972,IntheMatterofConsumers PowerComanMidlandPlantUnits1and2)DocketNos.50-329and50-330,pp.7822-7836.

4.J.G.Asbury,"EffectsofThermalDischarge ontheMass/Energy BalanceofLakeMichigan,"

ANL/ES-1, ArgonneNationalLaboratory, June1970.5."AReportonChemical, Biological, andPhysicalFindingsinLakeOntario,"

U.S.Dept.oftheInterior, FederalWaterPollution ControlAdministration, GreatLakesRegion,Rochester ProgramOffice,Rochester, N.Y.,December1967.

11-1ll.DISCUSSION OFCOMMENTSRECEIVEDONTHEDRAFTENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT Pursuanttoparagraphs Ae6'andD.lofAppendixDto10CFR50,theDraftEnvironmental Statement (DES)ofJulywastransmitted, witharequestforcomment,to:FederalAenciesAdvisoryCouncilonHistoricPreservation Department ofAgriculture Department oftheArmy,CorpsofEngineers Department ofCommerceDepartment ofHealth,Education andWelfareDepartment ofHousingandUrbanDevelopment Department oftheInteriorDepartment ofTransportation Environmental Protection AgencyFederalPowerCommission NewYorkStateenciesAtomicEnergyCouncilDepartment ofCommerceDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation Department ofPublicServiceLocalenciesOswegoCountyDepartment ofPlanningInaddition, theAECrequested commentsontheDraftEnvironmental State-mentfrominterested personsbyanoticepnblished intheFederal~ReinteronJuly3,1973(3&FR17758).Commentsinresponsetotherequestsreferredtoabovewerereceivedfrom:AdvisoryCouncilonHistoricPreservation Department ofAgriculture Department ofCommerceDepartment ofHealth,Education andWelfareDepartment oftheInteriorDepartment ofTransportation Environmental Protection AgencyFederalPowerCommission NewYorkStateDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation 11-2AendixAreproduces thecommentsreceived.

TheApplicant's responses ppenftothecommentsarecontained inAppendices BandC.TheStaffscon-sideration ofthesecommentsandthedisposition oftheissuesinvolvedarereflected inpartbyrevisedtextinothersectionsofthisState-mentandinpartbythefollowing discussion.

11.1GENERALCONSIDERATIONS 11.1.1Recommendation toNotGrantaFullTermLicense(Commerce, A-8;NewYorkStateDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation, DEC,A-18,EPASA-42)Thesecommentssuggestthattheaquaticmonitoring program.becompleted andanassessment madeoftheimpactofplantoperation onthebiotaofLakeOntario,priortotheCommission grantingafulltermlicense.~Resonse:NEPAdoesnotrequirethepostponement ofdecisiononapro-posedactionuntilatimewhenitiscertainwhattheenvironmental impactwillbe.Courtshaverecognized thatinsomecases,decisions canproperlybemadeeventhoughsomeenvironmental studiesremaintobecompleted."It istheStaff'sviewthattheobservedimpactduetoabout"fouryears'pera-tionofUnit1ontheaquaticbiotaofLakeOntarioisnotsignificant exceptforthefishimpingement problem,thesignificance ofwhichontheLakebiotaisnotatallcertain.Moreover, thedecisionhereisthelimitedonethatthefulltermlicensebegranted'withthe.condition thattheupgradedcomprehensive aquaticmonitoring programbeimplemented andcontinued untilacompleteassessment canbemadeandthatmodification oftheexistingintake,and/ordevelopment andimplementation ofother'reventive methodswillberequiredifasignificant impactisobserved.

11.1.2ReionalAssessment (Commerce, A-2)AcommentwasmaderelativetotheStaff'sevaluation thattheplant'soperation willhavenosignificant impactonthebiotainLakeOntario.Theobjection raisedwasthatthis,typeoflake-wide approachfailstoadequately considerallthepointsourcesofwasteheatthatshouldbeincludedintheevaluation ifthelakeasawholeisusedastheunitofmeasurement ofsignificant impact.~Resonse:TheStaffconcursfully,withthecommentthatanoverallevaluation shouldtakeintoconsideration allpointsourcesofwasteheatonthelake.IntheStaff'sopinionsucharegionalassessment'"

ismostdesirable forlongtermplanning.

However,procedural, man-powerandeconomicrestraints donotpermitsuchanoverallregionalassessment.

TheStafffurtheragreesthattthedataprocuredundertheInternational FieldYearfortheGreatLakes(IFYGL)willbeimmensely helpfulifandwhensuchanoverallregionalassessment isundertaken forLakeOntario.

11-3Duetolackoffacilities toprovideanoveralllake-wide regionalas'sessment, theStaffreliesonthepremisethatifadverseeffectscannotbedetectedinthevicinityoftheStation,itisunlikelythatalake-wide monitoring programwillyieldanysignificant information, forinallprobability, adverseeffectsareexpectedtodiminishinintensity withincreaseindistancefromthesite.11.1.3Geothermal EnerSources(FPC,A-61)Thecommentrequested discussion ofgeothermal energyasanalternate energysource.~Resonse:Theapplicant hasindicated (BeeAppendixB,pageB-113)thattheonlywarmwaterspringlistedfortheStateofNewYorkisaspringatLebanon,NewYork.Thishasatemperature ofonly76Fwhichisunsuitable forsteamproduction.

11.1.4ToorahandGeolo(Interior, A-65;DEC,A-25)'hiscommentstatesthatthesectionontopography andgeologyisinadequate foranindependent assessment ofhowthesemajorelementsoftheenvironment relatetoUnit1.Anothercomment'uggested abriefdescription ofthebedrock"pop-up"phenomenon beincludedinthissection.~Resonse:Topographical, geological andseismological considerations inlicensing actionsareprincipally mattersconcerning safety.Thesearesummarized intheApplicant's Environmental Report,andwillbefullyevaluated inthecourseofthestaff'ssafetyevaluation.

ItisnotthepolicyoftheAECtorepeatthesediscussions intheEnvironmental Statement ingreaterdetailthanispresently presented.

Adescription ofthebedrock"pop-up"phenomenon iscontained onp.C4ofAppendixIoftheUnit2Preliminary SafetyAnalysisReport.11.2AuaticEffects11.2.1FishEcho-Sounder Surve(Commerce, A-5)Arequestwasmadeformoreinformation concerning thetypeoffathometer usedbytheApplicant intheechosounder surveyanditscapabilities fordetecting variousstagesoffishlifehistory.~Resonse:Theinstrument usedisaRosspathometer (fineline200-A)witha7-1/2"conical'ransducer.

TheApplicant isnotabletodetect 11-4larvalfishwiththisinstrument.

Xtispossibletodetectyoung-of-the-yearfishthataregreaterthan6"length;however,specificsizeanalysiscannotbedonewithanydegreeofconfidence.

11.2.2Phtolankton(Commerce, A-6)Arequestwasmadeformoreinformation concerning thesamplingequip-mentusedtocollectfisheggsandlarvae.Theeffectiveness ofthevarioustypesofsamplingmethodsandequipment shouldbeevaluated anddiscussed.

~Resense:TheApp1icent hessupplied(Appendix B,p.B-13)thefo11owing information:

During1973,samplingforfisheggsandlarvaewasbegunonalimitedscaleinMarchandApril,continued moreextensively inMay,andestablished onanintensive basisfromJuneandsubsequently.

Theprogramwillberunatthisfinallevelthrough1974.Thesamplinglocationpatternfinallyarrivedatisasfollows.Samplesarecollected atthesurface,mid-depth andbottom,atfivestationsineachofthethreeareasdefinedbyradiiof1/2mile,1mileand3milesfromtheNineMilePointplant.Thestationsare'.s1/2MileRadiusStation1-Station2-,Station3-Station4-Station5-In20ftofwateront'ewestIn40ftofwateronthewestIn60ftofwaterofftheplantIn40ftofwaterontheeast"In20ftofwaterontheeast1MileRadiusStation1-InStation2-InStation3-InStation4-InStation5-In20ftofwateronthewest40ftofwateronthewestSOftofwaterofftheplant40ftofwaterontheeast20ftofwaterontheeast3MileRadiusStation1-InStation2-,XnStation3-XnStation4-InStation5-In20ftofwateronthewest40ftofwateronthewest100ftofwateroffthepl'ant40ftofwaterontheeast20ftofwaterontheeast 11-5Collections aremadeonaweeklybasis,duringtheday,fromMaythroughDecemberand'during bothdayandnightfrommid-Junethroughmid-September.

Samplesarecollected bytowinga1.0meterdiameterHensentypeplanktonnetof/30mesh(570uaperture) withanattachedTSKflowmeter.Durationofthetowis5minutes,timedwithastopwatch,coveringapproximately adistanceof0.2mileat2.mph.Thenetistowedwitha200'ineandiskeptinposition(atdepth)byasystemoffloatlinesand'depressors.

Itishauledontotheboat,thebucketiswashedan'demptiedintoacollection container, andthesampleispreserved andlabeled.Anattemptismadetoestimateviability ofcapturedorganisms, i.e.,fishlarvaebydirectobservation ontheboatuntilsuchtimethatavitalstaincanbeemployed.

N11.2.3Maturation

'ofYellowPerch(Commerce, A-7;Interior, A-66}Commentsweremaderegarding thepossibility thatyellowperchremaining inorneartheheateddischarge plumewouldnotreceivethesixmonthsexposureat39'Forbelowwhichisnecessary formaturation.

~Resonse:Althoughperchduringwinterwillprobablybeattracted tothethermalplumewhenplumetemperatures arenearertothepreferred temperature, thevolumeofwaterabove39'Fwouldbeverysmallandwouldnotprovideahabitatforyellowperchinnumbersthatwouldsignificantly influence thespawningsuccessoftheyellowperchpopulation.

11.2e4PonarDredeforBenthicStudies',

(Commerce, A-8)NAcommentwasmadeconcerning thepossibleuseofaPonardredgeinthebenthicstudy.~Resones:TheApplicant's responsefromAppendixB,Page3-23isasfollows;Threedifferent benthicdredgeswereevaluated forthisprogram;namelyPeterson, PonarandEckman.ThebottomofLakeOntario,inthisarea,iscomposedofslabsofsedimentary rock,largelyexposed.Benthosthickness, whereitoccurs,isnomorethananinchortwo.Dredges,ofwhateverdesign,havelimitedusehere,andbenthossamplingforthisprogramisperformed bymeansofapumpdevice.Thisisusedto"vacuumclean"anareaoftheLakebottom15inchesindiameter, thematerialsoremovedbeingdischarged intoanetcarriedintheboatonthesurf.11-611.2.5FishIinement(DEC,A-20)Acommentwasmadeimplyingthataconsiderable portionoftheimpingedfishescomeoffthetraveling screensaliveandthataseparatechannelshouldbeconstructed toreturn-these livefishtothelakeasanimprovement overthecurrently usedsystemwherebyfishareroutedtothedischarge wellinheatedwaterwheretheyarenotlikelytosurvive.~Resonce:TheStaffagreeswiththeproposal; howevert,hedataavailable donotsubstantiate thecontention thatconsiderable number*ofimpingedfishescomeoffthescreensalive..Iffuturedataindicatetheneedforaseparatechannelforreturning fishtolake,theApplicant willbere-quiredtobuildsuchachannel.11.2.6Recirculation ofIntakeCoolinMater(Interior, A-64)Acommentsuggested thatbecauseofthelocationoftheintakeanddischarge facilities, recirculation oftheheatedeffluentatUnit1islikelytooccur.~Resonse:Therelatively deeper(15ft)locationoftheintakeascomparedtothedischarge (10ft)andbuoyantnatureofthethermalplumeduringgreaterpartoftheyearmaketheprobability ofrecircu-lationextremely low.TheApplicant's dataalsodonotsuggestanyrecirculation.

11.2.7Mechanical DamaefromEntrainment (EPA,A-53;DEC,A-38)Acommentwasdirectedtowardsdiscussing themechanical damagetoentrained organisms inadditiontothermaldamagetomoreaccurately determine thelossofbiotaasthemechanical stressmaybemoreharmfulthanthethermalstress.~Resonse:Inevaluating thesignificance oftheentrainment effect,theStaffassumedlOOXmortality ofallentrained organisms.

Therefore, amoredetailedassessment ofmechanical damageto.entrained organisms isnotrequired.

11.2.8Entrainment DamaeSimulation Studies(EPA,A-53;DEC,.A-37)Thiscommentsuggested theuseofsimulated studiesonmechanical.

damagetoentrained biota.~Resonce:TheStaffbelieves.thatnosimulation studiesonthisparticular aspectcansimulateactualdamage.IntheStaff'sopinionthebestwaytostudythemechanical damageistoconductstudieswhenthepumpsareoperating butthereactorisnotoperating.

Themechanical damagethusdetermined canthenbesuperimposed onthermaldamageassessment fromfieldandlaboratory studies.11-711.2e9FishRelacementCosts(Interior, A-72)Acommentsuggested thattheeconomicorreplacement costoffishbeusedforassessing

'theenvironmental costs.~Resense:Becausenomethodofmonetizing envitonmental damagesuchasfishkillsisgenerally acceptable totheconcerned public,theStaffbelievesthattheassignment ofmonetaryvalueswillusuallygenerateuse-lesscontroversy withoutmaterially illuminating theissuesinquestion.

Howeverestimated, themonetarycostsobtainedareusually.notlargeincomparison withthemajorcostcomponents.

Forexample,applyingthePol-lutionCommittee valuestoanannualplant-associated mortality rateof1million4-incha3.ewives wouldindicateanannualchargeof$25,000.Forcomparison, theestimated totalannualplantcost(amortization,'uel, maintenance) is$28millionasgiveninTable10.1.11.3WATERQUALITY11.3.1PhoshorusConcentrations (HEW,A-14;EPA,A-56)Aquestionwasraisedastothepossibleconsequences ofnotmeetingtheMFWQAcriteriaforphosphate inputtoLakeOntario.~Resonse:UsingthemethodofCsanady,t thecentetlineplumephosphate concentration wascalculated tobe0.05mg/1atadistanceabout1.3metersdownstream ofacontinuous inputofphosphate corresponding to12mg/1inasewagestreamof3880gal/day.ThisisthegreatestdistancefromthepointofadditionofthesewagetothelakethatMinimumFederalWaterQualityCriteria(seeSection5.2.4)mightbeexceededduringtypicalmaximumaveragesewageflow,sincetheconcentration decreases withdis-tanceawayfromtheplumecenterlinebothhorizontally andvertically.

Itisconcluded thataphosphate plumeofthissizeorsmallerinLakeOntariowillhavenodiscernible effect.11.3.2CoolinWaterDischare(HEW,A-13;EPA,A-46;Interior, A-68)Thesecommentsanticipate thattheUnit1thermaldischarge willbeinvio-lationofarevisiontoFederal-State standards nowpendingundertheFWPCAandprobablywouldfailtomeettheeffluentlimitations guidelines, oncepromulgated.

ItalsodeclaresthattheApplicant shouldevaluatealterna-tiveheatdiss'ipation systems,takingintoaccounttherelationship ofwasteheateffectsfromUnit2andFitzPatrick aswellasUnit1.

11-8~Resonse:TheWTSstandards mentioned abovehavenotbeenfederally-approved.

Insuchacase,theStaffiscommitted, underitsInterimPolicyStatement ofImplementation ofFWPCAof1972,toapplyitsownJudgement.

Accordingly, theStaffhasevaluated theenvironmental impactofdischarging wasteheatfromUnit1intoLakeOntarioviatheplantcirculating water.Thefindingisthat"theStaffdoesnotexpectthatthethermaldischarge willhav'easignificant deleterious effectontheaquaticbiota"(thisdocument, Section5.5.2).Underthecircumstances, ithasnotseemedpropertorequiretheApplicant tochangethemethodofwasteheatdissipation (Section9,2.1,).Itispossiblethatitwillbecomelegallymandatory thatthewasteheatdissipation systemforUnit1bechanged.Inthatevent,responsebytheApplicant andpossiblybytheStaffisexpected.

11.3.3TotalDissolved Solids(EPA,A-56)TheEPAcommented onthenon-compliance withrequirements fortotaldis-solvedsolids.~Resonse:Withrespecttoincreaseoftotaldissolved solids,theStaffhasnotonlyconcluded that"nolake-wide effectwillbediscernible,"

butalsothat"nodetectable effectoninshorewatersis.expected" (both.onp.5-6ofDES;alsoinSection5.2.3ofthisdocument).

TheInternational Agreement forWaterQualityoftheGreatLakeswithre-specttototaldissolved solids(TDS)iswrittensothatitisnotpos-sibletodetermine whetherreplacing unchanged lakewaterwouldbeaviolation oftheintent(".~.shouldnotexceed200mg/1..."whentheTDS'ntheLakealreadyexceeds200mg/1).Itisalsoconsidered notpossibletodetermine whethertheadditionofsome4mg/1ofdissolved solidstotheUnit1circulating waterdischarge foraboutonepercentofthetime(SeeTable3.9)wouldbeaviolation.

TheStaffhasaddressed thismatterinSection5.2.4.I11.3.4HeavMetalCorrosion ProductsintheCoolinWater(Interior, A-66)Thiscommentsuggeststhatthepotential environmental impactonLakeOntarioofheavymetalconcentrates inthecoolingwaterbediscussed,

~Resonse:TheApplicant hasindicated thefollowing (seeAppendixC,p.C-14).AnumberofLakeOntariowaterqualityparameters wasanalyzedinthevicinityofNineMilePointandintheUnit1coolingwaterdischarge during1972.Thesedatawerepresented inareportsubmitted totheNewYorkState 11-9Department ofEnvironmental Conservation inFebruary1973.(EffectofCirculating WaterSystemsonLakeOntarioWaterTemperature andAquaticBiology-NineMilePointUnit2,QLMProjectNo.191-9).eTheminimumandmaximumvaluesofsixsamplescollected monthlyduringtheperiodApriltoNovember1972(MayandOctoberexcluded) wereanalyzed'orheavymetals.(Thesevaluesarepresented inthetableonpageC-15,AppendixC.)Evaluation ofthesevaluesindicates anegligible contribu-tionoftheplanttolakewaterconcentration ofheavymetals.11.4LIQUIDEFFLUENTS 11.4.1Dissolved NobleGases(DEC,A-28)Thiscommentnotesthatdissolved noblegasesarenotincludedinthestaff'sestimateofliquideffluentreleases.

Thequantities andenviron-mentaleffectsofdissolved noblegasesshouldbeincludedinlightoftheproposed5curiereleaselimitation.

~Resonse:Thestaffhasassessedtheresulting dosefromdissolved noblegasesinliquidreleasesfromBWR'saslessthan0.5mrem/yr.Weconsiderthisdoseratetobenegligible.

11.4.2ComliancewithWASH-1258 Conditions (DEC,A-29)Thiscommentisconcerned thattheconditions ofWASH-1258 (Numerical GuidesforDesignObjectives andLimitingConditions forOperation toMeettheCriteria"AsLowasPracticable" forRadioactive'aterial inLight-Water-Cooled NuclearReactorEffluents) willnotbemetbytheupgradedradwastesystem.~Resense:WASH-1258 isareviewofmanysystemsforproposedrulemaking andisnotmeanttobeaRegulatory Guidefordesign.Theupgradedsystemdoesmeettheguidelines ofRegulatory Guide1.42.11.4.3eratinLiuidEffluentReleases(DEC,,A-29;EPA,A-47)Thesecommentsareconcerned withthefactthatactualoperating experience hasresultedinhigherliquidreleasesthancalculated bythestaffand,questiontheapplicability oftheAECstandardmodelforevaluating theliquidradwastesystemandthecontention thattheupgradedliquidradwastereleaseswillmeettheALAPguidelines.

~Resonse:TheAssumptions usedin,thestandardAHCmodelarebasedonoperating datafromseveraloperating

reactors, including NineMilePoint,Unit1.Consequently, theseparameters bestrepresent nuclearpowerreactor 11-10operating experience averagedoverthelifeoftheplant.Thus,theoperation ofallsimilarplantscanbecompared.

Equipment leakageanddecontamination waterusageatUnit1havebeengreaterthantheexpectedforaplantofthistype.Corrective actionincludestheupgrading of.theliquidradwastesystemtoincludeanewultrasonic resincleanerandanewliquidradwasteconcentrator unit.Actualreleasesofradioactive materials tounrestricted areaswillbecontrolled byrevisedlimitsintheTechnical Specifications.

whichwillcondition theoperating licenseandwhichwillbeconsistent withtheALAPguidelines.

11.4.4DoseAssessment forLiuidReleases(EPA,A-48)Thiscommentsuggested thatextrapolations fromtheexistingoperating dataassociated withliquidreleasesbeusedforthedosecalculations inordertopresentamorerealistic pictureoftheimpactofthisfacility.

~Resonse:Atthetimethedosecalculations fortheDEEwereperformed only1971operating datawereavailable.

However,inspection of1972dataindicates novariations whichwouldsignificantly changetheStaff'sestimateoftheradiological environmental impactofUnit1.11.5SOLIDRADIOACTIVE WASTE11.5.1IsotoicBreakdown ofSolidWaste(DEC,A-30;Interior, A-67}Thiscommentsuggested

'thattheisotopicbreakdown, particularly thealphacontent,bepresented inordertobetterevaluatethesolidwastedisposalproblem,demonstrate thatthesewasteswillmeetburialcriteriaandidentifythelocationplannedforoffsiteburial.~Resonse:Themagenquantityofradioactivity willbecontained inwetsolidwasteswhichwillconsistmainlyofspentdemineralizer resins,filtersludges,andevaporator bottoms.Veconsiderthatallwetsolid-wastewillbestoredonsitefor180dayspriortoshipment.

Thisperiodofonsitestorageallowsshortlivedradionuclides timefordecay.Drywasteswillconsistofventilation airfilters,contaminated

clothing, paperandmis-cellaneous itemssuchastoolsandlaboratory glassware.

Weassumethatthesewastesareshippedaspackagedandnotheldfordecay.Basedonevaluation ofsimilartypereactorsanddatafromgenerating plants,weestimategreaterthan90%oftheradioactivity associated withthesolidwastewillbelong-lived fissionandcorrosion

products, princi-pallyCs-134,Cs-137,Co-58,Ce-60,andPe-55'healphacontentofthesolidwasteisexpectedtobenegligible.

11-11Theoffsitelocationforburialhasnotbeenselected.

However,itwillbeacommercial burialgroundwhich.hasbeenlicensedbytheAEC.11.5.20eratinandPredicted Radioactivit LevelsforSolidWastes(DEC,A-30)Thiscommentsuggestsadiscussion explaining orindicating thesignificance ofthestaff'sestimatefortheradioactivity beingapproximately 10timeshigherthanactualexperience atUnit1forapproximately thesamevolumeofsolidwaste.~Resonse:TheStaffisoftheopinionthatitistooearlyinthelifeofthisplantfortheoperating datatoreflecttheaveragecuriecontentofthesolidradwasteexpectedtobegenerated overthe40-yearlifeoftheplant.TheStaffisintheprocessofreevaluating itsmodelinlightofmorerecentdatafromoperating BWR's.11.5.3OffsiteDisosalofSolidRadioactive Waste(Interior, A-67)Thiscommentindicated thattheenvironmental statement shouldconsideranevaluation ofthesolidradioactive wastedisposalsite,including licensing provisions,

criteria, andresponsibilities.

Specificconcernsincludehydrogeologic suitability, surveillance andmonitoring, andremedial/regulatory actionsthatmightberequired.

~Resonse:Theconcernsexpressed inthiscommentareappropriately addressed intheAECdocument"Environmental SurveyoftheNuclearFuelCycle."Asnotedinthatdocument, theenvironmental effectsoftheentireuraniumfuelcyclewith-regardtoanindividual reactoraresmall.Further,thepotential foranysignificant effectfromthedisposalofsolidradioactive wastesfromareactorisextremely limiteddueto(1)thesmallquantityofradioactivity contained inthewastes,and(2)thecaretakeninestablishing and'onitoring commercial landburialfacilities.

Commercial landburialfacilities mustbelocatedonlandwhichisownedbyastateortheFederalgovernment, andafterradioactive wastesareburiedatasitethelandmustnotbeusedforanyotherpurpose.Authori-sationtooperateacommercial landburialfacilityisbasedonananalysisofnatureandlocationofpotentially affectedfacilities andofthesitetopographic, geographic, meteorological, andhydrological characteristics; whichmustdemonstrate thatburiedradioactive wastewillnotmigratefromthesite.Environmental monitoring includessamplingofair,waterandvegetation todetermine migration, ifany,ofradioactive materialfromtheactuallocationofburial.Todate,therehavebeennoreportsofmigra-tionofradioactivity fromcommercial burialsites.Intheeventthat 11-12migration weretooccur,plansforarresting anydetectedmigration havebeendeveloped.

Onthebasisof"thegeneralenvironmental considerations ofburialsitesnowdeveloped, thewiderang'eofwastesthatcanbeburied,andtheobservation thatanapplicant isnotrestricted toaspecificburialsite,thestaffbelievesthat,adetailed discussion ofsolidradio-activewastedisposalsitesisinappropriate toanenvironmental statement foranyonenuclearpowerplantfacility.

11.6ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAMS11.6.1RadioloicalMonitorin Proram(Commerce, A-8)Thiscommentsuggested thatalistoforganisms typically sampledandsubjected toradioanalysis shouldbepresented intheFinalEnvironmental Statement.

~Resones:Alistoforganisms typically sampledandanalyzedispresented inTable6.1.11.6.2Ilementation oftheRevisedComrehensive AuaticMonitorin

~proram(DEDtA-22)Acommentwasmaderegarding implementation oftheApplicant's intensive ecological monitoring programsothatredesignoftheintakesystem,ifrequired, canbeaccomplished withappropriate dispatch.

~Resonse:TheStaffrecognizes theurgencyfordatacollection andevalua-tionsothatredesignoftheintakesystem,ifnecessary, maybeac-complished withminimumpossibledelay.Asdiscussed inSection6.1,theApplicant begancollecting datainMarch1973fortheGeneralEcological SurveyandJune1973fortheImpingement andEntrainment portionsoftheprogram.11.6.3ThermalMonitorin Techniues.(Interior, A-71)Thiscommentsuggeststhatthethermalmonitoring programbemodifiedtoincludetechniques developed inconjunction withtheSurryNuclearPowerStation(A-71).

11-13~Resonse:Arevisedmonitoring programisincludedintheTEEandisde-signedtodetectchangesin-LakeOntarioecosystem inthevfcinftyofthisstation.11.6e4AtmoshericDisersionPactor(Commercep A-10}Thiscommentdesiresanexplanation ofthedifference betweenthehighestoffsiteannualaverageconcentration factorcomputedin1967'ndthevalue'resented intheDES.~Resonse:Thedifference betweenthehighest,offsite,annual averagecon-centration computedin1967(5x10gsec.m3)andthatpresented intheDES(1.9x10"sec.m3)canbeattributed todifferent stratification ofthemeteorological datausedandtodifferent plumeriseformulas.

Initsevaluation, thestaffusedthemeteorological datapresented intheNineM.lePointUnit2PSAR.Althoughbasically thesameasthedatapre-sentedintheUnit1docket,thejointfrequency distributions ofwindspeedanddirection bystability werefurnished stratified intosevenPasquill'stability classes(A-G)basedontemperature differences (delta-T) betweentwolevelsonthetower.Thedatausedin1967hadonlyfourstability classeswhichwerebasedontheBrookhaven turbulence classifi-cation(classesI-IV).Thestaffdetermined theplumeriseabovethestack'topusingequations developed byBriggs,whilein1967,theplumerisewasestimated byusinganequationattributed toHollandwithacorrection ofafactorofthree.Thestaffbelievesthatthevaluepresented intheDEShasbeendetermined inaccordance withpresentpracticewithintheAECRegulatory staff.11.6.5Useof0eratinDatatoAssessEnvironmental Imact(Commerce, A-3;HEW,A-13'PA,A-51)Thesecommentsindicated thatactualmeasurements ratherthanestimates shouldhavebeenusedinassessing theenvironmental impactoftheplantsinceithadstartedoperations in1969.~Rsaense:Althoughtheplantcommenced operation in1969~theApplicant didnotanticipate thedatarequirements forareasonable environmental impactassessment.

TheApplicant hasbeeninformedof,theseinadequacies inexistingdataandunderthelicensing conditions, theApplicant willcollectdatasuch.thatactualenvironmental damagemayberecorded.

How-ever,duetola'ck,ofthesedataatthetimeofassessment, theStaffhasreXiedtonconservative estimates ofdamagetobiotatoarriveatareason-<<ableassessment.

11-1411.7TRANSMISSION LINES11.7.1Transmission LineSoundLevels(DEC,A-32)Thiscommentrequeststhatdataonthesoundlevelsproducedbythe345-kVandanticipated bytheplanned765-kVtransmission linesbediscussed.

Plansfortheadditionofhighervoltagelinesandtheresulting potential forincreased soundlevelsshouldalsobeaddressed.

~Resonce:TheApplicant hasstated(seeAppendixB,p.B-86)thefollosing:

tTheApplicant hasa765-kVtransmission line(presently operatedat345-kV)inservice.Togainabetterunderstanding oftheaudiblenoisewhichthebundlearrangement andconductor selection forthiscircuitwouldgive,Applicant retainedtheprofessional servicesofAcresAmerican, Inc.,Bolt,BeranekandNewmanofCambridge, Massachusetts, consultants inthefieldofaudiblenoisephenomena, andWestinghouse ElectricCorporation tostudyaudiblenoiseonhighvoltagetransmission lines.Westinghouse ElectricCorporation conducted audiblenoisemeasurements indoorsattheTraffordHighVoltageLaboratory andfieldmeasurements atthe750-kVprojectatAppleGrove,WestVirginia.

However,therewaslittlevalidagreement betweenlaboratory andfielddatabecauseacoustical measurements inanindoorlaboratory

'areaffectedbytheenclosure.

Themeasurements madebyBolt,BeranekandNewman(BB6N)wereconducted duringtwooccasions nearQuebecCity,Canada,whereHydroQuebecoperatesa735-kVtransmission linewhichhasafour(4)conductor bundleconfigura-tionwith1.38inchdiameterconductor andafiftyfootphasespacing.Thisarrangement issimilartoour765-kVconductor sizeandbundlearrange-ment,andthuswasidealforaudiblenoisemeasurements.

Measurements weretakendirectlybeneaththemid-spanoftheconductors andatvariousdis-tancesfromtheouterphase.Duringfairweathertheaudiblenoisefromthetransmission linewaslowerthanthebackground noisefrominsectsandothersourcessothatreadingsweredifficult toobtain.Bolt,BeranekandNewman'ave madeupcategoryclassification andNoiseCriterion curves(SeeAppendixB,Fig.1,p.B-89andTableI,p.B-90).ThisfamilyofNoiseCriterion (NC)curveshasbeenusedinnoisecontrolworkforoverfifteenyearsfordesignandevaluation ofexistingnoiseconditions.

Thesecurvesaccurately correlate thesubjective responseoftheaveragehumaneartoacousticleyelsatvariousfrequencies andinten-sitiesasmeasuredbyinstrumentation.

Thus,thelowercurvescandescribe 11-15noiselevelsthatareconsidered quietenoughforrestingorsleepingorforexcellent listening conditions inconcerthallsorauditoriums, whiletheuppercurvescandescribenoisyworkareas.Foraquietorruralcommunity areatheNC-20NoiseCriterion isnormallyappliedfornighttimeindoorconditions; butincityareas,orinapartments, dormitories, ormotelsforsleepingareas,anNC-30NoiseCriterion isnormallyused.Figure1demonstrates howthenoisefitstheNoiseCriterion curvesatseveraldistances fromtheouterphase.Thisshowsthatonlyhousesatabout200feetfromtheouterphasewouldbesub)ected tothelownoiselevel(NC-25toNC-30).Thislownoiselevelwouldbeheardonlyindampweather,withwindowsnearestthelineopen,andwithalowambientnoiselevel(including themaskingofrainnoise).1Whenthesystemisenergized to765-kVtheApplicant willtestforaudiblenoiseandevaluatefeasiblemethodsofnoisereduction ifrequired.

AtthisdatetheApplicant doesnotintendtoinstallanyhighvoltagelinesgreaterthan765-kV.11.7.2Utilization ofTransmission LineRiht-of-Wa(DEC,A-31)Thiscommentquestions theproposedfuture345-kVtransmtssion linetobeinstalled intheexisting500<<footright-of-way becauseApplicant's testi-mony(Garcy,NYSPublicServiceCommission Case26251,TrPageSm4657ofJanuary26,1973),andtheFinalEnvironmental Statement forUnit2notethattheproposedfuturetransmission lineis765-kV.~Resonse:TheApplicant indicated (seeAppendda8,p.B-83)thatthefuture345-kVtransmission linementioned inSection3.8,page3-35oftheUnit1DEScouldextendfromanewVolneyStationsouthtotheSyracusearea.TheVolneyStationwillbelocatedapproximately ninemilessouthfromNineMilePointononeoftheexisting345>>kVNineMilePoint-Claytransmission circuits.

The765-kVtransmission linementioned byGarcycouldextendfromNineMilePointtoVolney,11.7.3OzoneProduction FromHihVoltaeTransmission Line(EPA,A-56)Thiscommentsuggested thatinformation beprovidedintheFinalStatement relatedtotheimpactofthehighvoltagetransmission lineozonepro-ductionrateanditspotential environmental impacts.~Resonse:Thegeneration ofozoneasaresultofcoronagenerated bytrans-missionlineshasrecentlybeenexperimentally investigated inthelabora-toryandfield.pTheseinvestigations indicatethat,fortransmission 11-16linesupto765kV,themaximumgroundlevelozoneconcentration willbewellbelowfederalstandards.

TheNationalPrimaryAirQualityStandardforphotochemical

oxidants, asissuedbytheEnvironmental Protection Agency,is0.08ppmbyvolumeforaone-hourconcentration, nottobeexceededonceperyear.Laboratory studieshaveindicated that0.0193ppmbyvolumeoftotaloxidantsmightbeexpectedatgroundlevel.Fieldstudieswithequipment sensitive to0.002ppmbyvolumeindicated nomeasurable oxidantsateithergroundortransmission linewirelevel.Basedontheseandotherdata,theStaffanticipates noadverseenvironmental effectsasaresultofozonecreatedbythehi'ghvoltagetransmission lines.11.7.4Transmission LineInteraction withRailroadSials(DOT,A-11)Thiscommentindicated thatthecurrentsinducedfromhighvoltagetrans-missionlinesmaycauseproblemswithrailroadsignalsystemsandwiththerollingstock.~Resones:TheApplicant indicated (seeAppendixB,pageB-40)thatapropercontactwithappropriate railroadownerswillbemadeandthatifthepossibility ofexcessive voltagesisindicated, corrective actionwillbetakentoprecludethepossibility ofhazard.11.8REACTORACCIDENTS 11.8.1AccidentProbabilities (EPA,A-49)AcommentwasmadebyEPAconcerning theanalysisoftheprobabilities ofoccurrence oftheclassesofaccidents discussed inSection7.1.'Resones:Section7p.l,hasbeenchangedtorespondtothisconcern.11.8.2Postulated PlantAccidents InvolvinLiuidReleases(Interior, A-71)sThecommentindicates thattheenvironmental effectsofreleasestowaterislacking.Manyofthepostulated accidents listedinTables7.1and7.2couldresultinreleasestoLakeOntarioandshouldbeevaluated.

h~Resones:potentia1 re1easestoLakeOntarioareaddressed inFootnote1toTable7.2whichstatesthefollowing.

"Thedosescalculated asconsequences ofthepostulated accidents arebasedonairbornetransport ofradioactive materials resulting inbothadirectandaninhalation dose.Ourevaluation oftheaccidentdosesassumes,thattheApplicant's

.Environmental Monitoring Programandappropriate additional monitoring (whichcouldbeinitiated

-subsequent toanincidentdetectedbyin-plantmonitoring) woulddetectthepresenceofradioactivity intheenvironment'n atimelymannersuchthatremedialactioncouldbetakenifnecessary tolimitexposurefromotherpotential pathwaystoman."

11-17ll.9ALTERNATIVES 11.9.1CoolinTowerNoiseLevels(DEC,A-40).Thiscommentrequestsadditional discussion oftheApplicant's studyoftheincreased soundlevelassociated withforcedandnaturaldraftcool-ingtowers.~Resones:TheApp1icant indicated (seeAppendixB,p.B-ill)thatthestudyresultsdetermined thatnoresidences, schools,orhospitals wouldreceiveasoundlevelgreaterthan65dbA.Tenresidences wouldbewithinthe45to65dbArangewithaneutraldraftcoolingtowerandfortyresidences would.bewithinthisrangewithamechanical draftcoolingtower.Itshouldbenotedthattheestimates usedtodetermine thesoundlevelcontoursareconservative anddonotincludeattenuation fromtrees,terrain,ormeteorological conditions whichwouldreducetheoffsitenoise.11.9.2Estimated Emissionuantities fromOilandCoalFiredPlants(Interior, A-72)AcommenttookissuewiththeStaff'sexpectedemissions ofcarbon'monoxide andhydrocarbons fromoilfiredandcoalfixedplants.~Resonsa:Theemissiondatagivenonpage9-4(carbonmonoxide, a1dehydes, hydrocarbons) isbasedonthebestdataavailable totheStaff,thatoftheEPApublication referenced.

Theestimated emissions areactuallyquitesmallrelativetothema)oremissions ofthehypothesized fossil-fueledplants,namelycarbondioxideand(fortheoil-fired plant)watervapor.Forexample,atfullpowerthecoal-fired plantwouldemitabout45millionpoundsperdayofcarbondioxidesothattheestimated/dioxide ratioisonly.01%(mass)or.017%(atom).11.10LocationofPrincialChanesinthisStatement inResonsetoCommentsToicCommented Uon~Aen~cSectionWhereToicisAddressed CombinedEffectsofUnit1,Unit2andFitzPatrick Plants.Commerce, A-2,6,7HEW,A-12DEC,A-23EPA,A-54Interior, A-68Forward 11-18ToicCommented Uon~AeecSectionWhereToicisAddr'essed StatusofReviewsandApprovals LakeWaterHydrology DEC,A-25DEC,A-26Interior, A-652.5.2AquaticEcologyPowerRatingHeatDissipation SystemIntakeStructure

Interior, A-65DEC$A-24,26DEC,A-26Commerce, A-6DEC$A-27$282.7.23.23.43.4.1Discharge Structure NuclideSymbolsDEC,A-28DEC,A-24,29,303.4.23.5.1.63.5.2.2.UpgradedLiquidRadwasteSystemDiagramUpgradedGaseousWasteTreatment SystemConstruction Effects:StationSiteDEC,A-27DEC$A-30Agriculture, A-16DEC,A-313.5.1.23.5.1.43.5.2.13.5.2.24.1.1Construction Effects:Transmission LinesDEC>A-324.1.2Herbicidal Maintenance ofTransmission LinesAgriculture, A-16,17DEC,A-32Interior, A-695.1-2 11-19ToicCommented Uon~AcneSectionWhereToicisAddressed Compliance withWaterQualityStandards IntakeEffectsonAquaticEnvironment HEW,A-13Interior, A-68EPA1A-54Commerce, A-7DEC,A-20,37Interior, A-695.2.45.5.2.aThermalDischarge EffectsCommerce, A-7,85.5.2.cDEC%A-38Interior, A-70Community EffectsAquaticMonitoring ProgramDEC,A-23Commerce, A-8DEC,A-22,24,38Interior, A-70EPA,A-535.66.1Terrestrial Monitoring ProgramReactorAccidents DEC,A-24EPA,A-496.47~

11-20REFERENCES 1.Csanady,G.T.,"Dispersal ofEffluents intheGreatLakes,"WaterResearch, 4,79-114(1970).Inpa'rticular, seepages106-107.2.Scherer,H.N.,Jr.,B.J.Ware,C.H.Shih(1972).GaseousEffluents DuetoEHVTransmission LineCorona.PreprintofPaperpresented attheIEEEPESSummerMeeting,SanFrancisco, California, July9-14,1972.3.Frydman,M,A.Levy,S.E.Miller(1972).OxidantMeasurements intheVicinityofEnergized 765-kVLines.Preprintofpaperpresented attheIEEEPESSummerMeeting,SanFrancisco, California, July9-14,1972.

APPENDIXACOMMENTSONDRAFTENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT OFFICEOFTHEASSISTANT SECRETARY OFCOMMERCEWashington, O.C.2023050-220August8,l973Mr.DanielR.MullerAssistant

'Director forEnvironmental ProjectsDirectorate ofLicensing U.S.AtomicEnergyCommission Nashington, D.C.20545

DearMr.Muller:

Thedraftenvironmental impact,statement forNineMilePointhuclearStation,Unit1,whichaccompanied yourletterofJuly5,1973,'Viae" Seenreceivedbyt'e'Depart-mentofCommercefor-review andcomment.Thestatement hasbeenreviewedandthe-following commentsareofferedforyourconsideration.

GeneralCommentsIntheSummaryandConclusions section,aswellasinthemain.text,thestaffconcludes thatthe'lant's operation willhavenosignificant impactonthebiotainLakeOntario.Thistypeoflakewideapproachfailstoadequately considerallthepoint'ources of~zasteheatthatshouldbe'included intheevaluation ifthelakeas.awholeisusedastheunitofmeasurement ofsignificant impact.Inaddition, thestatement shouldincludeadiscussion oftheplumeinter-actionwith'vineQ.lePointUnit.2,and'thenearbyJamesA.Pitzpatrick NuclearPowerPlant.Secondly, consultation witnappropriate StateandPederalagenciesshouldbeincludedinthedesignofthecomprehensive environmental

'monitoring progam..Theseagenciesshouldalsobeinvolvedintheevaluation oftheinformation collected.

A-3-2Sincethisplanthapbeenoperating underaprovisional licensesince1969,actualmeasurements, ratherthanestimates, ofenvironmental impacthavebeenpossible.

Thisgreatlyincreases theconfidence onecanplaceintheconclusions.

Fromourpointofview,thestatement issatisfactory withregardtoconsideration ofthissinglepowerstation's impactontheenvironment.

Itappears,forexample,thatthethermaleffectonthelakewillbenegligible.

Butwhataboutthebigpicture?Howmanyplantsofthistypecanbeconstructed beforethecumulative effectisnolonger'egligible?

Weshouldnotcon-sidereachcaseas.aseparateproblem.TheNational.

OceanicandAtmospheric Administration's International FieldYear-fortheGreatLakesProjectOfficerecentlycompleted anextensive studyofLakeOntarioandtheycanprovideinputtothismpectoftheimpactstatement.

Section2.7.2AuaticEcoloo~dddd.d'd"p'd'dd,ofLakeOnt:ario, thefishproduction isratherlow."Althoughfishproduction ispresently lowforalakewiththeproductive capacityofLakeOntario,thesituation maybe'alteredinthenearfuture.TheGreatLakesFisheryCommission treatedalllampreyspawningstreamslastyear,andtheCanadianstreamsandseveralkeystreamsinU.S.watersagainthisyear.Moreover, fisherymanagement agenciesinNewYorkandOntariohavebeenplantingsalmonidspeciesinLakeOntario,andtheseagencies-plantointensify thisactivityinyearstocome.SincetheforagebaseinLakeOntarioisasgoodorbetterthanthatinLakeMichiganwhentheLake'ssalmonstockingprogramwasbegunin1965,itisexpectedthatthefisherywhichwoulddevelopinLakeOntariowillbeequallyasgood.NewYorkhasplantedsalmonids intheSalmonRiver(10mileseast)andt:heLittleSalmonRivex(6mileseast).Bothriversarecloseenoughtotheplantsitethatthefishleavingand.returning tothemcouldconceivably passtheintakeanddischarge oftheNineMilePoj.ntNuclearStation.Withregardtotheassertion thatthereasonthealewifehasflourished isthatlargepredators havenotbeenpresent,itisnowthoughtthatthepopulation

'ofalewife,anearlycolonist A-4ofthelake,stabilized priortothedeclineofthelargepreda-tors..Thisrecenttheoryissupported bytheresurgence ofpremiumfishstocks-'in the"1920'sand'newspaper reportsduringthesameeraoftwo'majoralewifemortalities.1/

Concerning thecontroversy betweenSmith(1970)andChristie(1972),Christie(pp.920-921)providesthefollowing analysis.

oftheinteractions betweenthecolonists andthenativespeciesinLakeOntario:"Ofthe'pecies offishwhichinvadedorwereintroduced intoLakeOntariointhelastcentury,thecarpandalewifewerethemostobviously successful.

Bothmusthaveaffectedotherspeciesinimportant ways,butitisdifficult tomakejudgments becauseoftheearlycolonization ofthesespecies."ALEWIFE"Smith(1970)hasarguedonthebasisoftherecenteffectsofalewifecolonization oftheupperGreatLakes,thatthespecieseffectively causedallthemisfortunes oftheLakeOntariofishstockssubsequent toitsestablishment th'ereinthe1870s.Theviewheldbythepresentauthorhowever,isthatwhatevertheinitialimpact,theresurgence ofth'epremiumfishstocksinthe1920sin'th'efaceofhe'avyalewifedensities, arguesinfavorofaharmlessroleforthealewife.Theresurgence ofthedeepwater ciscoes(Core~onus sp.)inthe1930swasalsoseemingly unaffected bythealewife.Equallyimportant, thecollapseoftheciscoeswasnotfollowedbyasurgeofalewifeabundance=

asmighthavebeenexpected'f competition px'essure hadbeen'amajorconsideration.

Therearenostatistics with.whichtoevaluatetx'endsinalewifeabundance butithasbeenassumedbyPritchard (1929)andGraham(19S6)thatthefrequency ofheavy1/Christie, W.J.1972.LakeOntario:effectsofexploitation, intxoductions, andeutrophication onthesalmonidcommunity.

J.Pish.Res.Bd.Can.29:913-929.

A-5spring,beach,mortalities isatleastaroughindication ofalewifedensity.Onthisbasis,news-.paperreports'oftwomajormortalities inthe1920decadedonotsuggestthatthealewife,liketheciscoes,werescarceduringtheperiodofpeakpredatorabundance.

Dymond(1928)foundthatthealewifewasanimportant iteminthedietsofbothlaketroutandburbot,butnotedalewifewerenotasofteneatenbythetroutafterthealewifemovedinshoreintheearlysummer.Juveniles wouldhavebeenlargelyprotected

,fromt:hesespeciesbyreasonoftheirinshoredistri<<bution,anditispossiblethatthepost-spawning adultalewifedidnotextendlakewardveryfarintotherangeofthesepredators inlatesummer.Wells(1969)foundthattrawlinginSeptember inLake'Ontarioproduced81.2alewifepertowat120ft.(37m)andless,andonly7.2fortowsat:180ft.(55m)andgreater.,'This wouldcertainly reduceit,andpossiblyenoughtoreducetheseverityofthepredation impactonalewifeadults.Predation onboth-juveniles andadultsintheinshoreareasisontheotherhand,heavy,andinflicted bymanyfishspecies.Thelackofobviouschangeinthe'bundance ofthealewifestocksafterthe1940sisespecially compelling evidencethattheabundance islimit:edbyinshorefact:ors, andpossiblybytheeffectsofthemortalities themselves tosomeextent."Section2.7.2.aPishes-2-12.22dhAppl'h-d2,moreinformation shouldbesuppliedconcerning thetypeoffathometer usedandwhatit:scapabilities werefordet'.ecting concentrations offishlarvae,fry,,andyoung-of-the-year.

Xnaddition, anexampleofafathometer recording shouldbepro-vided,including anexplanation ofitsinterpretation.

~22222-.dh"1'hApplint:heareaandtherefore noinformation onjuveniles neartheshoreisavailable.."

Newlyhatchedyoung-of-the-year alewives A-6begi'ntoshowupinseinecatchesint:hemiddleofAugustandremaininshoreuntillatefall.2/Therefore, fromlatespringuntilfalllarvalandjuvenilealewiveswouldbesusceptible to.entrainment.

Inaddition, thespottailshiner,alsoabun-dantinshore,remainsinshore(indepthsoflesst:han50ft);thisspeciesisconsidered anexcellent foragestock.Section2.7.2.d.2Phtoplankton

~yd-25.Idd"Vydd'dobservedintheplanktonsamples'.

..".Thesamplingequipment usedtocollectplankton, fisheggs,andlarvaeshouldbedescribed, andavailable dataandliterature onthecomparative

'efficiency andeffectiveness ofthevarioustypesofsamplingmethodsandequipment:

shouldbeevaluated anddiscussed.

Inouropinion,ifinformation fromreference 30wasusedto.determine theabundance anddistribution offishlarvae,samplecollection withaNansenbottle,asusedinthissurvey,virtually precluded anylarvalentrapment.

Sect:ion3.4.1IntakeStructure Pae3-7.Anestimatefortheintakevelocityatthetraveling screens'hould beprovided.

Section5.2.2ThermalStudiesPae5-2.ThecombinedeffectsofNineNilePointUnit:1,NineMilePointUnit2,andtheJamesA.FitzPatrick NuclearPowerPlantshouldbeevaluated bythethermalstudies.Section5.5.2.aEffectonAuaticEnvironment

-'ntakeEffectsyPaes5-31throuoh5-35.Given'het:endency forfishtoconcentrate alongthe25-ft.depthcontourand'helocationoftheintakeataboutthe,20-ft.contour,andgiventhenumbersoffishentrained 2/Dr.Wilbur'.Hartman,PersonalCommunication.

(ProjectL'eader,EcologyofFishPopulations ofLowerGreatLakes.,BureauofSportFisheries andWildlife, SanduskyField.Station,2022Cleveland, Road,Sandusky, Ohio44870.)

A-7andsubsequently impingedaccording tostudiestodate,even~thoughnotsufficient topermitavalidquantitative assess-mentoftheproblemsofimpingement, itisapparenttousthatapotentially seriousimpingement problemmaydevelop.Webelievethatthissituation mayrequirecorrective actionto~reducetheintakevelocityto1ft/secorless,inadditiontoconducting themonitoring program.Wealsorecommend thatevaluation ofthefish<<kill problembecoordinated withtheappx'opriate StateandFederalagencies.

Finally,weconsiderthestatement, that"TheStaffdoesnotintendtoimplythatfishimpingement attheStationwillproducesignificant adverseeffectsonlakewidefishpopulations" tobemisleading.

Thisstatement shouldberevisedtoconsidertheeffects-ofallwaterintakesinthelakeiftheentirelakeistobetheframeofreference forevaluating theeffectsofthispowexplantonfishpopulations inLakeOntario.Section5.5.2.cThermalDischareEffects~3535-1'1.'31d',1.d55'ombined'effects oftheNineMilePointUnit2andJamesA.FitzPatrick plants.Yellowperch,acommonfishinthearea,requireagivenperiodoftimeat4Corbelowformaturation.

3/Thepossibility thatthosefishremaining inorneartheplumemaynotreceivethis,low-temperature exposureandthattheywould,therefore, notmatureshouldbediscussed.

Thisdiscussion shouldincludeappropriate dataanddocumentation.

Section5.5.2.c.1Fishes~353~:Wgg33ggy1dthefourthparagraph berequired, rathex'han simplyrecommended, bytheStaff.3/Edsall,T.iA.andT.'G.Yocom..1972.Reviewofrecenttechnical information concerning adverseeffectsononce-throughcoolingonLakeMichigan.

Preparedfox'heLakeMichiganEnforcement Conference, September 19-21,1972,Chicago,X11.,U.S.FishandWildlifeService,BureauofSportFisheries andWildlife, GreatLakesFisheryLabo-xatox'y,AnnArbor,Michigan48107.86pages.

A-8Section5.5.2.c.(3 Benthos~P539.3'h'9'k993h5h'ommunity shouldbediscussed inthissection.Section6.1AuaticMonitorin Proram9~5-3.533999'h9environmental studiesnowproposedandbeingcarriedoutbytheApplicant areinadequate toassesstheeffectsofopera-tionoftheStation,werecommend denialofthefu11-term operating licenseuntilanadequateenvironmental monitoring programhasbeenestablished andcoordinated withappropriate StateandFederalagencies.

Amapdepicting thesamplingtransects andstationsshouldbeprovidedinthefinalenvironmental statement.

Withreference totheStaff'srecommendation forimprovements inthemonitoring program(pages6-2and6-5),webasically

'greewiththeproposedchanges.However,wefeelthatsomesortoftabularformatshouldbeusedtosummarize forthereadertheimprovedprogram.Inaddition, thisprogramshouldbecoordinated withappropriate

agencies, assuggested above.Withregardtoasamplingprocedure thatwouldpermitreporting theresults.intermsofbiomassperunitarea,thepossibleuseofaPonardredgeforbenthicworkshouldbediscussed.

Section6.3RadioloicalMonitorin ProramPae6-6.Alistoforganisms typically sampledandsubjected toradioanalysis shouldbepresented inthefinalenvironmental statement.'n ouropinion,theprimaryfunctionofanenviron-mentalimpactstatement isto'.serveasafulldisclosure document.

Therefore, wedonotbelieveitissufficient tomerelyreferthereadertoadocumentsuchastheApplicant's Environmental Report,whichmayormaynotbereadilyavailable tothereader.IftheStaffdisagrees withouropiniononthismatter,wewouldappreciate afullexplanation inthefinalenvironmental statement.

A-9Section9Alternatives totheProosedPro'ect9~9-l.1'9'9ld'dpl.nalysisofeachalternative sothatinformedconclusions canbedrawnanddecisions madebyresponsible officials andotherswhoreviewthisdocument.

Thewarmwaterplumestendtobeclosetothelakeshore,duetotheexposedlocationandthelakecurx'ents flowingneartheshore.Thiscouldhavesomeeffectinreducingnearshore icecover.However,thiswillcausenoadverseeffectseithex'nwaterintakeorshoreerosion.Thecalculated increaseinaveragelakesurface"temperature ofabout0.002Fhasnophysicalmeaningandmaymaskadverselocaleffects.Muchmoremeaningful istheareaaffectedbyasignificant tempex'a>>

tureincrease.

Toreducethefishentxapment:

intheintakesyst:emandthusfishkills,thereportrecommends t:hatalternat:ive intakestructures beexamined.

Ttissuggested thatinadditiontotheabove,afishreplenishment,.program beconsidered.

Samplings indicatethat:82%ofthefishkilledarethealewifesandsmelts.Thislowqualityfishcouldbereplacedbymoredesix'able fishfx'omhatcheries inthesameorsignificantly largeramounts.Asdescribed onpage3-23,themajorsourceofradioact:ivity releasedtothe-openatmosphexe-duringreactoxopex'ation istheoffgas'romthemaincondenser airejectors.

Theseoff-gasesareallowedtoflowthrougha30-minute holduppipebefox'ebeingdischarged throughthemainplantstack.Conse-quently,wewouldconsidert:hereleasetobecontinuous throughout theyearand,assumingaratheruniformsourceemissionrate,averageannualdiffusion paramet:ers canbeappropriat:ely used.Xnourcommentsont:heFinalSafetyAnalysisReportfox'hisfacilitysenttotheAtomicEnergyCommission DivisionofReactorLicensing onDecember18,1967,wecomputedthatthe A-10highestoff-siteannualconcentxation is5x10"secmatadistanceof2kmtothenortheast cornerofthesiteassumingtheeffluentisreleasedfroia330-t.stack.Thisissome-'hat higherthanthe1.9r10secm"computed'bythestaffintable5.7.Thankyoufox'iving usanopportunity toprovidethesecontinents, mhichmehopemillbeofassistance toyou.Wemouldappreciate receiving acopyofthefinalstatement.

Sincerely,

4..r.

>,r'N

.."-"4<'Sidney'R.,

CallerDeputyAssistant Secretary forEnvironmental Affairs' IQ(gjDEPARTMENT OFTRANSPORTATION UNITEDSTATESCOASTGUARDMAILINGADDRESS:(GWS/83)U.S.COASTGUARD400SEVENTHSTREETSW.WASHINGTON.

D.C.20500RHDNE'Q2-426<<2262 Mr.DanielR.MullerAssistant DirectorforEnvironmental ProJectsDirectorate ofLicensing U.S,AtomicEnergyCommission Washington, D.C.20545c:~I)y~~/NXQegg(+0gg~P$JgpiVAUSSIE5O-22o

DearMr.Muller:

Thisisinresponsetoyourletterof~5July1973addressed.

toAssistant Secretary Davisconcerning thedraftenvironmental impactstatement forNineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1,LakeOntario,OswegoCounty,NewYork.Theconcerned.

operating administrations and.staffoftheDepartment ofTransportation havereviewedthematerialsubmitted..

NotedinthereviewbytheFederalRailroad.

Administration isthefollowing:

"TheFederalRailroadAdministration'ommented atsomelength(6Feb.1973)regarding theapplicants requestforlicensing ofNineMileNuclearStationUnitNo.2.Ourcontinual concernovertheinductive coordination problemwithrailroad.

signalandcommunication linesisalsoapplicable tothismorerecentstatement forUnitNo.1.R1TheU.S.,CoastGuardcommented asfollows:"Itisnoted.thattheremaybeanecessity tomarktheintakeanddischarge points.Itisrecommended.

thattheapplicant" contactCommander, NinthCoastGuardDistrict(oan)at1240E.NinthStreet,Cleveland, Ohio,44199,forfurtheramplification."

TheDepartment ofTransportation hasnofurthercommentstoofferonthisdraftstatement.

WehavenoobJection totheproJect,nortoitsimplementation.

Thefinalstatement,"however, should.addresstheconcernoftheFederalRailroad.

Administration andtheCoastGuard.Theopportunity fortheDepartment ofTransportation toreviewthisdraft.environmental impactstatement forNineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit'1isappreciated.

IviEMORANDUM DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH,EDUCATION, ANDWELFAREOFFICEOFTHESECRETARY TO".Jr.DanielP,.NullerAssistantDirectorforEnvironmental Pro)ects~Directorate ofLicensing U.'S.AtomicEnergyCommission 50-220JUG].7]973FROMActingChiefOfficeofEnvironmental Affairs

SUBJECT:

q.'iL';eX'he DraftEnvironmental ImpactStatement'-on theBine,NilePoint'uclearStationUnit1Thankyouforforwarding thedraftenvironmental impactstatement ontheJ'JinedefilePointJ'uclearStationJJnit1forreviev.Thefolloving commentsonthedraftar'ebasedonsuggestions byofficials withinthePublicPealthService,JI.E.JJ.RegionalIIOfficeandtheH.E.W.OfficeofEnvironmental Affairs.Ourprimaryobservation concernsthefactthatthe)Jine';filePointNuclearStationUnit1isgustoneofthreeplantswhicharetooperateessentially sidebysideonthesouthernshoreofLakeOntario.'s'stated intheintroduction tothedraftEIS,theapplicant planstoconstruct aJJnit2stationadjacenttotheUnit1sitewhichwillproducealmdsttwicetheamountofUnit1'selectrical power.Inaddition, thePowerAuthority oftheStateofPevYorkisbuildinftheJamesA.Pitzpatriclc nuclearPlant3300feeteastoftheUnit1Station.P3.1threeplantsaretoutilizeonce-through coolingsystemswithlakewater.Itistherefore necessary thatcumulative thermaleffectsbe'addressed.

Likewiseothercumulative effectsofthethreeplantsmustbeconsidered.

Whilethedraftindicates thatseparateenvironmental statements havebeenpreparedfortheseadditional facilities, wehavenot-receivedcopiesofthemforreviewandhavenowayof,knowingtheircontent.Weareunabletherefore>

toassesstheenvironmental

]effectstheproposedactionwillbringaboutinitsactualoperational context.ItiJouldappearthatathoroughanalysisoftheenvironmental impactoftheUnit1Stationrequiresconsideration ofthecumulative effectsofallthreenuclear"plants including theeffectsofthermaldischarges,

<<asious.effluents, liquideffluents, releasesofradioactive materials, fishimpingement,,

transmission lines;aswellastheeffectsofincreased populations onhumanservices.

-Thismay,forreasonsunknowntous,beunnecess'ary, but,ifso,thepresentlimitedapproachshouldbejustified inthestatement.

OurmorespecificcommentsonthecontentofthedraftHISfortheUnit1Stationareasfollows:Itissuggested thattheupgradedliquidwastesystemsreferenced inSections3.5.1.2.,

3.5.1.4.,

and3.5.1.6.,

andthegasiouswastetrcatnent systemreferenced inSection,3.5.2.2.,

shouldbeoperational beforeafull-term licenseisgrantedtheHiagaraifohawkPowerCorporation fortheZineNilePointNuclearStationUnit1.2)InSection2.,7.1.,describinc theTerrestrial Ecologyofthesite,itisstatedthatthesouthernshoreofImageOntarioisarajormigration routeusedbymanybirdsincluding theAmericanospreyandthebaldeagle.Subsequently itissaidthataterrestrial surveyofthesitefoundthatnorareorendangered speciesofplantsoraniralswerepresent.Thereseemstobeaninconsistency hereasthePmeric'an ospreyand'hebaldeaglearebothlistedasendangered speciesandasthesiteoftheUnit1Stationmatesuppartofthesouthernshore.3)'Zheinformation providedontheoperational effectsoftheUnit1Stationonacquaticbiotaislacking.Itdoesnotallowforathoroughassessmntoftheenvironmental impactoftheproposedactionandtherefore, offsetstheenvironmental effectstobeweighedinthedecision-naking process.4)Penotethattneonce-through coolingsystemutilizedbytheUnit1StationfailstomeetthecurrentNewYorkStatethermalcriteria.

Thesecriteria"limittheriseinsurfacetemperature to3oPovertheambienttemperature within300-feetradiusorequivalent areafromthe,pointofdischarge".

(5.2.2.)StudiesofthetherraleffectsoftheUnit1Stationhaveshownthatattimes"evenatadepthof5feet,approximately oneandaquarterofshoreline hadtemperatures greaterthan5o;'aboveambient".

(5.2.2.)Purtherirgormation shouldbeprovidedastotheeffects,including healtheffects>ofthisriseintemperature abovethestandard.

ltwouldalsobeusefultoaddresslegalramifications offailingtomeetthecriteria.

A-145)Giventheinfornntion providedinthedraft,trefindthattheUnit1Stationfai3.stoconsistent3y meettheminimumT'ederalPaterQualityCriteriaforphosphorus concentrations.

l'orepreciseinformation onphosphorus effectsandthelegalconsiderations offailingtomeetthecriteria'hn

..~..'3-t;--/I'aulCrow.ellcc:Dr.ZanMitchellMr.WilliamMatuszeski DEPARTMENT OFAGRICULTURE OFFICEOFTHESECRETARY WASHINGTON.

D.C.2025050-220August24;1973Mr.DanielR.MullerAssistant DirectorforEnvironmental ProjectsDirectorate ofLicensing AtomicEnergyCommission Vashington, D.C.20545'Rg(>~E'381973IIg"4XypII(pRRppIIR<RopyIy~+RccIIIR0

DearMr.Muller:

>lehavehad.thedraftenvironmental statement fortheNineMilePointNuclearStationUnit1,NiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation, reviewed.

intherelevantagenciesoftheDepartment ofAgriculture, andcommentsfromSoilConservation Serviceand,ForestService,bothagenciesoftheDepartment, areenclosed..

HKDH.TSCHIHL1'Y ActingCoordinator Environmental QualityActivities Enclosures SoilConservation Service,USDA,CommentsonDraftEnvironmental Statement preparedbyAECforNineMile'oint NuclearStationUnit1(Conversion forOperating LicenseStagetoFull-Term Operating-License)GeneralCommentThemajorproposedactionconcernsconversion ofacurrentoperating licensetoafull-term licensewhich,initself,willnothaveanysignificant effectonareasofinteresttoSCS.Pararaph4.1~1-StationSiteConstruction ofanew'radwaste buildingisdiscussed.

Inthethirdparagraph adiscussion shouldincludeastatement thattopsoilwillbesalvaged, protected andresprea'd duringthegradingoperation.

Promptvegetating willbeundertaken topreventerosionofsoilduringconstruction ofthebuilding, Pararah5~1~2Transmission-line Environs(a)"Onlyselective application ofherbicides shouldbepermitted

.~~"Thisisnotonlytoencourage wildlife-habitat growthbuttomaintainagood,vegetative covertopreventsoilerosion.Pararah10~3~1LandUseThisparagraph issummarized.by astatement whichsaystherecrea-tionalpotential oftheareaismeager.Intermsofpublicdevelopment, thisstatement maybetrue,butintermsofprivaterecreation, thereismorethanmeagerpotential, Theparagraph mightbemodifiedtoreQectthis, RE:AINElfILEPOINT,NUCLEARSTATIONUNIT1,NIAGARAMOHAWKPOWER*CORPORATION FORESTSERVICECORKNTSWehavenoinformation toindicatethatthecontinued operation ofNineMilePointNuclearStationUnit1wi11haveanyfurtheradverseeffectonforestlandbeyondthatwhichhasalreadyoccurredasaresultofconstruction.

Weareinterested intheStaff'srecommendations ontheuseofherbicides fortransmission-line maintenance, andareparticularly intrigued bythelastone:"Nostandsofpotentially poisonous plantsshouldbesprayedwithherbicides."

Wearecuriousaboutthebasisforthisrecommendation.

50-220go-9~0RONALDW.PCDKRSENSIIISTDCPVlYCONNISSIONSR STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTALCONSERVATIONALBANYAugust29,1973

DearSir:

TheStateofNewYorkhascompleted itsreviewaftheDraftEnvironmental Statement RelatedtotheNineMilePointNuclearPowerPlantUnitNo.1",(DocketNo.50-220).Thestatement waspreparedbytheCommission sDirectorate ofLicensing andissuedinJuly1973.Inpreparing theattachedcomments, wehavetakenintoconsideration theviewsofallappropriate Stateagenciesincluding theNewYork'tateAtomicEnergyCouncil.Manyofthecommentsarequitedetailedanddirectedtoveryspecificpointsinthedraftenvironmental state-mentwiththeintentofclari~ngandimproving theCommission's finalenvironmental statement.

WeconcurwiththefindingsoftheCommission staffasnotedinseveralsectionsofthe'draftstatement thatstudiesconducted bytheapplicant ar'enotsuHicient forareliableassessment ofsomeaspects'ofprobableenvironmental impactsofplantoperation.

Forexample,thedatasuppliedbyNiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation arenotdefinitive enoughtoascertain theextentofimpactonfishresources asaresultofplantoperation.

Thedeficiencies notedintheattachedcomments, andthosediscussed bytheCommission staHinSection6ofthe-draftenvironmental state-ment,indicatethatadditional information shouldbefurnished toassessthelong-texm impactofplantoperation onaquaticlife.UntilsuHicient datausingreliablemethodsofsamplingandaccurateassessment ofthisinformation areprovidedtogenerateareasonable levelofdataconfidence, wecannotconcurwiththeCommission staffconclusion thatafull-term operating licenseshouldbegranted.However,iftheCommission issuesafull-term operating licenseunder'hese circumstances, thelicenseshouldbeissuedonlywithappro-'riateconditions toassureprotection oftheenvironment.

Itisgratifying tonotethatthestatement containsasectiononalternate intakesystems.NewYorkStatehasurgedtheCommission toincludethisinfoxmation onseveralotherdraftenvironmental'.

statements.

However,withouttheinfoxmation beingavailable regarding the~variousintakesystems.tobeexamine'd (p.9-17),theStatecannotadequately assessthebenefitsandcostsofvarioussystemsdesignedtoreduceoneoftheplant'smostsignificant environmental impacts.Itisrequested thattheCommission directtheircommentsonexami-nationofthesuggested alternatives totheapplicant anddefertheissuanceofafinalenvironmental statement untiltheinformation i;sprovidedandproperlyassessed.

Thisinformation shouldalsobesupplie'd tothevariousfederalandstateagenciesreviewing thedraftenvironmental statement.

Theircommentsshouldalsobesolicited foll~dngareviewperiod.Enclosure UnitedStatesAtomicEnergyCommission Nash&gton, D.C.2054S'Attention:

DeputyDirectorforReactorProjects, Directorate ofLicensing A-20NEWYORKSI'A'IEontheU.S.ATQHCENERGYCQWISSION'S DRAFTENVIROhthKVCAL STATEKNTforNINEh1ILEPOINTMJCLEARSI'ATIONUNITNO,11.GeneralCorrmentAfterre'.mewing theApplicant's Environmental ReportandtheAEC'sdraftstatement, andobserving thefishimpingement studyattheplant,threethingsareapparent:

1.Alarge'numberoffishhavebeen~ingedonthetraveling screens;2.Avarying,butconsiderable portionofthesecomeoffthescreensalive;3.Theprocessofreturning impingedfishtothelakeprobablykillstheremaining fish.Threechangesinplantanditsoperation wouldappeartoreducethekillofimpingedfish.First,thenormalschedulecallsforthetraveling screens.tobestationary 57minutesofeachhour.Therefore, impingedfishareheldagainstthescreensforaconsiderable time.Ifthescreensweretraveling continuously, theimpingement timewould'begreatlyreducedwithfewerfishdyingonthescreens.Second,thescreensarecleanedwithaveryhighvelocityspray,whichreevesfishframthescreensandslamsthemagainstthehousing.Itisfelt,thatthesprayvelocitycouldbereducedsubstantially andstill insurecleaningofthescreens.Ifthefishwereremovedgently,fewerwoulddieinthisprocess.M.rd,thefishanddebrisfromthescreensflowdirectlyintothediscnarge, withatemperature asmuchas31.2'Fabovethewatertheyjustleft.'Ihefishareinthedischarge tunnelatthistemperature forabouttwominutes,andatreducedtemperatures oftheplumeSoranadditional varyingperiod.Thissamedischarge isperiodically usedfordisposalofchemicalwastesfromthelaundry,regeneration wastes(page3-33),floordrains(page3-16),andwastecollector system(page3-13).Itisfelt,thatthecombinedeffectofbeingheldforupto57minutesonthescreens,beingslammedagainstthehousing,andthenplacedintheheatedandch;:mical discharge fortwoplusminutes,killsmostoftheimpingedfish.Further,itis'Selt,thatthiskillcouldbereducedsubstantially, bycleaningthecreenscontinuously withareducedsprayvelocityandreturning thefishthroughaseparatesluiceway tothelakeawayfromtheintakeanddis-chargeareas.Itshouldbenoted,thatsuch,measureswillnotinsurethatallfishwillsurvive.Someimpingedfishwilldie,andstudieswillhavetobecarriedoutafterthese.modifications goin.effecttodetermine themagnitude andsigni-Ificanceoffish.killedbyimpingement.

Anydecisiononalternate intakedesignsshould,hoover,bemadefollowing thesubmittal bytheapplicant ofinfoxmation onalternate intakesystemsaslsuggested onPage9-17.Theaboverecommendations, however,shouldbeimple-mentedtoreducethefishkillsuntilsuchdecisions aremade.

A-22-3-2.SummaandConclusions Pageiii*-LicenseConditions

.AnyCommission fullteanoperating licenseforthisfacilityshouldbeappropriately conditioned toassurethattheupgradedradwastesystemsareinstalled inthemosttimelymannerandfurtherproventooperatewithintheirdesignparameters.

~3;GeneralCommentItisstatedthatthestaffisoftheopinionthattheapplicant's monitoring programtodatehasnotshownthatthe'intake systemwillavoid=substantial fishkills,withsubsequent lac'<ofconfidence ontheimpactoffishpopulations intheNine,MilePointare.Itisfurtherstatedthat'heapplicant willberequiredtoperformintensive monitoring atsomeunstatedfuturetimetodetermine theseriousness ofthisfish-kill problem.Inaddition, itisstatedthattheapplicant haspresented noalternatives tothedesignofthepresentintakesystem.Basedonthese'statements, andtheconservation assumption thattheintensive monitoring programwillreflect'thatthepresentintakesystemwillnotprevent"substantial" fishkills,itisconsidered prudentthattheU.S.AECrequirethattheapplicant implement

,~theintensive monitoring programassoonaspossible, sothatredesignoftheintakesystem,ifrequired, canbeaccomplished withappropriate disptach.

r A-234.GeneralCoranentWiththeconstruction ofproposedNinehG.lePointUnitho.2,thecirculating watersystemforUnitNo.1willbemodifiedtoacombineddis-chargesystemforbothunits.Adiscussion shouldbepresented oftheIprojected combineddischarge velocityandthermaldilutionimprovements ofthecombineddischarge system.TheState.sreviewofthisreportisobviously irdluenced by.thefactthattheapplicant hasthiscommitment.

S.GeneralConmentAdiscussion oftheapplicant's presentandproposedenergyconservation effortsshouldbeincludedintheEnvironmental Statement.

0.GeneralCourant'ost ofthecommentstheStatepreviously forwarded totheU.S.AtomicEnergyComm-ssion ontheNineh1ilePointUnit2andJamesA.FitzPatrick Plantdraftenvironmental statements regarding thermal/hydraulic waterrqualityconsiderations areapplicable tothisdraftenvironmental statement.

7.GeneralCommentAdiscussion oftheeffectsthattheconstruction andoperation ofthestationhashadonthelocalcomnunity shouldbeincludedin'heEnvironmental Statement.

Theimpactonschools,housing,localroads,etc.,withastatement ponthenetsocietalimpactshouldbeaddressed inthisdiscussion.

S.GeneralCommentTher'e're numerouseditorial.

oversights throughout thedocument..

Forp'xample:pPdpd'd*'ddrdd.1-1,2-1,etc.M.sisconsistent withotherenvironmental statements suchasGinna'sDraftofApril1973,andFitzPatrick's Finalofhfarch1973.

A-24-5-b.Cover-theword"Energy"ismissinginthet.itle'UnitedStatesAtomicEnergyCommission."

dc.Section3.5.1.2,Pae3-16-Thefirstwordoftheparagraph shouldbe"In"insteadof"An."dd.Fire2.5Pae2-9;Fie3.2Pae3-3,andFire3.14'ae3-38e.Thepoorqualityofthephotographs inFigures2.5,3.2.and3.14doeslittletopromotetheaesthetic features.

ofthefacility.

NuclideSymbols-Aconsistent setofcolsshouldbeusedtoidentifyradionuclides

'inTables3.2,3.3,3.6,3.7,and5.3d.:..~dddd.ddd,ddducesan.:wfishtotheLakeOntariof.tshery, the"allleye."

9.SummaandConclusions PaeiandIntrodtction,Pael-l(notpagenumbered)

.d'Ihesesection"notethat1850i~Mtisrequirdtoproduce610Mfenet.'Ihe610Nfenetisquestioned, sinceotherNineMilePointUnitNo.1documents (i.e.,sU.S.AECROInquiryReportNo.50-220/72-110 ofll/21/72) noteahigherthan610Mfeoutput.10.SummaandConclusions BPaeiv,suggeststhatstudiesbeconducted to"...evaluatethemagnitude ofthefish-kill problem."

Nesubmitthatthefishkillislarge(Table5.12,page5-33)andthatsomesteps,asoutlinedIabove,betakentoreducethekillimmediately.

Thenconductamonitoring programtodetermine theextenttowhichNineNilePointisstillkillingfish,andtheeffectofthiskillonthelocalpopulations andon.LakeOntario,11.SummaandConclusions Paeiv-ThefifthTechnical Specification Require-mentshouldb'eexpandedtoread,"TheApplicant willconductaterrestrial

'.monitoring programto,detezmine theenvironmental effectsoftheuseof'erbicides for-linemaintenance.

Particular attention shouldbeivento A-25-6-11.'(continued) veetationwhichfiressificantlinthe'life-cleofvaluedwildlifecieswhichma'occthisriht-of-wa.Theprogram.andConclusions, Pa~eiii-LicenseConditions The500-footwideclearedtransmission linecorridorhasasignificant Aanddisturbing visualimpact.Theapplicant shouldberequired, asacondition offull-term licensing,.

toalleviate this.situation bymeansofplanting.

Treesoflimitedheightpotent'-al, andshrubs,plantedingroupsatselectedspotswherelong,straightsecuonsofthecorridoroccur,willreducethetunnel-like aspect.Speciesoftreesandshrubshavingwildifebenefitsshouldbeused.Similarplantings shouldbemadeatpointswherethecorridorisi".ter-sectedbyaroadorstream.13.Tablel-lPae1-4~.PexmitsfromtheN.Y.S.Department ofEnvironmental Conservation areneededforthestandbydieselgenerators andfirepump.14.Section2.2Page2-7Itisstatedthattheentireshoreline northofUnit1willbeaccessible tothepublic.Thisisnotclear,sincetheEnvironmental Reportnotesthatmostofthesiteareahasonlyrecreational possibilities, exceptforthat'estricted areaintheimmediate vicinityofthegenerating stationwhichincludestheStation's immediate shoreline.

15.Section2.4Page2-8'Ihephenomena ofbedrock"pop-up"shouldbebrieflydiscussed inthissection.'Ihediscussion shouldincludestatements thattheapplicant (PSARforUnit2)

A-26-7-15.(continued) observedno"pop-up"featuresofconsequence duringUnit1excayation, andthattheclosestreportedfeaturesofconsequence arenearLamille,approxi-mately50milesnortheast'of thesite.16.Section2.5.2,Paes2-10and2-.11Paragraph 3andFigure2.6notethatLakeOntariohasamaximumsurfacetemperature of72'Fduringsummer.Paragraph 2ofSection3.4'Page3-7)statesthat&eintakewatertemperature varieswiththeseasonfrom33to77'F.Initialimp,".ctimpliesadescrepancy (this-impactisfurthersubstantiated bystatements thatverticalthermalstratification existsduringthesummer,tandthattheintakestructure isaminimumof15feetbelowthesurface)unlessitisclarified (asintheFitzPatrick Environmental Technical Specifications)

~that:(1)the77'Ftemperature isthemaximumrecordedLaketemperature, and(2)that.77'."istheconservative designbasisforestablishing themaximumallowable discharge temperature.

17.Section3.2Pae3ItisstatedthatthereactorhasaStretchratingof1880Milt,correspondingto0netelectrical outputof610Nfe.Thisisquestioned, since'receding sections(Pagel-landi)notethatthesearerated.values:18.Section3.3.Page3-4Itisstatedthattheapplicarit proposestouseahighpressurewaterflushorothermechanical meanstopreventfoulingofthecondensers.

This"isnotclear,sincehighpressurewaterflushingisnotconsidered mechanical cleaning. 19.Fire3.3Pae3-5Thefigureappearstodepicttheexisting, andnottheupgraded, liquidraduestesystembecausefloordrainsampletankdrainsareshowngoingdirectlytothecirculating watersystemdischarge.

Thusitshouldbenoted,atleastfortheradwasteportionofthewater-usage flowfigure,thattheexistingsystemisdepicted.

Inaddition, thedischarge canal,screenhouseanddischarge tunnelshouldbelabeledtoclarifywhereeffluentdischarges inter-facewiththecirculating waterdischarge system.20.Fire3.4Pae3-6'Figure3.4isentitled"Circulating t<aterSystem:Plan."Itisrecommended thatthi.stitlebemodif.edto"Intakeanddischarge

tructurelocations:

Plan.".Thistitlemorecorrectly describes thatportionofthecoolingwatersystemdepicted, andiscons'stent withthedescription contained inSection3.4.Inaddition, forclarity(Reference Figure3.4ofFitzPatrick sFinalEnvironmental Statement datedhfarch,1973)theintakeanddischarge tunnelsshouldbelabeled,andafter"intake"and"discharge" theword"structure" added.21.Section3.4:1Pa'3-7IThefollowing clarifications andcorrections shouldbemade:a.Forclarityandforconsistency withSection3.4.2,itshouldbenotedthattheintakestructure islocatedabout850feetoffshore.

b.Itisstatedthattheintaketunnelhasa74square-foot crosssection.About78square-feet moreaccurately describes thecrosssectionofthe10'footdiameterintaketunnel.c."Diagrammatic Sketch"betterdescribes thescreenwall sheminFigure'3.6 A-28921.(continued) c.(continued) than"Schematic Diagram."

Schematic Diagramintonates singleline(wiring,piping,etc.)depictions.

'IhetitleofFigure3.6shouldalsobechanged.d.Itshouldbeclarified thatthenoted8fpsvelocitythroughtheintaRetunnelisadesignvelocitybasedonthecoolingwaterflowrequirerents formxhttutnpoweroutput.'.Adescription ofthetraveling screen"sbachuashing sequenceandsluicingoperation shouldbeincluded22.Section3.4.2,Pae3-7Thefollowing clarifications andcorrections shouldbemade:a.It,shouldbenotedthatthedischarge

~elis10feetindiameter.

'.ItisstatedthattheeHluenthasaninitialvelocityofapproximately 4fps.Itisnotclearwhereinthedischarge BowpaththiseHluentvelocityexists.23.Fire3.6,Pae3-9'IBesenricewaterandfirepumpsshouldbelabeledonFi'gure3.6,sinceparagraph 3.4.1referstothemasbeingshownofFigure3.624.Table3.2Pae3-19-Liststheestimated annualreleaseofradioactivity inliquideffluents.

'Ihetabledoesnotin'el@dedissolved noblegases.'ppendixI10CFRSOstates:A'"Ihedesignobjectives guidesforliquideHluentsincludelimitations onbothquantities andconcentra-tions'of.radioactive materialineffluents.

Theestimated annualquantityofradioactive

material,

'f A-29-10-24.(continued) excepttritium,releasedtounrestricted areaswouldbelimitedtonotmorethanfivecuriesperpowerreactoratasite."Thequantities andenvironmental effectsofdissolved noblegasesshouldbe\evaluated.

25.Table3.2Pa~e3-19'IheisotopeRu-103isincorrectly ident':fied asRa-103.26.Table3.3I'ape3-20andTable3.7Pae3-29Alicensecondition notesthattheapplicant willcompleteconst'"~ion ofanewrachmstebuildingonsite(expected tobefullyoperational inlate1975withtheliquideffluentportionbeingoperational inSeptember 1974)toassurecompliance withthe"aslowaspracticable" criteriacontained in10CFR50.7+les3.3and3.7tabulateestimated annualreleaseofradio-activityinliquidandgaseouseffluents fortheupgradedradwastesystem.Itisquestioned ifthesereleasesmeettheconditions ofNASH-1258-(numerical GuidesforDesignObjectives AndLimitingConditions ForOperation ToMeetTheCriteria"AsLowAsPracticable" ForRadioactive MaterialInLight-Nater-Cooled NuclearReactorEffluents) fortheproposedtreatment pro-videdintheupgradedradtiaste systemwastestreams.IfM'H-1258criteriaandconditions aremet,itisrecommended thatthisbenotedontheconcerned tablesand,inaddition, brieflydiscussed inSection3.27.Section3.5.1.6Pape3-18'Iheapplicant's calculations regarding thepresentliquidwastetreatment systemunderestimated theactualreportedradioactivity, excluding tritium,inliquidreleasesbyafactorofaboutfifteenthousand.

'IheEnvironmental Statement shouldtherefore provide'ore thancalculational evidencetosupportthecontention thatradioactivity releasedfromtheupgradedliquidwastetreatment systemwillmeetthe"as.lawaspracticable" guidelines.

28.Table3.3Pae3-20Incolumnfive,the0:0014shouldbereplacedbyTC-99m.29.Section3.5.2.2,Pae3-26Theupgradedgaseouswastetreatment systemshowsasinglecatalytic recombiner system.Apparently theTable3.7doesnotconsiderdeemtimefortherecoabiner system.Forthedraftenvironmental statement ofthe,Fitzpatrick plant,adowntimeoftendaysperyearwasconsidered andcon-siderable noblegaseswereestimated tobereleased.

30.Table3.6Page3-27Theisotope~Krislistedtwice.Thesecondentryshouldbe%r.31.Section3.5.3Page3-28The'ection onsolidwasteshouldconsiderthedisposalproblemasthiswasnotcoveredintheSurveyoftheNuclearFuelCycle".Tobetterevaluatethedisposalproblem,theisotopic.breakdem, particularly thealphacontent,>shouldbepresented inordertodemonstrate thesewasteswillmeetburialcriteria.

32.Section3.5.3,Pae3-30'Ihestaffestimateofsolidwastebaseduponexperience atotheroperating BNRplantsisgivenas11,000cubicfeetwithanactivityof2700curies.Theactualexperience atNinedefilePointUnitNo.1indicates aboutthesameorderofmagnitude oftotalcubicfeetwithanactivityofapproximately 10'0ofthestaff.estimate.

Thereasonorsignificance ofthisdifference'hould bediscussed.

A-31i-12-33.Section3.8Pae3-3SItisstatedthattoallowforprobab"eneedforafuture345-kVtransmission line,a500-footright-of-way waspurchased.

Thefuture345-kVtransmission lineisquestioned, sinceapplicant stestimony (Garey,NYSPublicServiceCommission Case26251,TrPageSm4657ofJanuary26,1973),andtheFinalEnvironmental Statement forUnit2notethatthepro-.posedfuturetransmission lineis765-kV.34.Section4.1.1Pae4-1Thefirstparagraph states,"Theapplicant established 130acresoftlsiteasawildlifehabitatin1969bypostingtIenorthwest corneroftheste."Supplement 1,oftheapplicant's environme

>talreportreferstothisareaasa"naturalwildliferefuge"(pageS1.5-1).Theproblemhereisuseoftermsandintent.Itwouldseemthatthereasonfor.postingwassafetyconcernsforthevisitorcenterandthereisnoargumentagainstthat.However,if'that'sthecase,stateit.Theycertainly didnot"...establish

...Pwildlifehabitat...

byposting..."

anditisquestionable thattheyestablished anaturalwildliferefugewithanactivevisitorcenterinvolved.

Itwouldbeverydesirable atsometimetohaveanactivewildlife'management programonthe855acresavailable, butuntilthisis.thecase,nosuchinference shouldbemade.35.Section4.1..1Pae4-1Itisstatedthatnoimpactsonneighboring landswillresultfromcon-struction oftheradwastebuildingandthattheeffectswillbetemporary.

Yet,therad>atebuildingwilltakeapproximately Oioyearstocomplete, theJamesA.FatzPatrick plantwillbeunderconstruction nearbyandadditional 35.(continued) plantsmaybeconstructed inthevicinity;

'Ihesynergetic effectmightbeacontinuing emrironmental impactfromconstruction noise.,36.Section4.1.2Pae4-1Wenotethatthestationisconnected totheApplicant's systembytwo345kVtransmission linesandtheright-of-way isplannedforanadditional 765kVline.TheFinalEnvironmental Stat~ment shouldpresentdataonthesoundlevelsproducedby-theselines.Theintention oftheApplicant withregardtothepossibleinstallation ofhighervoltagelinesandtheresulting potential fcrincreased soundlevelsshould.alsobestatedintheFinalEnvironmental Statement.

37.Section4.1.',Pae4-2,'tshouldbenotedthattheexsiting500-footcorridoraccommodates two345-kVtransmission linestotheClaySubstation.

Inaddition, itshouldalsobenotedthatwithconstruction ofproposedNineMilePointUnit2,atleastaportionoftheeastern.edgeoftheexistingcorridorwouldhavetobeextendedtoaccommodate anew765-kVtransmission line.38.Section5.1:2Transmission LinesWeconcurwiththefactthattheApplicant didnothavethebenefitoftheStateofNewYorkDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation.

guidelines andrecommendations fortransmission linelocationandconstruction (asstated.inSection4.1.2)whentheoriginal500ft.corridorwasselectedandcleared(theNineMilePointUnit-Clay Circuit).

However,thisdoesnotprecludetheuse,ofsaidguidelines inthemaintenance ofthetransmission lineswhichareapartofthereferenced documents.

A-33-14-38.(continued)

Accordingly, kindlyconsiderthefollednginthepreparation ofanenvironmental maintenance management planforthisinstallation:

a.)"Itisrecognized thatitwillbenecessary fortheapplicant toperiodically aspectthetransmission lineandtheroach'ndtomaintainsaidlineandroadwaytoinsurethesafetransmission ofpower."b.)Dangertrees,asdetermined bythedesignated representatives oftheapplicant andtheregulatory agency,maybecutaslongas4conditions andlimitations forsuchmttingareestablished priortothestartofoperation.

c.)Nativevegetation, particularly thatofvaluetofishandwildlife, whichwassavedduringconstruction orhassincereproduced tonaturalgrowingconditions anddoesnotposeahazardtothefacilityshouldbeallowedtogrow,andincriticalareasshouldbeplantedintheright-of-way.

d.)Accessroadsandserviceroadsshouldbemaintained wi'thnativegrasscover,waterbarsandproperslopeinamannerwhichthedesignated representatives ofthe'pplicant andtheregulatory agencydeemsufficient topreventsoilerosion.e;)Burningwillnotbepermitted duringmaintenance operation.

f.)Theprevention andcontrolofenvironmental noisepollution resulting frommaintenance operations andtheoperation ofthehighvoltagetransmission lineshouldconformwithMwYorkState'proposedregulations.

A-34-15-g.)Maintenance orlandmanagement oftheright-of-way inmanyinstances canbebestaccomplished byencouraging theownerorformerownertocontinuehislanduseinsofarasitiscompatible withtheApplicant's objectives.

Suchlandusemightbetheraisingofvariouscrops,grazing,andrecreational uses.39.Section5.1.2Thefolloivzng arerecanmended modifications toSection5.1.2oftheDraftEnvironmental Statement forNinedefilePointUnitl.ATechnical ISpecification fortheNineMilePointUnit1.shouldbedeveloped usingthissectionasmodified:

a.Section5.1.2(b)-change"should"to"shall"b.Section5.1.2(c)-changeto"Treatment shallnotbemorethanoncevery4years."c.Section5.1.2(d)-ch'ange"should"to"shall"d;Section5.1.2(e)-tftttte.Section5.1.2(f)-andaddatend"andtheirwrittenapprovalsecured."

Section5.1.2(g)-Addsentenceatend-"Allpesticide applicators shallbecertified applicators underStateprovisions andshallcomplywithapplicable Statestandards."

40.Section5.1.2,Pae5-2g.Section5.1.2(h)-No"safe"dioxinlevelhasbeenestablished.

h.Section5.1.2(i)-Addphraseatend-"andactiontakentoensure,thatdrift,orvolatilization beheldto.aminimumforfutureapplications."

Itisstatedthat'isostandsofpotentially poisonous plantsshouldbesprayedwithherbicides."

Nearecuriousaboutthebasisforthisrecom-mendation.

A-35-16-40.(continued)

Recomendation (j)should'be expandedtoincludealistofpotentially poisonous plants.41.Section5.2.4Pae5-12Inparagraph an,themacimumallowable grossbetaactivityshouldbecorrected to1000picocuries perliterratherthanthestated100picocuries 42.Section5.5.1Pae5-31Thediscussion ofenvironmental noiseisinadequate.

Asurveyshouldbemadeofsoundlevelsinandaroundtheplanttodetermine sound1evelscreatedduringvariousmodesofplantoperation.

.hesurveyshouldincludesoundlevelsassociated withhighvoltagetran~ssion facilities.

Resultsof:thesurveywouldpermitanevaluation ofthesoundlevelimpactfromthisplant,andwouldbeusefulinevaluating thepotential impactofproposedUnit2.Xtissuggested thatasoundlevelstudyberequiredoftheapplicant, andtnatastatement tothateffect(asrecommended incommentNo.44)couldbeaddedtotheTechnical Specification Requirements onpageivoftheDraftEnvironmental Statement.

43.~Pae5-31Itisstatedthat,"TheApplicant's measurements ofsoundintensity indi-catedthatthemaximumsoundproducedatthesiteboundaries wasfromthetransformer atalllocations; soundintensity fromthetransfoxmer wasequaltoorlessthanthebackground noise."Theacoustical environmental impactevaluation shouldbepresented inaccordance withPart75ofSubchapter EoftheNYSPublicServiceCommission InterimRulesforCertificates ofEnnron-mentalCompatibility andPublicheedforSteamElectricGeneration Facilities.

I A-36-17-43.(continued)

Itisnotedthattransfoxmers generally radiatepuretoneswhicharemoreannoyingthanbroadbandnoiseofthesameenergycontent.44.~Pee5-31Theenvironmental technical specifications forNineMilePointUnit1shouldincludethefollowing:

OBJECZIVES Todetexmine.the soundlevelscreatedduringnoxmalplantoperations atandbeyondtheplantboundaries.

SPECIFICATIONS Asoundsurveyshallbemadearoundtheplantinaccordance withPart75ofSubchapter EoftheInterimRulesforCertificates ofEnvironmental Compatibi-lityandPublicNeedforSteamElectricGeneration Facilities ofthePublicServiceCorxCission.

Thesemeasurements shallbetakenfollowing initialfullpoweroperation.

Theresultsshallbeevaluated bytheapplicant andareportwiththeappropriate recommendations astothefutureoftheprogramshallbe,submitted totheDirectorate ofLicensing andtheNewYorkStateEnvironmental' Consexvytion Department forconsideration.

BASESThesoundsurveyshallshowtheextenttowhichtheplantaffectstheambientnoiseinsurrounding landuses.'Ibisinfoxmation isneededtoinsurethattheplantconformstonoiserulesandregulations oftheNewYorkStateEnviron-mentalConsexvation Department:

Theinfoxmation willalsobeusefultothesurrounding comunities'or land-useplanningdecisions.

Inaddition, ifasecondplantisproposedthedatawillbeneededforpreparation of.theEnvironmental ImpactStatement forthatplant. Theabovesoundsurveyandsubsequent evaluation shouldbecompleted priortoissuanceofaFullTennLicense.45.Section5.5.2a.IntakeEffectsa~e5-31.Thefourthsentence, 2ndparagraph impliesthatalewivesand'smeltamountedto82'fthefishspecieswhichwereimpinged.

Actually,.

these2speciesareonly6.7~aofthe30speciescollected.

Ofthe12,987fishcollected duringtheimpingement studies,82<weresmeltoralewives.

dd.'..*.&H'dodd.Thedescription givenhereofremovaoffishfromthetraveling screensdiffersfry':theprocessobservedattheplant.Thisstatement infersthatimpingedfisnremovedfromthetraveling screens"...collect inthetrashpitalongwiththedebris,"andthat"The"ecological death"ofthesestressed'danddisabledfishappearsinevitable."

Inobsexvation ofthisprocess,thefishwereremovedfromthescreensbyahighvelocityspray,slammedagainstthehousingandwentdirectlytothedischarge.

Alargepercentoftheseimpingedfishwerealiveastheyenteredthedischarge.

Wesubmit,thatecological deathisnotinevitable, andthat'minor modifications suggested (commentItl)abovewouldsavemanyofthese,Thethemeofthelastparagraph ofthissectionwascoveredincomment810.47.~Pae3-36Itisstatedthat"mechanical stressdoesnotappeartobesignificant atmoderatelaketemperatures (50'-59'F),

yetthereisnostatement oftheeffectsofmechanica1 stressatothertemperatures.

'Ihedraftenvironmental statement should.discusstheseeffectsalso.'

A-38-19-48.Section5.5.2b.Entrainment EffectsPae5-37Thelastthreesentences ofthissection,page5-37,aptlysumupthesubjectofentrainment, particularly offisheggsandlarvae,atNineMilePoint81.ThisshouldbeaddedtoSummaryandConclusions, pageiatthebottanofthepage.49.Section5.5.2cThermaldischaresEffects(1)Fishes.Pae5-37Thestaffmakesseveralreferences topreferred temperatures offish.C.Thestatements arecorrect.However,,it shouldbenotedinthissection,thatthesepreferred temperatures aredetermined forthemostpart,byveryshorttermlaboratory experiments.

Andth"ttheyonlyindicatetemperatures fishpreferred overtemperatures theywercacclimated toatthetime.Preferred temperatures inthiscontextmayormaynotindicatebiologically desirable terrgeratures forgrowth,maturation, reproduction, etc.50.Section5.5.2c.(1)Fishestoofae5-38.f'Ihestatement ismadethatoccasional smallfishmaytravelintolethaltemperatures.

Thismayormaynot'haveanybasisandreferences forthisstatement wouldbeappreciated.

51.Section6.1AuaticMonitorin Proram.ae6-lThe3rdsentenceofthegeneralstatement infersthatfishdistributions andfoodpreferences areknowntosomeextent.Thisdoesn'tseemtobeafact.Abetterstatement mightbethat..."Only sinceMay1970,hastheapplicant

-collected datathatcouldleadtofishdistribution, food...,"

52.Section6.1c.Fishes1stararahae6-2.,Inallbiological monitoring

programs, theneedforstandardization, wheredesirable, ofmethodsofdatarecording andanalysissixthpastandon-going 52.(continued)

LakeOntariostudiessuchastheInternational FieldYearintheGreatLakesandtheDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation, CapeVincentstudiesshouldbestressed.

Thereareconsiderable dataavailable andbeingcollected whichwouldbevaluableforevaluation oftheNineMilePointmonitoring.

However,thesecouldonlybeusedwhentheNineMilePointdatawerecomparable.

Forexamp3.e, moststudiesontheLakeusinggi'1netsindicatethatanll-meshexperimental gillnetsamplesspeciesandsizesthebest.ThisisthegearusedbytheDEC,Federalstudies,andotImrs,however,theapplicant hasbeenusinga5-meshnet.Towardtheendofthisparagraph, theStaffsuggestsseiningalongtheshore.Trapnets(frequently tended)wouldbebettertosamplethissituation.

Inordertoalleviate thepossibility ofanincomplete ordistorted monitoring andassessment program,itisrecommended, thattheapplicant reviewtheseprogramswiththisDepartment, beforestartingstudies,andperiodically throughout thestudy.53.Section6.1c.'ishesae6-31stararah.MefullyagreewiththeStaff'sstatement onthevalueofechosounderdata.Nerecommend thatfurtherstudies,bedesignedtoevaluatewhatdataisactuallybeingrecordedbytheechosounder,e.g.,species,size"of*fishrecordedatvariousdepths,sizeoffishthatarenotrecordedatvariousdepths,andconditions thatalterrecording patterns.

54.Section6.1c.Fishesae6-33rdsararah.Thefood-preference studywillhavenovalueifgillnettedfishare'used.

Fishingillnets',tend toloosefoodinthenetandtheirgutcontentsgivea A-40"-21.-.54.(continued) biasedviewoffoodhabits.Fishforthistypeofanalysisneedtobecapturedandworkedupveryfastto-getanaccuratepictureoffoodhabits.Inthissameparagraph, the5thlinefromthebottom,"important species"shouldnotbelimitedto"commercial" importance.

55.Section6.1f.Entrainment Studiesae6-4..Itshouldbeemphasized thatsamplesbetakenwithappropriate gearclosetoandattheleveloftheintakeinthelakeaswellastheintakeanddischarge wells.C66.~Pae9-9ItisstatedthattheApplicant hasmadeaspecificdesignstudyofnaturalandforceddraftcoolingtowersandthatoneofthedisadvantages;of forced-drafttowersismorenoise.'Ibisdisadvantage=should bequantified'in t:xmsoftheincreased numbersofpersonsexposedtovarioussoundlevelsifforceddxaftcoolingtowerswereutilized.

ADVISORYCOUNCIL'N.

HISTORICPRESERVATIONWASHINGTON, D.C.202toSeptember 4,197350-220Mr.DanielR.MullerAssistant DirectorforEnvironmental Pro'jects Directorate ofLicensing U.S.AtomicEnergyCommission washington, D.C.20545

DearMr.Muller:

ThisisinresponsetoyourrequestofJuly5,1973,'forcommentsontheenvironmental statement fortheNineMilePointNuclearStationUnit1.Pursuanttoitsresponsibilities underSection102(2)(C) oftheNationalEnvironmental PolicyActof1969,theAdvisoryCouncilon.,HistoricPreservation hasdetermined

'thatyourdraftenvironmental statement appearsadequateregarding ourareaofexpertise andwehavenofurthercommentstomake.~incerelyours,,Tapmaompliance Officerffrf(.fy4Epg)g~3<<Ciibyttacouteauanindependent apcncyo/theBecca(ice Brancho/theF<<fera(Cooernment.

4charprdbytAeActo/Octobertt.(tee,ndthadcfe(npthePrccfdext artdConprccei>>thclfc(do/ll4torfcPrcerreation.

cowmentisponFcdera(,/edcraWyaec4trd,and/cdcra((y licence&sndcrtaklnpe Aacfnpancf/cctsyontrroycrtfce lfctcdintheNationalRcp4tcro/l(4torlePlacce,rccowwcnd(sp wcacsrcelocoordinate poeernmcntol sdthprirateaetio(sce.

adclclnponthed4eeisfna(4n o/is/ormatios, cscosrapfnp psb(icintereetandpartfclpation.

rccawwend(aythecondsrto/epccialetsdice.adc4inp(ntheprcyaratfon o/(epic(at(on.

asdcncosropi<<p epee(a((ccd (ra(slapand<<dorothy>>,

asdps(dfnpthcf/n(tcdStoteewembcrehfp fntAc/sterna((anat Centre/ortheStsdyo/thePreecroatfon andtheRoc(era(4n o/Ca(tora(Property,AsRome.italy.

>>ggoS1gp<C~g1<A-42UNITEDSTATESENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYV/ASHINGTON.

D.C.20460VSEPi37350-220QIMr.L.I!armingtluntzihg DirectorofRegulation U.S.AtomicEnergyCommission Hashington, D.C.20545

DearMr.Huntzing:

[tIIlLiSEPj.O!973"IJ$.A'IOm"Fli-ll$Tp;:;u,ill lion$0;IIBSOFFICEOFTII/AOMINISTAATOI TheEnvironmental Protection Agencyhasreviewedthedraftenvironmental impactstatement fortheflineNilePointi'luclear Stat;ion, Unit1.'Thisstatement wasissuedinconj,unctionwiththe'utility's application forcon-version'f itsprovisional operating licensetoafull-term 1icen'se'.HeconcurpiththeAECstaffopinionthattheexistingmonitoring programforassessing theextentofimpingementandentrainmentlossesisinadeouate.,HeagreewiththeAECstaff'recomimendationthatthispro0rambesubstantia11yexpanded.Becauseofthislackofinforinationconcerning theeffectsoftheplantonthebiotaofthereceiyingwaters,acompleteassessmentofthep1ant'environmental impactisnotpossib1e.Conseouent1y,itisourrecommendationthatthefina1impactstatementnotbeorocessedandthefu11-termoperating1icensenotbegrantedunti1aftercomp1etion=ofthemonitorinqprogramandana1ysisoftheresu1ts.Intheinterim,'hep1antshouldcontinuetooperateunderits,provisiona11icense.Thecoolingsystemasnowoperatedcausesavio1ationoftheNewY0rkStatecriteriafortherma1discharges.Heanticipatethatthisdischargewouldbeinvio1ationofarevisiontoFederal-Statestandards undertheFederalHaterPo11utionControlActAmendments ofl972(FliPCA)andwou1d,ina11probabi1ity,failtomeeteff1uentguide1inesundertheF!IPCAwhentheyarepromulgated

.Herecommend

,there-fore,thattheapplicant eva1uatea1ternativeheatdissipa-'ionsystemsforthis"faci1ity.Thefactthatactua1operating experience hasresu1tedinhigher'iquidre1easesthanthosecalculated leadsusto questiontheapplicability oftheAECstandardmodelfor'valuating liquidradwastesystems..Thefinalstatement shouldaddressspecifically whatequipment deficiencies haveoccurredandwhatcorr'ective actionshavebeentaken,orwhatcommitments havebeenmadetotakesuchactions,whichwillinsurethattheliquidradwasteequipmentwillperformasdesigned.

Afteranexamination ofthedisparity betweenAECestimates of'uriesreleasedandtherelativepercentages

~ofcriticalisotopesreportedinthe1'971and1972operating reportsforthestation,wequestionthevalidityofsome~ofthebasic'assumptions usedby.theAECintheirdosecal-culations forthisnuclearstation.Useofthe.standardAECdosemodelisacceptable oddlyifitadequately reflectsreportedoperational releasesfromthestation.since1972.Thisdiscrepancy shouldberectified inthefinalstatement.

O'erdetailedcommentsonthisdraftstatement areenc16sdd.

~In,lightofourreviewofthisstatement andinaccordance with'EPAprocedure, we'haveclassifi,ed theproj-ectasER(Environmental Reservations) andratedthedraftstatement asCategory2i(Insufficient Information).

liewould,bepleasedtodiscussourclassification orcommentswithyouormembersofyourstaff..'Sincerely.yours,Pc/~~jA.-~heldontteyersDirectorOfficeof-FederalActivities Enclosure A-44EPACT'!D-.AEC-06112-flY Eif'UIROllf'IEllTflL PROTECTION'l AGENCYl/ashincgton, D.C.20~<60Septer,='er1973EilVIRO'(ilEifTAL IllPACTSTATEf":""llT COfiiiEf)TS Hingtlile;Point'fluclear Station,Unit1LTABLEOFCOll.EflTS,

.>><<rrvDUCTIOfl AiD'COilCLUSIO lSRADIOLOGICAL s'iSPECTSRad-'cactive'!Jaste Hanager;ntDos-Assess.".:

ntReactorAccidents HO'f-,RADIOLOGICAL,ASPECTS

'iological ConsidrationsTlierva~l Co~siderations Otiier'lfatcr equalityEffectsAirequalityandfleteorolon~

p\'335.7,7'01219 A-45IHTRODUCTIC'<

/'.il0CG!iCLUSIO,"iSTheEnvironmental Protection Ago'ncy(EPA}hasreviewedthedraftenvironmental i!epactstatement fortheiiinehilePointi"uclearStationUnitIprepavedbytheU.S.AtomicEnergyCommission (AEC)andissuedonJuly5,19/3.Following.

areour'ajorconclus.ions:

l.Thepr6posodaugmented radioactive wastemanagemeni:

systemisexpected-to 14)itradioactive veleasestoa,levelthatcanbeconsidered"as1owaspracticable,"2.Operating datafromthisplantleadustoquestionthe'pplicability ofthAECstandardriodelfovevaluating theliquidradwastetreatment systems.The'finalstatement shouldaddress,specifically, whatequipment dficiencies haveoccurredandwhatcorrective actionshavebeentai;enorarecommitted to,whichwillinsui=thatthe:1iquidiadwasteequipmint wi>1per>Gvmasdesiuneu.3.Afteranexamination oftiie'cuvies releasedandtherelatis'e-pevcentages ofcviticali'sotopes vepo!'ted inthe1971aiid1972opevating reportsfovthestation,wecuestionthevalidityofsome.ofthebasicassumptions usedbytheAECintheirdose,calculations forthisnucleavstation.UseofthestandardAECdosemodelisacceptable onlyifitadequately reflectsreportedoperational releasesfrcmthestationsince1972.H4.1't:eexistingmonitoring programfovassessing theextentofimpingem..nt andentrainment lossesis'inadequate.

'He.concurwiththeAECstaff'srecommendation thatthisprogrambesubstantially expanded.

5.Owingtothelackofinform'ation concerning theeffectsoftheplantonthebiotaofthereceiving water,aco!r!delete assess...ent of.-theplant'se>>vironmontal impactisnotpossible.

Consequently, itisourrecommendation thatthefinalstatemnt'notbeprocessed andthefull-germ operating licensenot.begranteduntilafter.completion ofthemonitoring progrciandanalysisoftheresults.Intheinterim,theplantshouldcontinuetooperateunder.itsprovisional license.6.Thecoolingsystemaspresently d'esigned willcausellewYorkStatecriteriaforthermaleffluents tobegrosslyexceeded.

A-47RADIO!.Ol'ICAf.

h.".PLOTS Radioactive l".astefi-nape",!ent Theradioactive wastemanage.ntsystemscurrently beingutilizedintf;efiineNilePoint,fnuclearStationUnit1are'notrepresentative ofcurrentpractice.

However,th..proposedaugmented radioact.ive wastesystemsinclud"state-of-the-art" techno'fogy and,ifproperlyoperatedandmaintained consi'stent with10CFRPart50,thedischavges shouldbe"aslowaspvacticable'."

Asnotedonpage3-18ofthedraftstatement, "Opratingexperience todatehasresultedinhigherliquidreleasesthanthosecalculated.

1Theoper<sting maintena!!ce veportindicates thattheradwateequipment hasnotperfcvmed according todesign."Thesedeiciencics

~ouldbeduetoavavietyofcauses,suchaalackofco'll()onent reliability causivgexcessleal:ag,ovfailuretoachieveexpecteddecontamination factcrs.Ontheother'hand, thiproblemsthathaveoccurredmaybepeculi<<rtotheHinehilePoint1stationrathevthanthewas'tetreatment equipment itselt,duetooperational factors.Inviewofthecurvently available operating exp"vience, weareconcerned!iitl!

theapplicability oftheAf,'Cs'tandard modelforevaluating theliquidvadwastesystem.Thfinalstatement shouldaddresspecifically whatdeficiencies haveoccurredandthecorrective actionsthathavebeenimplementrd, oravecommitted

'Ito,whichwillinsurethattheliquidreleaseswillbe"as.lowaspracticabl e."Ifcorrective actionhasalreadybeentaken,thenwewouldencou!acetheutil1zatlonofopevat'ln(J datatakensubsequent tothatactionto A-48valida<ctheAECstandardmodelfortheanalysistobemadeinthefinalstatep;Qn DoseAssessme!>t Heaveconcern"d withthevalid',ty of'singtheAECstandardassumptions inthedosecalculations associated withliquidreleasesfromth.s.ationinlightoftheavailable operating data.Thisconcernistwo.-f'old:

1)thoperating dataindicateamuchgreatertotalactivi<y.rclcQse'lajld2)1avg.variati0saeQYidentinthpercentages ofcritical1ong-1ivedisotopes(isotopi'cmix)observedinoperating dataversustheAECpedictedvel..ases.1hfol1owingtablei11ustratesthepjoblrm:AECest";ma'"e ofexIscingsystejj.ralrasas1971opvatingdataadjustedto80"-loadfac<'nva1972opej'ating dataadjustedto8051oad.fart'orIsotope1972itotalCi1971total.,Ci1972/.tota1CiCs-13-:Cs-137i~in-54Co-60I-1330'0'0~11015~750.036,0.0320.00~i'.037 0.63Accojdij'gly,thcfinalstatement should0.7011.14,8555147291155118,4845136701'-20.09.3026.013.65-0.90.371.951.01useeitherextrapolationsfrom4theexistingopev<tingdatafovthedosecalculations,ovjustifytheuseof'thstandardAECmodel,inordertopresentaworevealisticIpictur.oftheimpactofthisfaci1ity.I~TI'aAS)Dl'<itlOAEPA<,,initsc,".vlicrreviewsofthe"-:vivo'jmnta'limpactoftvansporta<

ionofradioactive jjatejial,agveedwiththeAECthatmanyaspectsofthispvc".Cmfouldbestbetveatedonagenericbasis.The A-49genericapproachhas1"Qacl)ed thepoint):hereonFebr.!avy 5,1973,theAECpublish"d'for commentin.theFed'alRogiste)'

vulemaking oroposalconcerning t!e"Environ)'Qntal EffectsofTransportation ofFueland.!lastefromHuclea)Po)ierReactors."

EPi~co."'I'nted ontileproposedvulcan"king byalettertotheAEC,dated!larchP2,1973,anI!byanappearance atthepublich.aiingonA'pail2,1973.Untilsuchtimea..'ageiericrl<leisestablished, theEPAiscontinuing toassesstheadequacyofthe'quantiiativeestimates ofenvironmental.radiati'oi1 i))'~pact lesul'ing vo.tran.portation ofIrad'ioactiye m~terials pvovidedinQnviror)I)ental state));ents.

Tl)Qestimates prov'dcdforthisstationaredeemedadequatebasedoncurrently availabl~ingnvm!tion.

AnaCtnvArrir).nt~EPAhase>:?'..)ined theIIECanalysisofaccid"I)ts andt!1eirpotential

~erist;s<:hichACChasdevelo!:Qd.in t!1.,cou)'sofitsengineering evaluation of)eacto)'".1ety inti0desi<')1Gf)!clearplai'(ts.

Since=theseaccidntsareco))montoallnuclealpo"el"plantsGfagiYen'typ,EPAconcurs)liththeAEC's.app)oachtoevaluatetheenvironmental riskgforeachaccidentclassonagerIericb"sis.TheAEChasinthepastandstillconti)1ues todevoteextensive.

effortstoassuvesafetythrough'lantdesignandaccidntanaly'ses i))thelicen~jng pvocessonacase-by-casebasis.EPA,.ho;;ever, favorsthe.additional stepnonbingundertai;en by,t!1efiECofathorougha~alysisonamorequantitative basisofth"1"tkGf,po'c)tlalaccl(.":)ts inallvange.l.'Qcontinuetoencou)'age thisefforta)'duvnet!)eHAECtopressfor)',avd toitstimely A-50completion aridpublicatiori.

EPAblievesthiswillresultinabetterunderstaniding ofthepossibieriskstotheenvironment.

IInordertoprovideafuller<<nderstar.ding ofthedivection oftheseefforts,itisrequested thatthefinIstatement (eitherdirectlyorbypubliclyavailable reference) prov'ideinformation onthenature,expectedsched<<le, andlevelofeffortoft!1osegnericstudieswhichareexpectedtoleadtoabasisfora-subsequent Dssessmellt bytheAECconcern%'1g theriskfromallpotcnt1al accidntsclassesi,ntheNine1.hilePointStc".tion.

Itisrecogni,".

'hat<.his'ubsequent assessment maybeeithergeneric'or specifici:iriatu;e.d"I:end'.rig'on theoutcomeofthegenericstudies.'naddition, thefinalistatemenr.

shouldincludeanC'ECcommitri1ent thatthisassessm"nt will.bv.'.adepu~blicly

<<vailable wi'ihinareasonable timeperiodfolio;;:ing co:;.pletion oth"g"-nel'1c i~s~r'<n~<<vly>>1'ithecboveeriorts'iI'Mcc'.'>>

~c,nc'.cu<<1'rlatedrlsl:s1/<",vebeingtal;enc.'ttiiel'llliel'iilePointStation1'e.arecerfident.that tneAECwl11assuleappvopiiacecorrectivactio11,.:Simi1a.'ly,ifEPAii.effortsrelatedtotheaccident'crea

(!ncovelc.li"envivor~i"~vitally, unacceptable conditions rela+dto~he"safetyoftheloireiiilePoint1Station,wewillri1akeouvviewsl:nown.

iiOH-RI'.0 IOLO(i',CALtiS.";"CTS BiolouicalConsid"r",tiors-hiI>eililePoi!ItUnit1hasbeeninopevation for31/2years.DIIringtiIatperiodtheapplicant has.,hadtlieopportunity toperformcomprehensive monitoring ofthebiological effectsoftheonce-thvoIIgh coolingsystem.Jnparticular, completeanalysesoflossesbyimpinge-mentandentrainment couldhave.beenperformed andtheresultsmadeavailable atthistime.Thesecouldhavebeenusedas.abasisf'rjudgingtheacceptbilityof'hpvesentcoolingsystemdesignasiteffectstheaquaticecology.Instead,overthe31/2yearsoftheplant'soperation, ti.eapplicant hascarriedoutan'incomplete and.insufirientmon".'toring program,theresultsofIIhichareiradequate

,forpiirposes ofdetevaI!ning theenvironmental impactoftheplant'sOpevat'ion.

Theinadequacies oi.the'vesent vonitoring,program wereindicated byusinourreview.ofthedraftiII,pactstate;reI>t forVineliilePointUnit2.,To.recapituliate thoseobjections, theyave:(1)theimpingement studycharacterizes 90hoursoutofthevoughly30,000thattheplanthasbeenoperative.

(2)combine<<effectsofoperations I<ithonce-through coolingleadtoestim-tes bythisoffice..(usingdatasubmitted) ofverylargefishlosses.atcertaintimesoftheyear.(3)theimpIngeII'.ent studiesI)eveonlydonoveralimitedtime'fyear.

A-52(0)nostudiesatallwiredoneonentrainment offishlarvaeand,fry.'hiseffect,coupledwithim~ingement lossesi'entioned above,couldconceivably beverysevere.(5)theresultsofpastei>trainment studiesareinadQquate andnoiuseful~(6)theeffectoftheplant'soperation ontheoverallaquaticecosystem oftheareahasnotbeenassessedthroughmonitori'>g,,

norcoulditbeiiitheabsenceofdataonimpingement andentrainment losses.Theresult,isthatinformation doesnotexistwhic!>>.ould allowadeterminatio..

oftheimpactof.theplant'scoolingwatersystemonaquaticorganisms.

Indication:-

are,however,thatsignificani 1osse'sduetoentrainme'nt, a~i'"p"i-2'icrt

'i'illoccur"0oicui"i'ithtie"C'staiii's coiiclusiicii t!atcompletemortality willresulttoentrained organisms whenexposedtoa32'Ftemperature i"isoandatransittimeof,6minutes.Fisht;,hichkenterthroughtheinta!;estructure arelikelytosuffer1COKmortali.yalso,and,sincethestructure islocatedinareoionknowntohavehighconcentraiions offish,thislosscouldbesubstantial.

Thetrueextentofalltheselosseshasnot,asweindicated above,beenquantif'ied.

Consequently; ajudgeme'nt oftheimpactoftheplanton=t!'.eaquaticecology-cannot bemade./IntheSummaryandConclusions sectionthestaffroco;spends thattheapplicant undertake amuchexpandedenvirorimental monitoring programfordetermining th-"'ant'simpactontheaquaticenvironment.

lieconcur withthisvocommendation.,

Certainaspectsofhisprovamneedfurtherexplanation, however.Theportiondealer>gwithintakeeffectsdoesnotdescribethedurationofthefishmonitoring program.Also,theproposedlaboratory entrainmntstudiesconsiderth.effectoftemperature buttotallyignorethe7'echanical stvessexpviencedduvingasixminutetransittime.Thismechanical stressisprobablymoveharmfultflanthethermalstressandthetwoinconjunction worksynergistically topro-ducetheactualloss.Thus,inordevtozcculately determinentrainment lossesatechnique shou'ldbedeveloped toCimul'ate theactualstressexperiehced byentrained organisms.

Sincethegoaloftheproposedmonitoring programistodeterm',n theeffectofentrainment znd'impingement.

losses.onthelakeecosystem, thetotal impact,of.allplantsintheareamustbedetermined.

'Rather\sgppgatemonitoring programsforljinei;:ilePnin.Unis!avd'PandtheFitzPatrick plant,asinglemonitoring effort,for

<,llthreeplantsshouldb.instituted.

-Thus,impingement aidentrainmei>t lossdata'-from thethreeplantscouldbcdrrelated with.thedatafvo",.iasinglelakepopulation studyandeffects,ifany,dtermined.

IThestaffprecedesthei')recommendation ofamonitoring programwiththeconclus'ion that(hecuvventprovisional operating licenseshouldbeconverted to'full-term license.Itisstatedthatthisistheactioncalledfovunderthetiational Environmental PolicyAct(HEPA).IItisouropinion,basedonthelackofsufficient infovma.ion with'i,"hich toassessth'eenv'iv'onmental impactoftheplant,thattherequirements'of tlEPAhavenotbeinsatisfied, andtherefore thatnoactioniscalledfor.

A-54Conside}ingthelackofinformation, wllicf1isdiscussed above,anevaluation oftheenvironmental i;;.pactofthisaction,sufficient u>>drHFPA,isnot,possible.

f'edonotseetherequirements off'lEPAbeingsatisfied untilthepvoposedmonitorring programiscompleted andtf}<<e>>esufficient dataavailable sothattheeffectsofthenlantcanbeassessed.

Tlerefore,wevecommend thatthefull-term licensenotbeissueduntil-suchtir}astheenvironmental impactof.theactioncanbefullyevaluated.

Onlywhenthe}.equired infovmation isavailable, shouldafinalenvironmental i'opactstater:.ntbeissuedasabasisfor'thedecisionotf!efull-terr!} operating license.ThermalConsideratiohs AsreportedintheEIS,ffwYorf;-State tf;er}}.ai'ischarge criterialinittf}eriseinsurfacetemperature intheveceiving water.to3'Flth'fna'cll!Jfotra!iusaea.(rf:'cresjf!ithtnepvesen~dischavre4system,tf1'eareaencompassed bytie3isotf>er}}} ofUnit,1vargesfrom~/50to400acvos.Evenatthelowendoftherapge,tfewYorkStaiq\thevmalcriteriaaregrosslye>;ceedd.Itcanthenbeassumedthatwi>enthedisci'.argy fro.;}Unit2andthedischarges fromUnit2andtheFitz-Patrickplantaresuperimposed ontheUrrit1plume,thesituation villbeworsestill.ThisEISbarelymentionshandneglectsanydiscussion oftheappli-cant'sproposal, co}}tained inthedraftstatement fovllineMilePointUnit2,tocombinetheUnit1and2disc'harges intoasinglesubmerged 'Ijet'iffusev. Thistypeofdischarge hasasignificant effectonplum!e10 A-55sizeandwouldaltevconsidiei ablythe,sizeoftliepluv.-enccrpassed liythe3'sotherm. Thewaytliatthismightafreetcoillpllance v'lthtlleYma!criteviashouldhavebeenco1-;Pletely analyzdintliisdraftstatei.".ent. Alsotheresultol'nylnteractioi withtheplumeoftheFitzPatricl; plantshould!!avebeen,analyzed. Bothoftieseanalysesshouldbeincludedinthefinalstater:,ent, andwillbeconsidel.ations in(heissuancebyEPAofaSection402dischavge permituiidevtheFederall~aterPollution 'ContvolAct(Fi.'PCA). Inaccordance withtileFl;PCA,discharg>s to.navigable watei'saresubjecttoeffliient liinitations reflecting the"bestpvacticable contr'oltechnology curielltly available" byJuly1,1977,ovtostvictevlimita-tionsiftheyareiiecessary tor;eetapplicable waterqualitystandavds. By.July1,1983,dischavgevs riu.tachieveeffluentcontiolsveilectiiig iticbestc'vailab'.eLecllA01ogyeconomical iyQcillcv"bie.'IGi"liit'v"ffhlcoivponent ofdischargesa reevalua'tion of.thelir,itatlonsll:!posed bytheAdiiiinistvatov ofEPAispossibleunderSection316,F!'!PCA.)'efinitions ofthetechnology-based terriisalesclleduled forprorul-gation'nOctober1973.Tl>ecoolingsystem-as nowoperatedcausesaviolation of'xisting

criteria, asnotedabove,andweanticipac tliatthedisc!>arge willbeinviolation ofarevisiontoFederal-State stand-ardsnowpendingundertheF!!PCA.Fuvthei.r;,ore, tliedischarge would,inallprobability, failtomeattheeffluentlimitations guidelines, oncepromulgated.

Theapplicant s!iould,therefore, evaluatealternative heatdissipation systerisforthisfacility, including closed-cycle system.alternatives, tal;ingiiitoaccounttlierelationship ofwasteheateffects trodiUnitIIandFitzpatrick as';!ellasUnitI.Suchevaluation shouldbeincludedinthefinal.staternnt. Other!!vtev OualitgEffectsTheht'.Cstaffhascopcluded (page5-6)irithrespecttotheincreaseintot<,ldissol,ed solidsasaresultofplantoperation, that"nolat'e-widef'feet~;illbediscernible." !tevecort".vend, thattheapplicant include<nevaluation oflocalimpacts,andjustifythenon-coj",nl iancev!ithveqvive!," nts.ovtotaldissolvdsolidslevelsofthehinirumFeder<alHaterqua!ityCviteriaandtheIntevqational A<,rectient onGreatLakes!atevOuality(1'.pril15,1972).Thdraftstater~ant alsorecognizes (page5-7)thnon-corplia: ceof!<'ine!lilePoint,UnitI,>"ithrcquire-llientsfortheadditionofphosphates to1eceiving.!atersofthe!'hnirumFedelal!<ai'Qv(~uality'viteriaandtheIn"evnaticnal i<greemnt onGreat<./</6C<Imtn<~<I/inIN<.iIh%ho1/~'lC~<'//~11<qalAfI1~v~~V//4~/<Qvl~/VJ/Th4<<l///IIiVlliJl/Vu<d!II<'<ll</)IllMl<'In<<Ir.:"n+,detailedjustificatiot> fovths'notl"co).""pl]ance. AivQuait~i'ndl.ei<.'coral oqvstate-The-'irp<".ct statel"ntshouldprovideadiscussio1 oftherechanical equipa.ntatthefacilityvrhichhasapotential foveriitting non-r<.dio-logicalairpollutants. Inf'ormation fovauxiliary boilersanddiesel/enginesshouldbeprovided.,relating tosizeofeouipixnt, fuultype,fuelanalysis, fueluserateandfrequency ofuseforeachtypeofequip-mnt,,andpollutant emission. factovsevyloyedinestir~atin'g airpollu-tant.omissions. Inforl~~ation shouldbeprovidedinthefinalstater.'.ent relativetothei;.yactofthehign'voltage transrission lineozonepr'.!iction rateanditspot.itialenviron;;.'ntal i~:@acts. 1P.. .5;.57Thestatement shouldprovideadiscussion oftheexistingambientairqualityandtheanticipated ambientairqualityv<ithandvrithoutthefacili-ty inopration.Heteorological materialpresented inthisdraftandenvironmntala'nd.heenvironmental'tatement forUnit1isessentially identical 'tothatpresented earlierforUnit2.Ourmeteorological cour.".:ants remainthesameasthosepresented ino'"lett.rof'tray2~,1973,onlline)1ilePointf(uclearStation,UnitII. FEDERALPOWERCOMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C.20426INRKPLVREP'ERTO)50-220Mr.DanielR.MullerAssistant DirectorforEnvironmental Projects.Directorate ofLicensing U.S.AtomicEnergyCommission Washington, D.C.20545

DearMr.Muller:

~E"~~1S73mI2SEP'I'II;>'t"tI..I',.~ZZ- 'tiWII,))/~i~61S13Thisisinresponse'to yourletterdatedJuly5,1973,requesting commentontheAECPraftEnvironmental Statement rel'ating totheconversion ofthecurrentprovi.sional operating licensetoafull-tenn licensetotheNiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation fortheNineMilePointNuclearStationUnit'(DocketNo.50-220)..Thefollowing commentsaremadeincompliance withtheNationalEnvironmental PolicyActof1969,andtheApril23,1971,Guidelines oftheCouncilonEnvironmental Quality,andreviewtheneedforthecapacity~ofthe610-megawatt'ine MilePointNuclearUnit1withregardtotheadequacyandreliability oftheaffectedelectricpowersystemsandrelatedmatters.Inpreparation ofthesecomments, theFederalPowerCommission's BureauofPowerstaffhasconsidered theAECDraftEnvironmental State-ment;theAppli.cant's Environmental ReportandSupplements thereto;relatedreportsmadeinrespo'nse totheCommissi.on's Statement ofPolicyonReliability andAdequacyofElectricService(DocketNo.R-362);andthestaff'sanalysisofthesedocuments togetherwithrelatedinformation fromotherFPCreports.Thestaffgenerally basesitsevaluation oftheneedforaspecificbulkpowerfacilityuponlong-.term considerations aswellasupontheload-supply situation forthepeak'load periodimmediately following theavailability ofthefacility. ItshouldbenotedthattheusefullifeoftheNineMilePointunxtisexpectedtobe30yearsormore.Duringthatperiodtheuni'twillmakeasignificant contribution totheadequacyofpowersupplyintheApplican't's service'rea.TheNineMilePointNuclearUnit1hasbeenincommercial operation sinceDecember1969.DuringtheperiodfromDecember1969toDecember31,1971,theunitprod'uced 4,858"billion kilowatt-hours ofelectricenergy,'nd during1972theunitproducedanadditional 3>242billionkilowatt-hours. A-59~2Mr.DanielR.MullerTheApplicant isamemberoftheNewYorkPowerPool(NYPP),whichcoordinates theoperation ofmembers'ulk powersystemswhosecombinedserviceareasservetheentireStateo'fNewYork.TheApplicant isalsoamemberoftheNortheast PowerCoordinating Council(NPCC),whichcoordinates theplanningofthemembers'enerating andtransmission facilities intheareawhichincludestheStateofNewYork,NewEnglandandtheprovinces ofNewBrunswick andOntario.NPCChasestablished areliabilx.ty crite'rion equivalent toalossofloadprobability ofonedayintenyears.Membersoft'eNYPPhaveagreedthattomaintainthis.standard, eachmembersystemwillmaintaininstalled capacityatleastequaltothatrequi.red tomeetan18percentreserveduringitsmostrecentannualpeakload.TheBureauofPowerstaffhasanalyzedtheeffectofthecapacityofNineMilePointNo.1onthewinter-peaking Applicant's systemforthe1973-1974 WinterPeakPeriodandthesummer-peaking NYPPforthe1974SummerPeakPeriod.Thefollowing tabulations showtheeffectoftheNineMileUnit1onthesesystems.NIAGARAMOHAWKSYSTEM1/1973-74WINTERPEAKLOADPERIODWithUnit1WithoutUnit1TotalOwnedCapability, Dec.31,1972,MWShareofRosetonNo.1,MWShareofRosetonNo.',MWShareofFitzpatrick No.1,MWShare=ofBlenheim-Gilboa, MWOtherPurchases TotalCapability, MWEstimated PeakLoad,:MWReserveMWReserve,/ofPeakLoad3,251240240295550~l'646"'2222~52001,02219~72,641240240295550~16465,612~52004127.9I'1/NiagaraMohawkForm12ReportFor1972. A-60w3Mr.DanielR.MullerHERYORKPOWERPOOL1974SUMMERPEAKPERIOD1/Wi,thUnit1WithoutUnit1TotalCapability -Megawatts NetPeakLoad>>Megawatts 'ReserveMargin-Megawatts Reserve.Margin-PercentofPeakLoad27,6712200062/5,66525'27,06122,0062/5,05523.01/DataSource:NPCCReport383-2dated'April1,1973.2/Coincident PeakLoadof21,930megawatts increased by76MWasaresultoftransactions withsystemsoutsideNYPP.TheNiagaraMohawkreserveof19.7%%uwithNineMilePointiswithintherangeusuallyfoundsatisfactory, butthebarenumerical valueisdeceptive. Ofthe1,646MWlistedunder"OtherPurchases," 270MWissuppliedbyRochester Gas&ElectricCompany,whointurnisrelyingonapurchaseof207MWfromPowerAuthority of'theStateofNewYork.However,Rochester Gas&ElectricCompany,according toits1972Form12ReporttotheFederalPowerCommission, willonlyhavea5.2/reserveatthetimeofits1973-74winterpeak.Consequently, ofthe1,022megawattreservethatNiagaraMohawkappearstohavewithNineMilePointNo.1,270megawatts canbeconsidered ofdoubtfulreliability. WithoutNineMilePoint,NiagaraMohawkwouldhaveonlya7.9/.reserve,morethanhalf.ofwhichwouldbedependent onapurchaseofdoubtfulreliability. Itis,.therefore essential forNiagaraMohawk'sadequacyof'ervice tohaveNineMilePointNo.1inopeiation atit'sfullrated610megawatts. TheApplicant's systemisintegrated withallNewYorkStatesystems.throughtheNYPPandthesummer-peaking poolindicates reservesof25.8percentofpeakloadresponsibility withthecapacityofUnit1and23.0percentwithouttheunit.Duringthe"weekofthesummerpeaksin1971and1972theNYPPexperienced unavailable capacity'otalling 3,326megawatts and3,581megawatts, respectively, duetoscheduled maintenance, forcedoutages,delaysinavailability ofnewunitsandvariation ofhydroconditions frommedianvalues.Iftheaverageofthecapacitylossesexperienced duringthe1971and1972summerpeaksexistedatthetimeofthe1974summerpeak,thereservesontheNYPPsystemwouldbereducedto'10.0percentwithUnit1and7.3percent.without theunit. Mr.DanielR.MullerDuringthe1974summerperiod,theavailability ofemergency powersuppliesfromtheneighboring NEPOOL/andPJM/poolsmaybelimitedbytheneedsofthosesystemstomaintainplannedreservelevels.Thelimitedcapacityoftheinterconnections andthepredominantly thermalsystemsofNEPOOLandPJM,whichaxesubjecttoforcedoutages,fuelshortages andoperating restrictions duetoairqualitylimitations, indicatethatlittlecapacityreservewouldbeavailable fromtheseareas.Thewinter-peaking OntarioHydrosystemhasindicated reservesaftermaintenance of31.3percentofpeakload,totalling 3,490mega-watts,andisconsidered theonlyavailable souiceofemergency powersupply.TheNineMilePointUnit1iscompleted andhasbeenproducing electricpowersince1969.Inviewofthesubstantial purchases of.powernecessary bytheApplicant tomeetitssystemdemands,theBureauofPowerstaffrecommends thatthefull-term operating licensebeissuedto'heApplicant forthisunit.Powerpurchases areanexpedient formeetingelec'tric systemdemandsduringconstruction ofnewunits';however,purchases arenotasatisfactory substitute foradequatebase-loadownedgeneration. Regionalreliability isgreatly'improved wheneachelectricsystemhasadequateinstalled generating capacitytomeetitssystemdemandsandprovidereservecapacity. Theuseofgeothermal powerasanalt'ernative tothenuclearunitwasnotconsidered, according totheDraftEnvironmental Statement (page9-1).gnlight'ogthefactthatgaofjjenaal sourcesareknowntoexist.inNew.Yorkandneighboring states,-adiscussion ofthisalt'ernate wouldbeappropriate. Hydroelectric powerasasubstitute fortheNineMilePointNuclearunitwouldbeimpractical andinadequate. Althoughthetotalgenerating capacitythatcouldbemadeavailable inNewYorkbytheadditionofgenerators atexistinghydrositesandthedevelopment ofnewsitesissome1,292megawatts, 4/thiscapacitywouldbescattered overalargenumberofsites.Thetotalaverageannualenergyavailable fromallthesites4/wouldbeapproximately equaltotheannualenergyobtainable 1/NewEnglandPowerPool.2/Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection. 3/ThermalSpringsoftheUnitedStatesandOtherCountries oftheWorld-ASummary.Geological SurveyProfessional Paper492.U.S.Government PrintingOffice,1965.4/Hydroelectric PowerResources oftheUnitedStates,January1,1972.FederalPowerCommission, FPCP-42. A-62-5-Mr.DanielR.MullerfromNineMilePointNo.1..However, itisnotconsidered feasibletodev'clop'alargenumberofsmallhydroelectric sitesduetoenvironmental considerations andpublicreaction. TheBureauofPowerstaffconsiders thattheNineMilePointUnit1isneededontheApplicant's systemtomeettheprojected loads.Inviewofthe"substantial powerpurchases requiredbyNiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation tomeetloads;and the-seriousconsequences ofinadequate installed generating

capacity, thestaffconsiders itprudentthatafull-term licensebeissuedtotheApplicant forthecontinued opexation oftheNineMileNuclearStationUnit1.Verytrulyyours,TA.hi1lipChief,BureauofPowex' A-63VnitedStatesDepartment oftheInteriorOFFICEOFTHESECRETARY WASHIilGTOil,D.C.20240.50-220,QGT261976'$8CTp6)g73~Afggg~~co~<,.r~cfogInreplyreferto:-ER-73/946 Generalill~]i~

DearMr.Muller:

P'hankyou'foryourletterofJuly5,.1973,transmitting copiesoftheAtomicEnergyCommission's draft.environmental statement datedJuly1973,onenvironmental considerations forNineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1,OswegoCounty,NewYork.NineMilePointNuclearStation,Unit1,istheinitialcompo-nentofa2,531MWepowergenerating complexlocatedalongtheshoreline ofLakeOntarionearSyracuse, NewYork.Unit1,a610MWeplantwhichbeganoperation inDecember1969,willbecomplemented bytheJamesA.Pitzpatrick NuclearPowerPlant,scheduled tobeginoperation inOctober973,andNineMile'oint Unit2whichisexpectedtobecompleted in1978.Eachfacilityisdesignedforonce-through"'cooling. PishstocksofLakeOntariohaveundergone substantial changesbecauseofmodification ofvegetation patternsinthewateished, dammingoftributary streams,depletion ofthefishstocksbycommercial harvest,introduction ofexoticfishspecies,andeffectsofmunicipal andindustrial wastedisposal. Thesekindsofchangesinteracttoalterthecompetitive composition offishstocks,generally favoringthosehavinglesservaluetoman.Theevidenceofenvironmental deterioation isfarmoremarked.inshorethanoffshore. By1950algaebegantofoulgillnetsofcommercial fisherman, yetoxygen"depletions whichareoftenassociated withsuchdensealgaegrowthwerenotdetecteduntil1970.Theseconditions donotfavorsuccessful reproduction offishspeciessuchaslake,herringandwhitefish.Theindividual andcumulative impactsofonce-through powerplantcoolingintheareaofNineMilePointwillplaceanunwarranted andunacceptable burdenonthelake'sresources. qMHOyt.+o4Let'sCleanUpAmericaForOur200thBirthday A-642Technology forclosed-cycle coolingsystemshasadvancedtoapointwhereintheenvironmental effects;including driftandblowdownareminimal.-Basedonpartialandincomplete studiesontheenvironmental effectsofUnit1,webelievethatcon-tinueduseofthelake'swaterforpowerplantcoolingatNine;.Mile Pointisnotinthebestpublicinterest. Ourdetaileacommentsarepresented according totheformatofthestatement oraccording tospecificsubjects. "SummarandConclusions Basedonthedescription ofthethermalplumegiveninSection5andthe'ocations oftheintakeanddischarge facilities, itisprobablethatrecirculation oftheheatedeffluentwilloccuratUnit:,1.Wesuggestthattheimpactsassociated withrecirculation shouldbeidentified intheSummaryandConclusions Section.OutdoorRecreation Ourconcernsforoutdoorrecreational development forthisareahavebeenexpressed inourpreviousletterstotheAECinregardtotheJamesA.Fitzpatrick NuclearPowerPlantandUnit2ofNineMilePoint.Webelievethatthesubjectstate-mentshouldaddressthepossibilities ofdeveloping anopenspacemultiple-use planforthelandsofbothpowerplants.Theplancouldbedeveloped bythejointeffortsoftheapplicant, thePowerAuthority oftheStateofNewYork,theNewYorkStateConservation Department, andtheCountyofOswego.Sincetheareaisonly36milesfromthemetropolitan areaofSyracuse; anoutdoorrecreation planforamajorp'ortionofthelandsappearstobeinthepublicinterest. Wearepleasedthattheapplicant hasestablished 130acresofthesiteasawildlifehabitatbypostingthenorthwest cornerofthesite.Additionally, wesuggestthatconsistent withgeneralsafetyfactors,consideration begiventodeveloping secondary usesofthetransmission right-of-way inthein'terest ofoutdoorrecreation. ThisDepartment's Northeast RegionalOfficeoftheBureauofOutdoorRecreation willwelcomeanopportunity toworkwiththeapplicant forsuchdevelopment. BOR'sNortheast Region'sofficeislocatedattheFederalBuilding, l421CherryStreet,Philadelphia, Pa.19102. A-65Toor'ahandGeoloThebriefsection<<on geologyandtopography .isinadequate foranindependent assessment ofhowthese,majorelementsoftheenvironment relatetoUnit1.Thedistribution andthickness -ofsurficial depositsandphysicalproperties ofrocks'andsoilsshouldbesummarized, particularly astheyrelatetodesign,construction, slopestability, anderosion.Atopographic andgeologicmapshouldbeincluded. Theseismic-design,,parameters andthemethodsoftheirderivation arenotmentioned. Sinceatleast13earthquakes haveoccurredwithin50milesofthestationoveraperiodof110years,in-cludingonewithanintensity ofVI.onthemodifiedMercalliscalethefinalenvironmental statement shouldstatespecifically whatseismic-designcriteriawereusedi%iconstruction ofUnit1andwhatenvironmental effectsarepredicted fromfutureearth-quakes.Thestatement ismadeonpage2-8that"therelationship ofsiteseismology tothesafetyoftheStation,itsdesign,andseismicdesigncriteriahavebeenconsidered indetailbytheStaffinthesafetyreview."Wedonotfeelthatenviron-mentalconcernsrelatedtoseismol'ogy aresatisfied, bythisstatement orotherdiscussions ofseismology inthe,report.Thedraftenvironmental statements forboththeNineMilePointNuclearPowerStationUnit2andtheJamesA.Fitzpatrick NuclearPowerP3.antconcluded thatthesiteis,locatedinaninactiveseismicregion.OurletterofApril1973,advisedyouthattheNineMilePointPlantisshownindamagezone2(moderate damage)onaseismiczoningmapdated1969(U.S.CoastandGeodeticSurvey).Basedontheseconsiderations webelieve-that.thisenvironmental statement shouldpresentamorecomprehensive summaryoftheregionalandlocalsitegeology,andshouldspecifyhowthegeologicandseismologic analyseshavebeentakeninto'ccount. Inthisrespect,wenotethattheAEChaspublished "SeismicandGeologicSitingCriteriaforNuclearPowerPlants"(Pro-posedAppendixA,10CFR100,FederalReister,November25,1971)whichprescribe thenatureofrequa.re: investgations.Theimpactstatement shouldclearly.specifywhetherthesecriteriahavebeenappliedtotheNineMilePointsite.LakeWaterHdroloAdditional information shouldbeincludedinthissectionto A-66describethetemperature stratifications anddevelopment of-thermoclines intheareaofNineMilePoint.Descriptive information regarding .thissubjectisincludedin.Technical ReportNo.14fromtheGreatLakesFisheryCommission, enti-tled"Limnological SurveyofLakeOntario,1964."Thispublication isdatedApril1969,andisavailable fromtheGreatLakesFisheryCommission, AnnArbor,Michigan. A'u'atic'colo Becausethissectionisheavilydependent uponinformation available intheliterature, webelievethatdataandinfor-mationinTechnical Repo'rtNo.23fromtheGreatLakesFisheryCommission,

entitled, "AReviewofChangesintheFishSpeciesComposition ofLakeOntario"datedJanuary1973,shouldbereferenced also.Information contained inthisreportrelatestothespawningcharacteristics ofthewhitefishandlakeherringaswellasotherfishes.Also,fishspeciessuchasthewhitefish,lakeherringandtheyellowperchrequiretern'peratures lessthan4Cduringwinterperiodstosuccessfully reproduce.

Exposingadultsandeggsandlarvaetotemperatures higherthanthosewhichnaturally occurduringwinterperiodsmaycausedeformities'to developeitherintheeggorlarvalstages.Althoughdataarenot,available ontherequirements ofcloselyrelatedspeciessuchassaugerandwalleye,theseandotherspeciesmayhavetheirreproductive potential impairedbyincreases inseasonaltemperatures. Reference totheseandotherpotential impactsonfisheryresources aredescribed inareportentitled, "ReviewofRecent.Technical Information Concerning theAdverse'ffectsofOnce-Through CoolingonLakeMichigan," preparedbytheU.S.FishandWildlife.Service, BureauofSportFisheries andWildlife, GreatLakesFisheryLaboratory, AnnArbor,Michigan, datedNovember1,1972.Muchofthisinformation isapplicable toLakeOntario.SanitarWastesand'therEffluents Copperandotherheavymetalswillerodeandcorrodefromthecoolingwatersystem.Theamountsofthesematerials andtheirpotential environmental impactsshouldbedescribed inthissectionoftheenvironmental. statement. SolidWaste'stemSolidradioactive wastesthatresultfromoperations ofUnit1aredescribed mainlybytheirgrosscharcter, asconcentrates fromradwasteevaporators, spentresinsand'ilter

sludge, 5paper,airfilters',

rags,"andcontrolrods,fuelchannels, andcontaminated replacedequipment." Thei'rtotalquantityisroughlyestimated as11,000'cubicfeetannually, withanactivityof2,700curies.However,thedraftstatement doesnotspecifythekindsofradionuclides, theirphysicalstates,ortheirconcentrations inthewastes,norhasthelocationplannedforoffsiteburialbeenidentified. Thisinformation shouldbepresented inthefinalenvironmental statement. Webelievethattheoffsitedispo'sal oftheoperational solidradioactive wastesfrom.theNineMilePointNuclearPowerStationconstitutes animportant long-term environmental im-pact.TheAECmustsatisfactorily solvetheproblemofthese.proliferating operational wastesfromallnuclearplantsbeforetheypresentamajorproblem.Therefore, webelieveandstronglyrecommend thattheenvironmental statements forallreactors(including NineMilePointUnit1)shouldspecifythekindsofradionuclides, theirphysicalstates,andtheirconcentrations inthewastes,andtheestimated totalvolumeofwastesfortheexpectedoperating lifeofthereactor.Additionally, ifanenvironmental impactstatement hasnotbeenpreparedfortheproposedburialordisposalsite,orifsuchastatement doesnotfullyconsiderwastesofthenatureandquantityofthosegenerated attheNineMilePointStation,thenwebelieveitincumbent ontheAECtoincludeanevaluation ofthedisposalsiteinthisenvironmental statement. ".'ebelievesuchanevaluation shoulddiscusstheFederalandState,licensing provisions,

criteria, andresponsibilities forthesiteinconnection with:(1)determination ofthehydrogeologic suitability ofthesitetoisolatethewastesoftheNineMilePointStation(andanyotherwastesaccumulating orexpectedtoaccumulate atthesite)fromthebiosphexe for.specific periodsoftime;(2)anyremedialorregulatory actionsthatmightbenecessary throughout aspecificperiodoftimeinwhichallthewasteswillbehazardous.

Weareawarethat"radioactive wastesotherthanhigh-level," whichapparently includereactoroperational solidwastes,havebeendiscussed onpagesG-2throughG-9oftheAEC'document "Environmental SurveyoftheNuclearFuelCycle."Wedonotconsiderthosegeneralized descriptions ofthemanagement andthedisposalofthesewastesasbeingadequatetocovertheconcernsexpressed abovebecausethedescriptions onpagesG-2throughG-9andG-12throughG-14arenotspecifictoaparticular 'siteandtotheparticular wastesbeingdisposedthere.Similarly, theenvironmental considerations givenonpagesG-16throughG-21arenotspecifictoaparticular siteortoparticular wastes. A-68ThermalStudiesThermaleffectsofcoolingwaterdischarged 'intoLakeOntarioshouldbeestimated forthecombinedeffectofoperation ofbothadjoining powerplants.Dataavailable frominfrared'adiometer measurements. shouldbeincluded. Thistypeofdatahasbeenpublished inthefinalenvironmental statement fortheFitzpatrick Plant..Wealsorecommend thattheapplicant utilizeremote'.sensordatai'nmonitoring thethermalplumeduetotheextensive areaandthecomplexities involvedwhenseverallargewasteheatsourcesareoperating inasmallarea.Fieldtemperature surveysof,thethermalplumeresulting fromtheoperation ofUnit1farexceedwater-quality standards. Throughout earlierreportsonthisplant,weareassuredthroughmathematical andhydraulic modeltestresultsthattherewillbenothermalproblems. Previously, wequestioned theresultsofthesestudiesandstatedthatalternatives shouldbeconsidered. TheAECinthisdraftrespondswiththestatement givenonpage5-11."Theapplicability ofStateandFederalWaterQualitycriteriarelatedtothethermaldischarge forUnit1isuncertain. However,itshouldbenotedthatnoadverseeffectontheaquaticbiotaduetothethermaldischarge i.hexpected." WebelievetheNewYorkStatestandardof3degreesFahrenheit in6.5acresistoorestrictive; butevenifitwere5degreesFahrenheit, theheatedwaterdischarge fromthisunitwouldexceedthestandard. Eventhoughthisdraftstatement coversUnit1,itshouldrecognize thatthefutureoperation ofUnit2inaonce-through modewillalmosttriplethewasteheatfromthisplant'compared toUnit1alone.Thisfactoralonerequiresseriousconsideration ofalternative coolingmethods.Itisindicated onpage9-15thatnosignificant disadvantage oftheexistingdischarge systemhasbeenidentified. TheAECstaffbelievesthat,modification oftheexistingsystemisnotjustified atthistimeevenwiththeplannedadditionofUnit2withaonce-through coolingsystem.Sinceacomprehensive evaluation oftheexpectedthermalplumesfrombothunitsandfromtheneighboring JamesA.Fitzpatrick Planthasbeenper-formed,wefindnobasistoconcludethatthesethreeunitscansafelyoperatewithonce-through coolingatthissite. Transmi'ssion Line'nvirons Theuseofherbicides fortransmission linemaintenance is.,brieflydiscussed. Sincenospecificherbicides areindicated, thefollowing languageshouldbeaddedtothis'section, "Itisessential thatallherbicides; pesticides, andrelatedchemicals mustberegistered inaccordance withP.L.92-516,TheFederalInsecticide, Fungicide andRodenticide Act.Application. shouldbeaccomplished inamannerfullyconsis-tentwiththeprotection oftheentireenvironment. Anycon-templative useofthesechemicals mustconsiderbothknownandpossibleenvironment effects.Theapplicant shouldcon-'ultwiththeEnvironmental Protection Agency,theDirector'f theStateConservation Agency,theCountyAgentandthenearestofficeoftheBureauofSportFisheries andWildlifewhenchemicalvegetation andpestcontroliscontemplated. Suchcontactshouldbemadeearlyintheplanningsothatacceptable chemicals andmethodsofapplication knowntobemosteffective canbeusedwiththerecommendations of'theconcerned agency.EffectsonAuaticEnvironment Table5.1.2containsdataonstudiesconducted duringJune1972throughJanuary1973.Acomparison ofthistablewithtablesthatwereincludedintheenvionmentalstatement forNineMilePointNuclearStationUnit2,indicatethatdatacollected priortoJuneweredeletedfromthistable.Datawereincludedonwinterperiodswhichwouldbiastheinforma-tionpresented onimpingement. Webelieve'hat allavailable information shouldbeincludedtodescribefishimpingement. Aspreviously indicated, consideration shouldbegiventotheeffectsofincreased temperature on.thereproduction capabil-itiesofvariousfishspecies,including thatofyellowperchwhicharereferredtointhissection.Althoughspeciessuchastheyellowperchmaybeattracted tohighertemperatures, theresulting effectsmayincludereducedreproduction success.Also,itshouldbeindicated thatdatafrom.theConsumer' PowerCompany's reportindicates thatSteelhead Trout,Lake'rout, Coho,andChinookSalmondooccur"intheareaofpowerplantintakesandthermaldischarges andaresubject'o im-pingement. Thepotential impactsuponFederalandStatesponsored ~ogramsto-establish thesespeciesinLakeOntarioshouldbeconsidered. A-70Onpage5-38ofthissectionreference ismadetothe6degressFahrenheit isothermextending alongabout1mileof'horeline. Onpage5-3itis*indicated thatthe5degressFahrenheit isothermextendsalongabout2milesofshoreline. Duringperiodsofwarmernaturallakewatertemperatures, atemperature risemuchlessthan5or6degress.Fahrenheit mayinhibitfishmovement, anddiscourage fishfromenteringimportant shallowwaterzones.Also,potential impactsof~sinkingplumesonfishesandfish.reproduction potential shouldbementioned inthissection.Indiscussing theenvironmental impactofplantoperation onfish,plankton, benthos,andvariousaquaticorganisms, it-shouldberecognized thatLakeOntarioisinastateofecological change.Thischangeisaresultofthecumulative impactofman'sactivities onthelakeandfromrecentintro-ductionofexoticfishspecieswhichcompetewiththeprevi-ouslyestablished fishpopulations. Theseconsiderations shouldbereflected inanticipating theenvironmental impactsofthisdevelopment onthesystemingeneral.Therelationship ofdecomposing organicmaterials tothedissolved oxygenconcentrations inthewatershouldbedescribed. Encouraging oraccelerating thegrowthandre-production ofattachedplantsmaycompoundproblemswhicharepresently occurring withtheoxygenconcentrations inthewater.Thissectionshoulddiscusstheseaspectsoftheplant'soperational impacts.Environmental Monitorin ProramTheNiagraMohawkPowerCompanyhasconducted amonitoring programintheNineMilePointareasince1963.TheAECstaffbelievesthatstudies,astheyhavebeenproposedandarebeingconducted bytheapplicant, willnotprovideinfor-mationadequatetoassesstheoperational effectsofthestationonthebiota.Forexample,thecollection ofthedatafromJuly1963throughDecember1969wasinfrequent. OnlysinceMay1970hastheapplicant collected dataonfishdistribution andfoodpreferences offish,,andbenthoswithsomecontinuity. Samplingandobservation of-plankton fromtheintakedischarge wellsofUnit1duringJune-October 1971provideneitherestimates ofplanktonabundance intheareanorabaseforreasonable assessment ofdamageduetoen-trainment. Samplingoflakewaterfortheusualchemicalandphysicalparameters isentirelywanting.Basedonlimitedsamplinginformation, itisapparentthatNineMilePointNuclearStationUnit1,hascauseddamagestofisheryresources. Continued operation oftheUnitmaycauseunac-ceptablelossestolocalfishpopulations. Itshouldbe notedthatwiththeexception ofthelimitsontotaldissolved solids,phosphate concentrations indischarge sewageandthethermalplumesize,theplantconformstowaterqualitystandards. Webelieve'hat theapplicant shouldberequiredtoconformtoexistingstandards 'andtoadoptprocedures whichwouldrequiretheenvironmental impactoftheplantoperation ontheresources ofthelake.AsaresultoftheLakeMichi'gan Enforcement Conference, specificguidelines arebeingdeveloped forstudiestodeter-minetheenvironmental impactofpowerplantcoolingonLakeMichigan. Itisanticipated thatadraftoutlineofguide-lineswillbeavailable byNovember1973.SincetheecologyofLakeMichiganandLake'Ontario. aresimilar,techniques andstudiesthataresuitableforLakeMichiganmaybeadaptable forLakeOntario.Weencourage theAECstafftomakeuseoftheseguidelines indeveloping anyfutureplansforstudyofthermaldischarges intoLakeOntario.Itissuggested thatthethermalmonitoring programbemodifiedtoincludetechniques developed inconjunction withtheSurryNuclearPowerStationontheJamesRiver,Virginia. Thesestudiesshouldbedesignedandconducted to.determine theimpactsofonce-through coolingintheNineMilePointarea.Nonradiolo icalEffectsonEcoloica3,SstemsTheconcernforthepossibleimpactsonfishandotheraquaticlifeasaresultofthemaximumintakevelocityof2fpsisindicated onpage5-34.Wesharethisconcernsincetheapplicant hasnotshownthatfishlosseswillbelow.Environmental ImactofPostulated Accidents Thissectioncontainsanadequateevaluation ofimpactsresulting fromplantaccidents throughclass8for,airborneemissions. However,theenvironmental effectsofreleasestowaterislacking.Manyof'thesepostulated accidents listedintables7.1and7.2couldresultinreleasestoLakeOntarioandshouldbeevaluated. Wealsothinkthatclass9accidents resulting inbothairandwatereleasesshouldbedescribed andtheimpactsonhumanlifeandtheremaining environment discussed aslongasthereisanypossibility ofoccurrence. Theconsequences ofanaccidentofthisseveritycouldhavefar-reaching effectsonlandandinLakeOntariowhichcouldpersitforcenturies affecting millionsofpeople. A-7210Alternative Ener,'Sour'ces Theexpectedemissions fromalternative oil-fired andcoal-firedpowerplantsgivenonpage9-4aremisleading. Modernwell-operated centralstationsdischarge muchsmalleramountsofcarbonmonoxides andhydrocarbons thanshown,sincecombustion iscompleteexceptforsmall.amountsofunburnedcarboninflyashandbottomashincoal-fired plants.Enviro'nmental Cost,Althoughthetotaleconomiclossesoftheproposedactionaredifficult toestimatetherearedataandmaterials available whichcanbeusedtodetermine thereplacement costsofresources. Forexample,thepollution committee oftheAmericanFisheries Society,SouthernDivision, in1970estimated themonetaryvalueoffishbasedontheirreplacement cost.Variousstates,including NewYork,MarylandandWashington havedeveloped criteriaforevaluating fishkilldamagesandcomputing fishkilldamageclaims..WebelievethestaffoftheAECshouldbeawareofthesecriteriaandwheneverpossibletheyshouldbeusedtodetermine economicorreplacement costforfish.InadditionwebelievethattheimpactsofthisproposedactionShouldnotberelatedtoentirelakealonebutshouldalsobecomparedtotheproduction ofthelocalarea.Wehopethese.commentswillbehelpfultoyouinthepreparation ofthefinalenvironmental statement. SincereyourDeputyAsslstaat Se1ofeInteriorMr.DanielR..MullerAssistant DirectorforEnvironmental ProjectsDirectorate ofLicensing AtomicEnergy'Commission Wash'ington, D.C.20545 letos(oy.se+at"ISte'arcsoseOFFlCEOFTHEASSlSTAMT SECRETARY OFCOMMERCEWashington, O.C.2023050-220August,8,1973Mr.DanielR.MullerAssistant DirectorforEnvironmental ProjectsDirectorate ofLicensing U.S.AtomicEnergyCommission washington, D.C.20545/)pllllciRECEDEDAUG101S73N4fiTCYtCfeS"lCD'i!;.ttCq t'4"i'/>iilStill)s,

DearMr.Muller:

,Thedraftenvironmental impactstatement. forNineMile,PointNuclearStation,Unit1,whichaccompanied your'letterofJuly5,1973,hasbeenreceivedbytheDepart<<mentofCommerceforreviewandcomment.Thestatement hasbeenreviewedandthefollowing commentsareofferedforyourconsideration. GeneralCommentsXnthe~SummerandConclusions section,aswellasinthemaintext,thestaffconcludes thattheplant'soperation willhavenosignificant impactonthebiotainLakeOntario.Thistypeoflakewideapproachfailstoadequately consider'll thepointsourcesofwasteheatthatshouldbe'included intheevaluation ifthelakeasawholeisusedastheunitofmeasurement ofsignificant impact.'Inaddition, thestatement shouldincludeadiscussion oftheplumeinter-actionwithNineMilePointUnit,2,andthenearbyJamesA.Fitzpatrick NuclearPowerPlantoSecondly, consultation withappropriate StateandFederalagenciesshouldbeincludedinthe-designofthecomprehensive environmental monitoring program.Theseagenciesshouldalsobeinvolvedinth'eevaluation oftheinformation collected. A-74Sincethisplanthasbeenoperating'nder aprovisional licensesince1969,actualmeasurements, ratherthanestimates, ofenvironmental impacthavebeenpossible. ,Thisgreatlyincreases theconfidence onecanplaceintheconclusions. Fromourpointof-view,thestatement issatisfactory withregardtoconsideration ofthissinglepowerstation's impactontheenvironment. Itappears,forexample,thatthethermaleffectonthelakewillbenegligible. Butwhataboutthebigpicture?Howmanyplantsofthistypecanbeconstructed beforethecumulative effectisnolongernegligible? Weshouldnotcon-sidereachcaseasaseparateproblem.TheNational'ceanic'nd Atmospheric Administration's International FieldYearfortheGreatLakesProjectOfficerecentlycompleted anextensive study-ofLakeOntarioandtheycanprovideinputtothismpectoftheimpactstatement. Section2.7.2AuaticEcolo2-18.h"8ghofLakeOntario,thefish.production isratherlow."Although'ishproduction ispresently lowforalakewiththeproductive .capacityofLakeOntario,thesituation maybealteredinthenearfuture.TheGreatLakesFisheryCommission treatedalllampreyspawningstreamslastyear,andtheCanadianstreamsandseveral'ey streamsinU.S.watersagainthisyear.Moreover, fisherymanagement agenciesinNewYorkandOntariohavebeenplantingsalmonidspeciesinLakeOntario,andtheseagenciesplantointensify thisactivityinyearstocome.Sincethe.foragebaseinLakeOntarioisasgoodorbetterthanthatinLakeMichiganwhentheLake'ssalmonstockingprogramwasbegunin1965,itisexpectedthatthefisherywhichwoulddevelopinLakeOntariowillbeequallyasgood.NewYorkhasplantedsalmonids intheSalmonRiver.(108mileseast)andtheLittleSalmonRiver(6mileseast)..Bothriversarecloseenoughtotheplantsitethatthefishleavingandreturning tothemcouldconceivably passtheintake.anddischarge ofthe'ine'ile PointNuclearStation.Withregardtotheassertion thatthereasonthealewifehasflourished isthatlargepredators havenotbeenpr'esent, itisnowthoughtthat.thepopulation o'falewife,anearlycolonist A-753wofthelake,stabilized "priortothedeclineofthlargepreda-tors.Thisrecenttheoryissupported bytheresurgence ofpremiumfishstocksinthe1920'sandnewspaper reportsduringthesameeraoftwomajoralewi,femortalities.l/ Concerning thecontroversy betweenSmith(1970)andChristie(1972),Christie(pp.920-921)providesthefollowing analysisoftheint:eractions betweenthecolonists andthenat:ivespeciesi.nLake'ntario: "Ofthe.speciesoffishwhichinvadedorwereintroduced intoLakeOntariointhelastcentury,thecarpandalewifewerethemostobviously successful. Bothmusthaveaffectedotherspeciesinimportant ways,butitisdifficult tomakejudgments becauseofthemrlycolonization, ofthesespecies."ALEWXFE"Smith'(1970)hasarguedonthebasisoftherecent:effectsofalewifecolonizat:ion oftheupperGreatLakes,thatthespecieseffectively causedallthemisfortunes oftheLakeOntariofishstockssubsequent toitsestablishment thereinthe1870s.Theviewheldbythepresentauthorhowever,isthatwhatevertheinitialimpact,theresurgence 'ofthepremiumfishstocksinthe1920sinthefaceofheavyalewifedensities, arguesinfavorofaharmlessroleforthealewife.Theg*ggd!.*d~.!'1930swasalsoseemingly unaffected bythealewife.Equallyimportant, thecollapseoftheciscoeswasnotfollowedbyasurgeofalewifeabundance asmighthavebeenexpectedifcompetition pressurehadbeenamajor'consideration. Therearenostatistics withwhichtoevaluatetrendsinalewifeabundance butithasbeenassumedbypritchard (1929)andGraham(1956)thatthefrequency ofheavy1/:Christie, W.J.1972.LakeOntario:effectsofexploitation, introductions, andeutrophication onthesalmonidcommunity. J.Fish.Res.Bd.Can.29:913-929. a-76<<4springbeachmortalities isatleastaroughindic'ation ofalewifedensity..'On this.basis,news-paperreportsoftwomajormortalities inthe1920'decadedo"notsuggestthatthealewife,liketheciscoes,werescarceduringtheperiodofpeakpredatorabundance. Dymond(1928)foundthatthealewifewasanimportant iteminthedietsofbothlaketroutandburbot,butnotedalewifewerenotasofteneatenbythetroutafterthealewifemovedinshoreintheearlysummer.Juveniles wouldhavebeenlargelyprotected fromthesespeciesbyreasonoftheirinshoredistri-bution,anditispossiblethatthepost-spawning adultalewifedidnotextendlakewardveryfarinto'herangeofthesepredators inlatesaner.Wells(1969)foundthattrawlinginSeptember inLake0>tarioproduced81.2alewifepertowat120ft.(37m)andless,andonly7.2fortowsat180ft.(55m)andgreater.Thiswouldcertainly reduceit,andpossiblyenoughtoreducetheseverityofthepredation impactonalewifeadults.Predation onbothjuveniles andadultsintheinshoreareasis'ontheotherhand,heavy,andinflicted bymanyfishspecies.Thelackofobviouschangeintheabundance ofthealewifestocksafterthe1940sisespecially compelling evidence'that theabundance islimitedbyinshorefactors,andpossiblybytheeffectsofthemortalities themselves tosomeextent."Section2.7.2.aFishesd-l.d.'dh12.*'-dmoreinformation shouldbesuppliedconcerning thetypeoffathometer usedandwhatitscapabilities werefordetecting concentrations offishlarvae,fry,andyoung-of-the-year. Inaddition, anexampleof,afathometer recording 'shouldbepro-vided,including anexplanation of.itsinterpretation. h"2'intheareaandtherefore noinformation onjuveniles neartheshoreisavailable." Newlyhatchedyoung-of-the-year alewives A-775begintoshowupinseinecatchesinthemiddleofAugustandremaininshoreuntillatefa11.2/Therefore, fromlate,spring.untilfalllarvalandjuvenilealewiveswouldbesusceptible toentrainment. Inaddition, thespottailshiner,alsoabun-dantinshore,remainsinshore(indepthsoflessthan50ft);thisspeciesisconsidered anexcellent foragestock.Section2.7.2.d.2PhtolanktonI'-e.'"Vyjehl.observedintheplanktonsamples...".Thesamplingequipment usedtocollectplankton, fisheggs,andlarvaeshouldbedescxibed, andavailable dataandliterature onthecomparative efficiency andeffectiveness ofthevarioustypesofsamplingmethodsandequipment shouldbeevaluated anddiscussed., Inouropinion,ifinformation fromreference 30wasusedtodetermine theabundance anddistribution offishlarvae,samplecollection withaNansenbottle,asusedinthissurvey,virtually precluded anylarvalentrapment. Section3.4.1IntakeStructure ~Pae3-7.Anestimatefortheintakevelocityatthetraveling screensshouldbeprovided. Section5.2.2ThermalStudiesP~ae5-2.ThecombinedeffectsNineMilePointUnit2,andthePowerPlantshouldbeevaluated ofNineMilePoi.ntUnit1,JamesA.FitzPatrick Nuclear'y thethermalstudies.Section5.5.2.aEffectonAuaticEnvironment -IntakeEffectsPaes5-31throuh5-35.Giventhetendencyforfishtoconcentrate alongthe25-ft.depthcontourandthelocationoftheintakeataboutthe20-ft.contour,andgiventhenumbersoffishentrained 2/Dr.WilburL.Hartman,PersonalCommunication. (Px'oject Leader,EcologyofFishPopulations ofLowerGreatLakes,BureauofSportFisheries andWildlife, SanduskyFieldStation,2022Cleveland, Road,Sandusky, Ohio44870.) A-78and.subsequently impingedaccording tostudiestodate,eventhoughnot.sufficient topermita-validquantitative assess-mentoftheproblemsofimpingement, itisapparenttousthatapotentially seriousimpingement problemmaydevelop.Webelievethatthissituation mayrequirecorrective actiontoreducetheintakevelocityto1ft/secorless,inadditiontoconducting themonitoring program.Wealsorecommend thatevaluation ofthefish-kill problembecoordinated withtheappropriate StateandFederalagencies. Finally,weconsiderthestatement that"TheStaffdoesnotintendtoimplythatfishimpingement attheStationwillproducesignificant adverseeffectsonlakewidefishpopulations" tobemisleading. Thisstatement shouldberevisedtoconsidertheeffectsofallwater'intakesinthelakeiftheentirelakeistobetheframeofreference forevaluating theeffectsofthisp'owerplantonfishpopulations inLakeOntario.Section5.5.2.cThermalDischareEffects~5-37.*.'5:combined effectsoftheNineMilePointUnit2andJamesA.FitzPatrick plants.Yellowperch,acommonfishinthearea,requireagivenperiodoftimeat4Corbelowformaturation. 3/Thepossibility thatthosefishremaining inorneartheplumemaynotreceivethislow-temperature exposureandthattheywould,therefore, notmatureshouldbediscussed. Thisdiscussion shouldincludeappropriate dataanddocumentation. Section5.5.2.c.1Fishes5-35.gg3',5thefourthparagraph berequired, ratherthansimplyrecommended, bytheStaff.3/Edsall,T.A.andT.G.Yocom.1972.Reviewofrecenttechnical information concerning adverseeffectsononce-throughcoolingonLakeMichigan. PreparedfortheLakeMichiganEnforcement Conference, September 19-21,1972,Chicago,Ill.,U.S.FishandWildlifeService,BureauofSportFisheries andWildlife, GreatLakesFisheryLabo-ratory,AnnArbor,Michigan48107.86pages. A-79Section5.5.2.c.3Benthos535.*5'II.I553.community shouldbediscussed inthissection.Section6.1AuaticMonitorin Proram~Pae6-1.BasedontheStaff'sassessment thatthepresentenvironmental studiesnowproposedandbeingcarriedoutbytheApplicant areinadequate toassesstheeffectsofopera-tionoftheStation,werecommend denialofthefull-term operating licenseuntilanadequateenvironmental monitoring programhasbeenestablished andcoordinated withappropriate StateandFederalagencies. Amapdepicting thesamplingtransects andstationsshouldbeprovidedinthefinalenvironmental statement. Withreference totheStaff'srecommendation forimprovements -inthemonitoring program(pages6-2and6-5),webasically agreewiththeproposedchanges.However,wefeelthatsomesortoftabularformatshouldbeusedtosummarize forthereadertheimprovedprogram.Inaddition, thisprogramshouldbecoordinated withappropriate

agencies, assuggested above.Withregardtoasamplingprocedure thatwouldpermitreporting theresultsintermsofbiomassperunitarea,thepossibleuseofaPonardredgeforbenthicworkshouldbediscussed.

Section6.3RadioloicalMonitorin Proram~pae6-6.Alistoforganisms typically sampledandsubjected toradioanalysis shouldbepresented inthefinalenvironmental statement. Inouropinion,theprimaryfunctionofanenviron-mentalimpactstatement istoserveasafull'disclosure document. Therefore, wedonotbelieveitissufficient tomerelyreferthereadertoadocumentsuchastheApplicant's Environmental Report,whichmayormaynotbereadilyavailable tothereader.IftheStaffdisagrees withouropiniononthismatter,we,wouldappreciate afullexplanation inthefinalenvironmental statement. A-80-8>>Sect:ion9Alternatives totheProosedPro'ect:rd-l..*9'l.d'9'.analysisofeachalternative sot:hatinformedconclusions canbedrawnanddecisions madebyresponsible officials and'others whoreviewthisdocument. Thewarmwaterplumestendtobeclosetothelakeshore,duetotheexposedlocationandthelakecurrentsflowingneartheshore.~Thiscouldhavesomeeffectinreducingnearshore icecover.However,thiswillcausenoadverseeffectseitheronwat:erintakeorshoreerosion.Thecalculated increaseinaveragelakesurfacetemperature ofabout0.002Fhasnophysicalmeaningandmaymaskadverselocaleffects.Muchmoremeaningful istheareaaffect:ed byasignificant tempera-tureincrease. Toreducethefishentrapment int:he.intakesystemand'thusfishkills,"thereportrecommends thatalt:ernative intakestructures beexamined. Ttissuggest:ed thatinadditiontotheabove,afishreplenishment: programbeconsidered. Samplings indicatethat82%ofthefishkilledarethealewifesand:smelts.Thislowqualityfishcouldbereplacedbymoredesirable fishfromhatcheries inthesameorsignificantly largeramounts.Asdescribed onpage3-23,themajorsourceofradioactivity releasedtotheopenatmosphere duringreactor'operation istheoffgasfromthemaincondenser airejectors. Theseoff-gasesareallowedtoflowthrougha30-minute holduppipebeforebeingdischarged throughthemainplantstack.Conse-quently,wewouldconsiderthereleaset:obecontinuous throughout theyearand,assumingaratheruniformsourceemissionrate,averageannualdiffusion paramet:ers canbeappropriately used.EnourcommentsontheFinalSafetyAnalysis, ReportforthisfacilitysenttotheAtomicEnergyCommission DivisionofReactorLicensing onDecember18,1967,wecomputedthatthe highestoff-siteannualconcentration is5xl0"secmatadistanceof2kmtothenortheast cornerofthesiteassumingtheeHluentisreleasedTroya350-$t.stackT.hisissome-whathigherthanthe1.9x10se'cmcomputedbythestaffintable5.7.Thankyouforgivingusanopportunity toprovidethesecomments, whichwehooewillbeofassistance toyou.Wewouldappreciate receiving acopyofthefinalstatement. Sincerely, ,")"j)'SidneyR.GallerDeputyAssistant Secretary forEnvironmental Affairs

B-1APPENDIXBAPPLICANT'S PARTIALRESPONSETOCOMMENTSONDRAFTENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT B-2NIAGARA,MOHAWKPOWER.CORPORATION NIAGARA';MOHAWK30tTERICBOULEVARD WESTSYRACUSE. II.Y.I3202October31,1973Hr.W.H.Regan,Jr.,ChiefEnvironmental ProjectsBranchNo.4Directorate ofLicensing OfficeofRegulation U.S.AtomicEnergyComr..ission Washington, D.C.205451Re:NineHilePointUnit1DocketNo.50-220.

Dearhir.Regan:

Asrequested inyourletterofSeptember 10,1973,we,havereviewedcommentsofvariousgovernmental agenciesconcerning theDraft,Environmental Stateme'nt forNinehIilePointUnit1.Theenclosure tothislettercontainsresponses whichwedeemappropriate. Asrequested inyourletter,wehaveinclude'd threesignedoriginals andfortyadditional copies.Verytrulyyours,~f,.g~~l>/pg-PhilipD.RaymondVicePresident-Engineering CVH/sjzEnclosures B-3NIAGARAMOHAWKPOWERCORPORATION NINEMILEPOINTUNIT1APPLICANT'S RESPONSES TOGOVERNMENTAL AGENCYCOMMENTSONAECDRAFTENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT SUBMITTED TOUNITEDSTATESATOMICENERGYCOMMISSION DOCKETNO.50-220NOVEMBER1,1973 TABLEOFCONTENTSPacaeNoU.S.Department ofCommerceDepartment ofHealth,Education, andWelfare25Department, ofTransportation 36U.S.Department ofAgriculture 38StateofNewYorkDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation 44AdvisoryCouncilonHistoricPreservation 108FederalPowerCommission 109U.S.Environmental Protection Agency110 B-5U.S.DEPARTMENT OFCOMMERCE(COMMENTNO.1)XntheSummaryandConclusions section,aswellas-inthemaintext,thestaffconcludes that,theplant'soperation willhavenosignificant impactonthebiotainLakeOntario.Thistypeoflakewideapproachfailstoadequately considerallthepointsourcesofwasteheat:thatshouldbeincludedintheevaluation ifthelakeasawholeisusedastheunitofmeasurement ofsignificant .impact.Inaddition, thestatement shouldincludeadis-cussionoftheplumeinteraction withNineMilePointUnit,2,andthenearbyJamesA.FitzPatrick NuclearPower-Plant.Secondly, consultation willappropriate StateandFederalagenciesshouldbeincluded.inthedesignof.thecomprehensive environmental monitoring program.Theseagenciesshouldalsobeinvolvedintheevaluation oftheinformation collected. Sincethisplanthasbeenoperating underaprovis-ionallicensesince1969,actualmeasurements, ratherthan'estimates, ofenvironmental impacthavebeenpossible. Thisgreatlyincreases theconfidence onecanplaceinthecon-clusions. Fromourpointofview,thestatement issatis-factorywithregardtoconsideration ofthissinglepowerstation's impactontheenvironment. Itappears,forexample,t:hatthethermaleffectonthelakewillbenegligible. Butwhataboutthebigpicture?Howmanyplantsofthistypecanbeconstructed beforethecumulative effectisnolongerneg-ligible?Weshouldnotconsidereachcaseasaseparateproblem.TheNationalOceanicandAtmospheric Administration's International FieldYearfortheGreatLakesProjectOfficerecentlycompleted anextensive studyofLakeOntarioandtheycanprovideinputtothisaspectoftheimpact.statement. =RESPONSEWithregardtotheinteraction ofthethermalplumeofNineMilePointUnits1and2withtheFitzPatrick plant,thi'smatterhasbeendiscussed intheFinalEnvironmental State-mentforNineMilePointUnit2,pages3-6to3-23,5-29to5-,39and11-4to11-10.AnanalysisofthethermalinputstoLake B-6RESPONSETOU-S.DEPARTMENT OFCOMMERCE(COMllENT NO-.l).CONTINUED OntarioisprovidedinAppendixHoftheApplicant's Environ-mentalReport.TheApplicant hascoordinated planswiththeUnitedIStatesAtomicEnergyCommission and.otherappropriate agenciestodevelopandconductenvironmental program's for'datacollection whicharemutuallysatisfactory forfacilityconstruction andoperation. Theinformation resultinq fromtheseprogramswillPbeavailable foragencyreviewasrequested. U.S.DEPARTMENT OFCOMMERCE(COKiKNTNO.2)highnutrientcontentofLakeOntario,thefishpro-ductionisratherlow."Althoughfishproduction ispresently lowforalakewiththe'productive capacityofLakeOntario,thesituation maybealteredinthenearfuture.ThegreatLakesFisheryCommission treatedall.lampreyspawningstreamslastyear,andtheCanadianstreamsandseveral-key streamsinU.S.watersagainthisyear.Moreover, fisherymanagement agencies'n NewYorkandOntariohavebeenplantingsalmonidspeciesinLakeOntario,andtheseagenciesplantointensify thisactivityinyearstocome.SincetheforagebaseinLakeOntarioisasgoodorbetterthanthatinLakeMichiganwhentheLake'ssalmonstockingprogramwasbegunin.1965,itisex-pectedthatthefisherywhichwoulddevelopinLakeOntariowillbeequallyasgood.NewYorkhasplantedsalmonids in.theSa'lmonRiver(10mileseast)andtheLittleSalmonRiver(6mileseast).Bothriversarecloseenoughtotheplantsitethatthefishleavingandreturning tothemcouldconceivably passtheintakeanddischarge oftheNineMilePointNuclearStation.Withregardtotheassertion thatthereasonthealewifehasflourished isthatlargepredators havebeenpresent,itisnowthought-that. thepopulation ofalewife,anearlycolonistofthelake,stabilized-priortothedeclineofthelargepredators. Thisrecenttheoryissupported by.theresurgence ofpremium-fishstocksinthe1920'sandnewspaper reportsduringthesameeraoftwomajoralewifemortalities.l (Footnote omittedbAlicant.)Concerning thecontroversy betweenSmith(1970)andChristie(1972),Christie(pp.920-921)providesthefollowing, analysisoftheineractions betweenthecolonists andthenativespeciesinLakeOntario:"Ofthespeciesoffishwhichinvadedorwereintroduced intoLakeOntariointhelastcentury,thecarpandalewifewerethemostobviously successful. Bothmusthaveaffectedotherspeciesinimportant ways,butitisdifficult tomakejudgements becauseoftheearly.colonization ofthesespecies. B-8COl"LIHNT TOU.S~DEPARTMENT OFCOllNERCE COllMEHTNO.2)CONTINUED "ALEWIFE"Smith(1970)hasarguedonthebasisoftherecenteffectsofalewifecolonization ofthe,upperGreatLakes,thatthespecieseffectively causedallthemisfortunes oftheLakeOntariofishstockssubsequent toitsestablishment thereinthe1870s.Theviewheldbythepresentauthorhowever,iswhatwhatevertheinitialimpact,theresurg-enceofthepremiumfishstocksj.nthe1920sinthefaceofheavyalewifedensities, arguesinfavorofaharmlessroleforthealewifedensi-ties.Theresurgence ofthedeepwater ciscoes(Coreqonus sp.)inthe1930swasalsoseemingly unaffected'by thealewife.Equallyimportant, thecollapseoftheciscoeswasnotfollowedbyasurgeofalewifeabundance asmighthavebeenexpectedifcompetition pressurehadbeenamajorconsideration. Therearenostatistics withwhichtoevaluatetrendsinalewifeabundance butithasbeenassumedbyPritchard (1929)andGraham(1956)thatthefre-quencyof-heavyspringbeachmortalities isatleastaroughvindication ofalewifedensity.'nthisbasis,newspaper reportsoftwomajormortalities inthe1920decadedonotsuggestthatthealewife,liketheciscoes,werescarceduringtheperiodofpeakpredatorabundance. Dymond(1928)foundthatthealewifewasanimportant iteminthedietsofbothlaketroutandburbot,butnotedalewifewerenotasofteneatenbythetroutafterthealewifemovedinshoreintheearlysummer.Juveniles wouldhavebe'enlargelyprotected fromthesespecies'byreasonoftheirinshoredistribution, anditispossiblethatthepost-spawning adultalewifedidnotextendlakewardveryfarintotherangeofthesepredators inlakesummer.Wells(1969)foundthattrawlinginSeptem'ber inLakeOntarioproduced8.12alewifepertow"at120feet(37m)andless,andonly7.2fortowsat180feet(55m)andgreater.Thiswouldcertainly reduceit,andpossiblyenoughtoreducetheseverityofthepredation impactonalewife B-9COi~SKNTTOU.S.DEPARTMENT OFCOMi41ERCE (COMMENTNO.2)CONTXNUED adults.Predation onbothjuveniles, andadultsinthe"inshoreareasisontheotherhand,heavy,andinflicted bymanyfishspecies.Thelackofobvi'ouschangeintheabundance ofthealewifestocksafterthe1940sisespecially compelling evidencethattheabundance islimitedbyinshorefactors,andpossiblybytheeffectsofthemortalities themselves tosomeextent."RESPONSEThefollowing factorsshouldbeconsidered regarding the-possibility ofsalmonids passingtheintakeanddischarge oftheNineMilePointStation:a.Fifteenmonthsofexperience hasnowbeenobtainedinmonitoring .thefishimpingement rateatthetraveling screensofNineMileUnit1.Thisintake,hasahigherdesignapproachvelocitythantheproposedin-takeforUnit,2.Datacollected todateindicatethatfishoverapproximately 7"longandingoodcondition arenotentrained. Xnaddition,. sincetheinception ofthescreenmonitoring program,nosalmonids havebeencapturedonthetraveling screens.b.Fielddatacollected todatedonotindicatethatlargenumbersofsalmonids passtheNineMilePointpromontory inthevicinityoftheintakeanddischa'rgb ~ RESPONSETO.U.S~DEPARTMENT OFCOMMERCE(COMMENTNO.2)CONTXNUED 'tructures astheyleaveorreturntotheSalmonandLittleSalmonRzvers.c.TheApplicant willbecontinuing impinge-ment,andfishinvestigations during1973and1974whichwillprovideadditional data.Foradiscussion ofthealewifepopulation of'akeOntariointhehistorical context;refertoareport,entitled"TheEffectofXmpingement atNineMilePointontheFishPopulations, ofLakeOntario", October1,1973,submitted bytheApplicant asExhibit3b,(AECDocketNo.50-410)NineMilePointUnit2PublicHearings. Thisreportstatesthattheimpactoftheplant(asmeasuredbystudiesatUnit1)uponfishpopulations ofLakeOntarioproblem.isnotsignificant anddoesnotconstitute anenvironmental U.S~DEPARTMENT OFCOMMERCE(COL"IMENT NO.3)soundersurvey,moreinformation shouldbesupplied-con-

cerningthetyp'eoffathometer usedandwhatitscapabil-itieswerefordetecting concentrations offishlarvae,fry,andyoung-of-the-year.

Inaddition, anexampleofafa'thometer recording shouldbeprovided, including anexplanation ofitsinterpretation. RESPONSEITheinstrument usedisaRossFathometer (fine0Pline200-A)witha7-1/2con'icaltransducer. TheAppli-'ant isnotabletodetectlarvalfishwiththisinstru-ment:.Itispossibletodetectyoung-of-the-year fishthataregreaterthan6"length;however,specificsizeVanalysiscannot,bedonewithanydegreeofconfidence. B-12U.S.DEPARTMENT OFCOMMERCE(CONbKNTNO~4)hasnot.seinedintheareaandtherefore noinformation onjuveniles neartheshoreisavailable." Newlyhatchedyoung-of-the-year alewivesbegintoshowupinseinecatchesinthemiddleofAugustandremaininshoreuntillatefall.2/(Footnote omitted.b Alicant)Therefore, fromlate"springuntilfalllarvalandjuvenilealewiveswouldbesusceptible toentrainment. Inaddition; thespottailshiner,,alsoabundantinshore,remainsinshore(indepthsoflessthan50ft,.);thisspeciesisconsidered anexcellent foragestock.RESPONSESeiningisrecognized asasignificant partofanyfishpopulation study,andhasbeenincludedonasub-stantialscaleintheaquaticbiologyprogramatNineMilePointas.ofJune1973.Itisperformed twiceeachmonthatfourshorelocations corresponding tothefourtransects, i.e.,West>NineMilePointPlant,FitzPatrick Plant,andEast.Thispatternwillbecontinued at.leastthroughDecemberl973,totheextentweatherpermits. U.G.DEPARTMENT OFCOMMERCE(COhilKNT NO.5)larvaewereob'served intheplanktonsamples.Thesamplingequipment usedtocollectplankton, fisheggs,andlarvaeshouldbedescribed, andavailable dataandliter'ature onthecomparative efficiency andeffectiveness ofthevarioustypesofsamplingmethodsandequipment shouldbeevaluated .anddiscussed. In,ouropinion,ifinformation fromreference 30'asusedtodetermine theabundance anddistributio'n, offishlarvae,samplecollection withaNansenbottle,asused~inthissurvey,virtually precluded anylarvalentrapment. RESPONSEDuring1973,samplingforfisheggsandlarvaewasbegunonalimitedscale".in MarchandApril,continued moreextensively inMay,andestablished onanintensive basisfromJuneandsubsequently. Theprogramwillbe*runatthisfinallevelthrough1974.Thesamplinglocationpatternfinallyarrived\atisasfollows.Samplesarecollected atthesurface,mid-depth andbottom,atfivestationsineachofthethreeareasdefinedbyradiiof.,1/2mile,1mileand3milesfromtheNineMilePointplant.Thestationsare:1/2MileRadiusStation1-In20ftofStation2-In40ftofStation,3 -In60ftofStation4-In40-ftofStation5-In20ft,ofwaterwaterwaterwaterwateronthewest,onthewestoff'theplantontheeaston=theeast RESPONSETOU.S.DEPARTMENT OFCOMllERCE (COMMENTNO.5)CONTINUED 1NileRadius'StationStationStationStationStation1-In202-In403-In804-In405-In20ftofwaterftofwaterftofwaterftofwaterftofwateronthewestonthewestofftheplantontheeastontheeast3MileRadiusStation1-Station2-Station3Station4Station5-In20ftof.wateronthewest.In40ft'ofwateronthewestIn100ftofwaterofftheplantIn40ftofwaterontheeastIn20ftofwaterontheeastCollections aremadeon'weeklybasis,dura.ngtheday,fromMaythroughDecemberandduringbothdayandnightfrommid-Junethroughmid-September. Samplesarecollected bytowinga1.0meterdiameterHensentypeplanktonrietofg0mesh(570uaperture) withanattachedTSKflowmeter.Durationofthetowis5minutes,timedwithastopwatch,coveringapproximately adistanceof0.2milesat2.0mph.Thenetistowedwitha200'ineandiskeptinposition(atdepth)byasystemoffloatlinesanddepressors. Itishauledontotheboat,thebucketiswashed'nd emptiedintoacollection container, andthesampleispreserved andlabelled-. Anattemptismadetoestimateviability ofcapturedorganisms, i.e.,fishlarvaebydirectobservation ontheboatuntilsuchtimethatavitalstaincanbeemployed. U.S~DEPARTMENT OPCOIHKRCE(COUNTNO.6)pacCe3-7.Anestimatefortheintakevelocityatthetraveling screensshouldbeprovided. RESPONSEThemaximumapproachvelocitytothetraveling screensiscalculate'd 'tobe0.85fps. U.-S.DEPARTMENT .OFCOMMERCE(COMMENTNO.,7)P~ae5-2.ThecombinedeffectsofNineMilePointUnitl,'NineMilePointUnit2,andtheJamesA.FitzPatrkck NuclearPowerPlantshouldbeevaluated bythethermalstudies.RESPONSERefertoApplicant's responsetoDepartment ofCommerceCommentNo.l. U.S.DEPARThfENT OFCOMMERCE(COMMENTNO.8)for,fishtoconcentrate alongthe25-ft.depthcontourandthelocationoftheintakeataboutthe20-ft.con-.tour,andgiventhenumbersoffishentrained andsub-sequently impingedaccording tostudiestodate,eventhoughnotsufficient topermitavalidquantitative assessment oftheproblemsofimpingement, itisapparanttousthata.potentially seriousimpingement problemmaydevelop.Webelievethatthissituation mayrequirecorrective actiontoreduce,theintakevelocityto1ft/secorless,inadditiontoconducting themonitoring program.~Wealsorecommend thatevaluation ofthefish-kill problembe.coordinated withtheappropriate StateandFederalagencies. Finally,weconsiderthestatement that"TheStaff'oes notintendtoimplythatfishimpingement attheStationwillproducesignificant adverseeffectsonlake-widefishpopulations" tobemisleading. Thisstatement shouldberevisedtoconsidertheeffectsofallwaterintakesinthelake'iftheentirelakeistobetheframeofreference forevaluating theeffectsofthispowerplantonfishpopulations inLakeOntario.RESPONSERefertoApplicant's responsetoNewYorkStateDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation CommentNo.l.andU.S.Department ofCommerceComment'o.

1.

U.S~DEPARTMENT OFCOYiMERCE (COMMENTNO.9)onthecomb'ined effectsoftheNinelIilePointUnit,2andJames'A.FitzPatrick plants.b.Xellowperch,acommonfishinthearea,require,a givenperiodoftimeat4'Corbelowformaturation. 3(Footnote omittedbyApplicant) Thepossibility thatthosefishremaining inorneartheplumemaynotreceivethislow-temperature exposureandthattheywould,.therefore, notmatureshouldbediscussed. Thisdiscussion shouldincludeappropriate data.anddocumentation. IIRESPONSEa.RefertoApplicant's responsetoDepartment ofCommerceCommentNo.l.b.Fishdistribution studies,including fishnettingfordetermination ofspecies,physicalcondition ofcollected speciesandfoodpreference ofyellowperchinparticular haveshownthatmatureyellowperchfrequenttheareaofthedischarge plumeofUnit.1.Thefishmovefreelythrough-outtheplumeareaandnoeffectupontheirabilitytomaturehasbeenobserved. CU.S.DEPARTMENT OFCOMMERCE(COMMENTNO.10)Ireferredtointhefourthparagraph berequired, ratherthansimplyrecommended, bytheStaff.RESPONSEAfishtaggingstudytocollectdataregarding 'I.localfishmovementandmigration patternshasbeencon-ductedduringthe1972and1973lakestudyseasons(April-October'. =TheApplicant willcontinuethesefishtaggingefforts. B-20U.S~DEPARTMENT OF.'Ol94ERCE (COMMENT. NO.11)Page5-39.Theimpactofsinkingplumesonthebenthiccommunity shouldbe'discussed inthissection.RESPONSEThewinterplumeconfiguration resulting fromtheUnit.1discharge dependsonitsvelocityandbuoyancy. WhentheLakeambienttemperature iscoldest(near32'F),theheffluentwillbedischarged atatemperatur'e near73'Fandatanexitvelocityofabout4fps.Thus,theeffluentisbuoyantunderallLaket.'emperature conditions. Intheimmediate vicinityoftheUnit1discharge locationthe.plumewillrespondsimilarly insummerandwinter.AstheeffluentcoolsandspreadsontheLakesurfacethebuoyancyisreduced.Atatemperature between39'F'nd47'F(depending ontheambient.temperature) theeffluentisneutrally buoyantandmixesvertically.Nearlocations wherethisoccurs,someri'seinbottomA'emperatures wouldbeexpected. Areportofbottomtemperature elevations waspublished byHoglundandSpigarelli (1972GreatLakesResearchConference). Areasoutsidetheplumewheretemperatures arelessthanthoseassociated withneutralbuoyancy(lessthan47'F)willexperience minimalheating.The RESPONSETOU.S.DEPARTMENT OPCOMMERCE(COYiHENT NO.11)CONTINUED heatingissmallduetotheverticalmixinginducedintheneutrally buoyantportionoftheplume.Inthisperipheral .area,however,theeffluentwillbenegatively buoyant.Thus,(slightlywarmerbottomthansurfacetemperatures wouldbeexpectedinthisregion.Therefore, thephenomenon referredtoasa"sinkingplume"probablywouldnotresultintheUnit1plumebeingconfinedontheLakebottom.Thebottomtemperature elevations nearNineMilePoint,seldomexceed10'Fandaregenerally muchlessduetomixingin-theplume.,InstudiessuchasthosebyHoglundandSpigarelli theeffectsofsuchtemperature elevations ontheaquaticecologywerediscussed. Thetemperatures arebelievedtohaveminimaleffectsontheaquaticecologyingeneralandonthebenthosinparticular. Theareaexposedtoheatingbyeasinkingplumewouldbeminimaland,thetemperatures wouldnot.beoutsidetherangeoftemperatures normallyexperienced by,thebenthos. B-22U-S.DEPARTMENT OFCOMMERCE(COMMENTNO.12)a~Page6-1.Basedonthe-Staff'sassessment thatthepresentenvironmental studiesnowproposedandbeingcarriedoutbytheApplicant areinadequate toassesstheeffectsofoperation oftheStation,'we recommend denialofthefull-term operating licenseuntilanadequate'environmental monitoring programhasbeenestablished andcoordinated withappropriate StateandFederalagencies. b.Amapdepicting thesamplingtransects andstationsshouldbeprovidedinthefinalenvironmental state-.ment.c.Withreference totheStaff'srecommendation, forim-provements inthe.monitoring program(pages6-2and6-5),webasically agreewiththeproposedchanges.However,wefeelthatsomesortoftabularformatshouldbeused'osummarize forthereadertheim-provedprogram.Xnaddition, thisprogramshouldbecoordinated withappropriate

agencies, assuggested above.d.Withregardtoasamplingprocedure thatwouldpermitreporting theresultsintermsofbiomassperunit'rea,thepossibleuseofaPonardredgefor.benthicworkshouldbediscussed.

RESPONSEa.'Thecomprehensive ecological programpreviously c'onducted fortheNineMilePointpromontory wasexpandedafterintensive reviewandcommentbytheAEC.Varioussamplingoperations hadbeguninMarch,1973,buttheexpandedprogram', insubstantially allitsdetail,wasinitiated inJune,1973. B-23RESPONSETO'.S.DEPARTMENT'F COMMERCECOKKNTNO.12)CONTINUED b.Thesamplingstationsare'indicated intheattachedmap.c.Theecological programissummarized intheattachedtable.d.Threedifferent benthicdr'edgeswereevaluated forthisprogram,namely,Peterson, Ponarand"Eckman.ThebottomofLakeOntario,inthisarea,iscomposedofslhbsof,sedimentary rock,largelyexposed.Benthos.thickness, whereit.occurs,isnomorethananinchortwo.Dredges,ofwhateverdesign,havelimitedusehere,andbenthossamplingforthisprogramisperformed bymeansofapumpdevice.Thisisusedto"vacuumclean"anareaoftheTakebottom1Sinchesindi'ameter, thematerialsoremovedbeingdischarged intoanetcarriedintheboatonthesurface. T-TRAWLINGS-SEININGG-GILLNETTINGP-PERIPHYTON S-SEI'ITHOS PP-PHYXOPLANKTON ZP-"ZOOPLANKTON EL-FISHEGGS8LARVAEFORTRAWLINGTHISISONETRANSECTNh)PWNhIPPIFITZNhIPETYPICALGj8)PPZPGOWATERDEPTHFT. (NOTTOSCALE)50T,G,B,P,PP,ZP40G)B,P30ELEL'NIAGARAMO}IA')VKPOV)'ERCORP.lgiI/STACKT)8)P,PP,ZPGB,P,PP;ZP PS20l5IO5S/IIPLEASAN'fi POINTCjgp~Eg)r~ALCANCO.TRANSECTS NhlPVI-YEASTCONTROLNIIIPP=NhIP.PLANTFITZ-FITZPATRICK PLANTNlAPE-EASTCONTROL0RAOIOMASTWSGO-SAMPLINGLOCATIONSNINEViILEPOINTl975OSVlEGOIO}000SCALEINFEET20)000FIGURE4.1.1 B-25SIDI<tnnv OFFC.ICM.RLII8-NIts?NIMPOI?oTIAX>>.'NTARIO>> 1973InnnninnTrawlingFrequency ~nfO.olinTwice/renth Dura>>ionofSampling.April-Dcc Lab..AnalsisPerformed Speciating,

Weighing, NeasuxingI Condition.

factors,maturitycoefficients, fecundity. Scalesstomachanalysis, 3important specicsoCLllNettingIIII~ISeiningPcxiphyton Substrates onLakeDottonOnce/renth Once/mont/ 'wice/aenth AprilScp'tNovMay-AugSpcciating Chlorophyll aBiomassPcriphyton Substrates Sus-pendedfxonBuoysOnce/renth Once/month TwLcc/aenth AprilSept-NovHay-AugSpeciatirg Chlorophyll aBiomassWaterChemistry Once/month April-Dec 48parameters andradioactivity (plusD.O.andpHinthcfield).WatersampleshssocLated withBiological SarplingTwice/aenth April-Dcc 11parameters (plusD.Oo>>CO2IpHandspec.conductivity inthofiold.LakeTeapexaturc BenthosDottonDepositChen.Once/wcck Once/2renths Once/year Harch-Dcc April-Nov IncludesD.O.,pHandspec.conductivity. Spcciating,. biomass.Oxginics, nutricnts, rcrcury,lead,copper0chxor.t.uno PlantSanitazyandStormDrainsOnce/aenth Allyear24paraaetexe Plant.intake SDis-chargeDissolved Oxygenl(seeLakeTemp)FLshIrpingcaent Phyto,0Zooplankton PlanktoninWindzowsOnceeachIspring,surmerI winterOnce/week for24hoursOnce/renth Once/month Twice/aenth oOnce/aenth Once/roonth Twice/renth AllyearApr'ilSept-D'cY&yAugAprilSept-DccKly-AugDoOospeciating, lengthsweight.Sex,sexualraturity, scale'analysis for2irpoztant specLcs.Densityandspecies.FoxphytoplanktonI primaryproductivity. Densityandspecies.ForphytoplaWtonI primaryproductivity. SUMS!lYOFECOLOGICA 'PROGRAMS -NINENILEPOINTLAM'ONTARIO~ 1973Cont'd0t."ationFrequency ofSarnlincDu"ationofSa~~lincr Lab.AnalsisPerformed FishEggsSLarvaeOnce/wce'k, daysOnce/week, nightsApril-Dec ~U.d-June toHid-SeptDensityandspecies.In-plantEntrain-xentSarplingTwice/renth for2Chours"AllyearAsforlakesartples. <<Forsamplingstations, seenap. B-27U.S.DEPARTMENT OPCOMMERCE(COMMENTNO.l3)C.Page6-6.Alistoforganisms typically sampledandsubjected toradioanalysis shouldbepresented inthefinalenvironmental statement. Inouropinion,theprimaryfunctionofan.environmental impactstatement istoserveasa-fulldisclosure document. Therefore; wedonotbelieveiti'ssufficient tomerelyreferthereadertoadocumentsuchastheApplicant's Environmental Report,whichmayormaynotbereadilyavailable tothereader.IftheStaffdisagrees withouropiniononthismatter,wewouldappreciate afullexplanation inthefinalenvironmental statement. RESPONSE,Nocomment. B-28U.S.DEPARTMENT OFCOIRKRCE(COMMENTNO.14)a~b.c~P~aa9-1.Thissectionshonldincludeecompleteenvironmental analysisofeachalternative sothatinformalconclusions canbedrawnanddecisions made:byresponsible officials andotherswhoreviewthisdocument.'he warmwaterplumestendtobeclosetothelakeshore,duetotheexposed-locationandthelakecurrentsflowingneartheshore.Thiscouldhavesomeeffectinreducingnearshore icecover.Itowever, thiswillcausenoadverseeffectseitheronwater,'ntake orshoreerosion.,Thecalculated .increase*in averagela)esurfacetemperature ofabout0.002'Fhasnophysicalmeaningand.maymaskadverselocal.effects.Muchmoremeaningful istheareaaffectedbasinificantterneratureincrease. ygpToreducethefishentrapment intheintakesystemandthusfishkills,thereportrecommends thatalternative intakestructures beexamined. Itissuggested thatinadditiontotheabove,afishre-.plenishment programbeconsidered. Samplings indicatethat82%ofthefishkilledarethealewifesandsmelts.Thislowqualityfishcouldbereplacedbymoredesir-ablefishfromhatcheries inthesameorsignificantly largeramounts.'d.Asdescribed onpage3-23,themajor'source. ofradio-activityreleasedtotheopenatmosphere duringreactoroperation istheoffgasfromthe'maincondenser airejectors. Theseoffgasesareallowedto'flowthrougha30-minute holduppipebeforebeingdischarged, throughthemainplantstack.Consequently, wewouldconsiderthereleasetobecontinuous throughout the'yearand,,assumingaratheruniformsourceemissionrate,averageannualdiffusion parameters canbeappropriately used.e.InourcommentsontheFinalSafetyAnalysisReport.forthisfacility'senttotheAtomicEnergyCommission DivisionofReactorLicensing onDecember18,1967,"wecomputedthatthehighestoff-siteannualconcentration is5x10secm3at..adistanceof2kmtothenortheast cornerofthesiteassumingtheeffluentisreleasedfroma350-ft.stack.Thisissomewhathigherthanthe1.9xl0secm3computedbythestaffintable5.7.RESPONSEa-enocomment. B-29DEPARTMENT OFHEALTHEDUCATION, ANDNELFARE(GENERALCOI<~lENT NO.1)Ourprimaryobservation concernsthefactthattheNineYilePointNuclearStationUnit1isjustoneof'hreeplantswhicharetooperateessentially sidebysideonthesouthernshoreofLakeOntario.Asstatedintheintroduction tothedraftEIS,theapplicant planstoconstruct aUnit2stationadjacent. totheUnit1sitewhichwillproducealmosttwicetheamountofUnit1'selectrical power.Xnaddition, thePowerAuthority oftheStateofNewYorkisbuildingtheJamesA.FitzPatrick NuclearPlant3300feeteastof.theUnit1Station.Allthreeplantsareto'tilize once-through coolingsystemswithlakewater.Xtistherefore necessary thatcumulative thermaleffectsbeaddressed. Likewiseothercumulative effectsofthethreeplantsmustbeconsidered. RESPONSERefertoApplicant's responsetoU.S.Department ofCommerceCommentNo.1. B-30DEPARTMENT OFHEALTHYEDUCATION ANDWELFARE(GENERALCOMMENTNO..2)Whilethedraftindicates thatseparateenvironmental statements havebeenpreparedfortheseadditional facilities, wehavenotreceivedcopies'ofthemforreviewandhavenoway~ofknowingtheircontent.. Weareunabletherefore, toassesstheenvironmental effectstheproposedactionwillbringaboutinitsactual,operational context,. RESPONSENocomment. DEPARTMENT OFHEALTHEDUCATION, ANDWELFARE(GENERALCONl&NTNO~3)Itwouldappearthatathoroughanalysisofthe'nvironmental impactoftheUnit,lStationrequirescon-sideration ofthecumulative effectsofallthreenuclear,plantsinc'luding theeffectsofthermaldischarges, gaseouseffluents, liquideffluents, releasesofradioactive mater-ials,fish'mpingement, transmission lines,aswellastheeffectsofincreased populations onhumanservices. Thismay,forreasonsunknowntous,beunnecessary. RESPONSENocomment. DEPARTMENT OFHEALTHgEDUCATIONgANDWELFARE(COMMENTNO1)Itissuggested thattheupgradedliquidwastesystemsreferenced inSections3.5.1.2., 3.5.1.4., and3.5.1.6., andthegaseouswastetreatment systemreferenced inSection3.5.2.2,, shouldbeoperational beforeafull-termlicenseisgrantedtheNiagaraMohawkPowerCorporation fortheNineMilePointNuclearStationUnitl.RESPONSENocomment. B-33DEPARTMENT OFHEALTHEDUCATIONS ANDWELFARE(COMMENTNO.2XnSection2.7.1.,describing theTerrestrial Ecologyofthesite,itisstatedthatthesouthernshoreofLakeOntarioisamajormigration routeusedbymanybirdsincluding theAmericanospreyandthebaldeagle.Subsequently itissaidthataterrestrial surveyofthesitefoundthatnorareorendangered speciesofplantsoranimalswerepresent.Thereseemstobeaninconsistency hereastheAmericanospreyandthebaldeaglearebothlistedasendangered speciesandasthesiteoftheUnit1Stationmakesuppartofthesouthernshore.RESPONSETheterrestrial surveyreferredtodidnot,locateorindicatethepresenceofnestingsitesofthesebirdsnoristheiranyotherevidencethattheyfrequentthearea.Thisisnottosaythattheydonotpassoverthesiteduringtheirannualmigration flights. B-34DEPARTMENT OFHEALTHgEDUCATION ANDWELFARE(COMMENTNO3)Theinformation provided'ontheoperational effectsoftheUnitlStationonaquaticbiotaislacking.Itdoesnotallowfora'horough 'assessment oftheenvironmental impactoftheproposedactionandtherefore, offsetstheenvironmental effectstobeweighedinthedecision-making process.RESPONSEReferto.Applicant,'s responsetoU.S.Department ofCommerceCommentNo.12. 8-35DEPARTMENT OFHEALTHEDUCATION, ANDWELFARE(COKKNTNO.4)Wenotethattheonce-through coolingsystemutilizedbytheUnit1StationfailstomeetthecurrentNewYorkStatethermalcriteria. Thesecriteria"limittheriseinsurfacetemperature to3'Fovertheambienttemperature within300-feetradiusorequivalent areafromthepointofdischarge". (5.2.2.)StudiesofthethermaleffectsoftheUnit.1Stationhaveshown.thatattimes"evenatadepthof5feet,approximately oneandaquarterofshoreline hadtemperatures greaterthan5'Faboveambient". (5.2.2.)Furtherinformation shouldbeprovidedastotheeffects,including healtheffects,ofthisriseintemperature abovethestandard. Itwouldalsobeusefultoaddresslegalramifications offailingtomeetthecriteria. RESPONSETheNewYorkStatestandards forthermaldischarges specifythat,"Nonealoneorincombination withothersubstances orwastesinsufficient. amountsoratsuchtemperatures astobeinjurious tofishlife...or impairthewatersforanyotherbest.usage..." (6NYCRR701.3 etseg.)OnJuly25,1969NewYorkStateadoptedthermalcriteriathatspecifythatthestandardforState'waters isasdescribed aboveandthatthestandards shallbeappliedinaccordance with.thesecriteria(6NYCRR704). InPart704.4ofthesecriteriathereisadiscussion oftheextent,ofapplicability ofthecriteriatoexistingdischar'ges, i.e.,discharges existingpriortoJuly25,1969.Thissectionofthecriteriaspecifies that,"Indetermining whetheradischarge existingpriortotheadoptionoftheabovecriteriacomplieswiththeapplicable standard('onealoneorincombination withthesubstance orwastesinsufficient amountsoratsuchtemper-.aturesastobeinjurious tofishlife...or RESPONSETODEPARTMENT OFHEALTHEDUCATION ANDWELFARE(COMMENTNO.4)CONTINUED-impairthewatersforanyotherbestusage')(6NYCRR701.3 etseg.),thesecriteriaareintendedonlytobeaframeofreference." Sincethedischarge forNineMilePointUnit1wasconstructed priortoJuly25,1969,Part704.4appliestothisunit.Inotherwords,theNineMilePointUnit1discharge doesnothavetomeetthecriter'ia forlakes("Thewatertemperature at,thesurfaceofalakeshallnotberaisedmorethan3'Foverthetemperature thatexistedbeforetheadd-itionofheatofartificialorigin,exceptthatwithinaradiusof300ftorequivalent areafromthepointofdischarge, thistemp-eraturemaybeexceeded. Inlakessubjecttostratification, thethermaldischarges shallbeconfinedtothe'epilimnetic area").TheNineMilePointUnit1discharge, however,mustcomplywiththestandard. Data-todateindicatethatthedischarge complieswiththestandardeventhoughitdoesnotmeet'hespecificnumerical criteria. B-37DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH,EDUCATION ANDWELFARE(COMMENTNO.5)Giventheinformation providedinthedraft,wefindthattheUnit1Stationfailstoconsistently meettheminimumFederalWaterQuality'Criteria forphosphorus concentrations. Morepreciseinformation onphosphorus effectsandthelegalconsiderations offailingtomeetthecriteriashouldbeincludedinthedraft.RESPONSEPhosphorus limitations inLakeOntarioarecitedintheMinimumFederalWaterQualityCriteria. Phosphorus limitsarenotsetbyexistingViewYorkStatedischarge criteria. However,theproposedrevisions oftheNewYorkStatecriteriadoincludelimitations forphosphorus. TheApril1972Treaty,GreatLakesWaterQualityAgreement, alsoprescribes limitsforphosphorus inLakeOntario.Theprovisions ofthesevariouscriteriaandregulations areoutlinedbelow.l.NewYorkStatestandards classifyLakeOntarioasClassASpecial.Nospecificlimitsaresetonphosphorus concentrations althoughagenerallimitonchemicaldischarges states,"allwastesincluding sanitarysewage,stormwaterandindustrial effluents shallbeinsuchcondition whendischarged intoanystreamthattheywillnotcreateconditions intheboundarywaterswhichwilladversely affecttheuseofthosewatersforthefollowing purposes: sourceanddomesticwatersupply,orindustrial watersupply,navigation, fishandwildlife, bathing,recreation, agriculture andotherriparianactivities." (6NYCRR702.1) RESPONSETODEPARTMENT OFEIEALTH,EDUCATION, ANDWELFARE(COMblHNT NO.5)CONTINUED 2.NewYorkState"Proposed Classifications andStandards for6NYCRR702.1"were"discussed inpublichearingsinSeptember 1973.Theproposedlimitations for,phosphorus are"concentrations shouldbelimitedtotheextent.necessary topreventnuisancegrowthsofalgae,weedsandslimesthatax'eormaybecomeinjurious toanybeneficial wateruse."3.MinimumFederalWaterQualityCriteriahavesetconcentrations asgoalsofthewaterbody purity.ForLakeOntario,thecriterion is0.05mgperliterPfortotalphosphorus. 4.TheGreatLakesWaterQualityAgreement (April1972)is'aninternational treatybywhichtheUnitedStatesandCanadaagreedtocertainlimitations onphosphorus inLakeErieandLakeOntario.Thelimitssetforthesetwolakesanddischarges theretoare.1mgperliter.Thedeadlineforcomplianc~ withthiscriterion isJanuary1,1975.Phosphate measurements, havebeenmadeintheLakeinthe'vicinity ofOswegoandnearNineMilePoint.Phosphate concentrations nearOswegoaveraged0.2mgperliteras,P.IBycomparison, theobservations nearNineMilePointaveraged0.06mgperliterasP.Theselevelsareattributable totherelatively highphosphate concentrations foundintheOswego B-39RESPONSETODEPARTMENT OFHEALTH,EDUCATION, ANDWELFARECONiENTNO.5CONTINUED River.LevelsintheLakeasawholetypically rangefrom0.01to0.03'mg/1PinthecentralportionoftheLake,withmuchhighervaluesfrequently beingrecordedneartheshoreline duetorunofffromtheadjacentlandareas.Theeffluent, fromtheNineMilePointsanitarysewagesecondary treatment plantislessthan8ops.persecond(3.75gpm).Theconcentration ofphosphate astheliquidleavesthetreatment complexisapproximately 4mgperliterP.Theeffluentdribblesdowntoanaturaldrainageditchinawet,woodedarea,whichisseparated fromtheLakebyan.expanseofgravelandbouldersformingthes'horeline ofLakeOntario.Following heavyrains,'thedrainageditchisflushedinto'LakeOntarioalongwithahighvolumeofrunoffwater.Adjacenttothetreatment planteffluentisastorm-yarddrainlinewhichnormallyflowsatamuch'higherrate(estimated at100gpm).Thetotalphosphorus content,ofthisflowhasbeenmeasuredat0.04mgperliterP. B-40DEPARTMENT OFTRANSPORTATION -FEDERALRAILROADADMINISTRATION COl'1NENT NO.1)TheFederalRailroadAdministration commented atsomelength(6Feb.,1973)regarding theapplicants requestforlicensing ofNineMileNuclearStationUnitNo.2.Ourcontinual concernovertheinductive coordin-ationproblemwithrailroadsignalandcommunication linesisalsoapplicable tothismorerecentstatement forUnitNo.l.RESPONSEWhendesigning transmission lineswhichparallelrailwayfacilities, itisthestandardpracticeoftheAp-plicanttocontacttheownersofsuchfacilities advisingthemoftheirplans.Theimpact.oftheApplicant's pro-posalisdetermined bytheownersoftherailwayfacilities. Ifthepossibility ofexcessive voltagesisindicated, cor-rectiveactionistakentoprecludethepossibility ofhazard. DEPARTMENT OFTRANSPORTATION U.S.COASTGUARD(COMMENTNO~1)Itisnotedthattheremaybeanecessity tomarktheintakeanddischarge points.Itisrecommended thattheapplicant contactCommander, NinthCoastGuardDistrict(oan)at1240E.NinthStreet,Cleveland, Ohio,44199,forfurtheramplification. RESPONSEWhentheUnitedStatesCorpsofEngineer's Permittoconstruct. theUnit1intakeanddischarge facilities wasreceived(October19,1964),theaccom-panyingU.S.CoastGuardNotification Formwastrans-mittedtotheCleveland CoastGuarddistrict. Theirreview(November 3,1964)indicated thatitwasnotnecessary tomarktheintakeanddischarge facilities. Copiesofthiscorrespondence areincludedinApplicant's Environmental Report-AppendixG,items3and4. B-42U.S.DEPARTHENT OFAGRICULTURE SOILCONSERVATION SERVICE(COHHENTNO.1)IThe'majorproposedactionconcernsconversion ofacurrentoperating'license toafull-term licensewhich,initself,willnothaveanysignificant effectonareasofinterestto.SCS.RESPONSENocomment. B-43U.S.DEPARTMENT OFAGRICULTURE SOILCONSERVATION, SERVICE(COMMENTNO.2)Pararah4.1.1StationSiteConstruction ofanewradwastebuildingisdis-cussed.Inthethirdparagraph adiscussion shouldincludeastatement thattopsoilwillbesalvaged, protected andrespreadduringthegradingoperation. Promptvegetating willbeundertaken topreventerosionofsoilduringcon-struction ofthebuilding. RESPONSEThematerialbeingremovedasaresultofthenewradwastebuildingconsistsofbackfillsoilgravelmixwithacoveringofcrushedstone.Notopsoilisinvolved. B-44U.=S~DEPARTMENT OFAGRICULTURE SOILCONSERVATION SERVICE(COMMENTNO.3)Pararah5.1.2Transmission-line Environs(a)"Onlyselective application ofherbicides shouldbepermitted ..."=-Thisisnotonlytoencourage wildlife-habitatgrowthbuttomaintainagoodvegetative covertopreventsoilerosion.RESPONSENocomment. B-48STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COblb1HNT NO~1)Afterreviewing theApplicant's Environmental ReportandtheAEC'sdraftstatement, andobserving thefishimpingement studyat,theplant,threethingsareapparent: l.Alargenumberoffishhavebeenimpingedonthetraveling screens;2.Avarying,butconsiderable portionofthesecomeoffthescreensalive;3.Theprocessofreturning impingedfishtothelakeprobablykillstheremaining fish.Threechangesinplantanditsoperation wouldappeartoreducethekillofimpingedfish.First,thenormalschedulecallsforthetraveling screenstobestationary 57minutesofeachhour.Therefore, impingedfishareheldagainstthescreensforaconsiderable time.'Ifthescreensweretraveling continuously, theimpingement timewouldbegreatlyreducedwithfewerfishdyingonthescreens.Second,thescreensarecleanedwithaveryhighvelocityspray,whichremovesfishfromthescreensandslamsthemagainstthehousing.Itisfelt,thatthesprayvelocitycouldbereducedsubstantially andstillinsurecleaningofthescreens.Ifthefishwereremovedgently,fewerwoulddieinthisprocess.Third,thefishanddebrisfromthescreensflowdirectlyintothedischarge, withatemperature asmuchas31.2'Fabovethewatertheyjust,left.Thefishareinthedischarge tunnelatthistemperature forabouttwominutes,andatreducedtemperatures oftheplumeforanadditional varyingperiod.Thissamedischarge isperiodically usedfordisposalofchemicalwastesfromthelaundry,regeneration wastes,(page 3-33),floordrains(page3-16),andwastecollector system(page3-13).Itisfelt,thatthecombinedeffectofbeingheldforupto57minutesonthescreens,beingslammedagainstthehousing,andthenplacedintheheatedandchemicaldischarge fortwoplusminutes,killsmostoftheimpingedfish.Further,itisfelt,that.thiskillcouldbereducedsubstantially, bycleaningthescreenscontinuously withareducedsprayvelocityandreturning thefishthroughaseparatesluiceway tothelakeawayfromtheintakeanddischarge areas. B-47,U.S.DEPARTMENT OFAGRICULTURE FORESTSERVICE(COMMENTNO.2)Weareinterested intheStaff'srecommendations ontheuseofherbicides fortransmission-line maintenance, andareparticularly intrigued bythelastone:"Nostandsofpotentially poisonous plantsshouldbesprayedwithherbicides." Wearecuriousaboutthebasisforthisrecommendation. RESPONSENocomment. B-46U.S.DEPARTMENT OFAGRICULTURE FORESTSERVICE(COMMENTNO.l)Wehavenoinformation toindicatethatthecontinued operation ofNineMilePointNuclearStationUnitlwillhaveanyfurtheradverseeffectonforestlandbeyondthatwhichhasalreadyoccurredasaresultofconstruction. RESPONSENocomment. B-45U.S.DEPARTMENT OFAGRICULTURE SOILCONSERVATION SERVICE(COMMENTNO.')Pararah10.3.1LandUseThisparagraph issummarized byastatement, whichsaystherecreational potential oftheareaismeager.Intermsofpublicdevelopment, thisstatement maybetrue,butintermsofprivaterecreation, thereismorethanmeagerpotential. Theparagraph mightbemodifiedtoreflectthis.RESPONSENocomment. B-49STATE-OFNEWYORK:DEPARTMENT OFENVXRONMENTAL CONSERVATXON COlIl1ENT NO~1)CONTINUED Xtshouldbenoted,thatsuchmeasureswillnotinsurethatallfishwillsurvive.Someimpingedfishwilldie,andstudies'ill have-tobecarriedoutafterthesemodifications goineffecttodetermine themagnitude andsign'ificance offishkilledbyimpingement. Anydecisiononalternate intakedesignsshould,however,bemadefollowing thesubmittal bytheapplicant ofinformation onalternate intakesystemsassuggested-onPage9-17.Theaboverecommendations, however,shouldbeimplemented toreducethefishkillsuntilsuchdecisions aremade.HRESPONSETheApplicant hasperformed, andiscontinuing to.perform, detailedstudiesregarding fishimpingement atNine'MilePointUnit1.Thesestudiesareaddressed insomelengthinareportentitled"TheEffectofImpingement atNineMilePointontheFishPopulations ofLakeOntario", October1,1973.Thisreportwassubmitted bytheApplicant asExhibit.3b(AECDocketNo.50-410)at.theNineMilePointUnit2PublicHearings. Thereportstatesthattheimpactoftheplant(asmeasuredatUnit1)uponfishpopulations ofLakeOntarioisnotsignificant anddoesnotconstitute anenvironmental problem.Xnthecourseoffishimpingement studiesperformed tothisdate,judgmentastothechancesofsurvivalofimpingedfishbackwashed offthescreenshasbeenbasedonvisualinspec-tiononly.Thefactthatafishappearstobeingoodcondition B-50RESPONSETOSTATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL, CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.l)CONTINUED afterbeingsubjected tothistreatment isnoguarantee thatitwillsurvivewhenreturnedtotheLake,however.TheApplicant hasauthorized studiestocarryoutanalysesofIsuchfish,inordertobetterdetermine theirviability. TheApplicant hasalsoauthorized studiesofoperational changesinthescreenwell areatoreduceimpingedfishmortality alongthelinesrecommended inthiscomment.Furthermore modifications totheexistingintakestructure, toreducefishentrainment, arebeingconsidered inregardtotherecommendations oftheDraftEnvironmental Statement. B-100STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.45)Section5.5.2a.IntakeEffects,ae5-31.Thefourthsentence, 2nd.paragraph impliesthatalewivesandsmeltamountedto82%ofthefishsp'ecieswhichareimpinged.

Actually, these2speciesareonly6.7%ofthe30speciescollected.

Ofthe12,987fishcollected duringtheimpingement studies,82%weresmeltoralewives. RESPONSENocomment. B-99STATEOF.NEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.44)Pae5-31Theenvironmental technical specif'ications forNineMilePointUnit1shouldincludethefollowing: OBJECTIVES Todetermine thesoundlevelscreatedduringnormalplantoperations atandbeyondtheplantboundaries. SPECIFICATIONS Asoundsurveyshallbemadearoundtheplantinaccordance withPart75ofSubchapter EoftheInterim-RulesforCertificates ofEnvironmental Compatibility andPublicNeedforSteamElectricGeneration Facilities of'hePublicServiceCommission. Thesemeasurements shallbetakenfollowing initialfullpoweroperation. Theresultsshallbeevaluated bytheapplicant andareportwiththeappropriate recommendations astothefutureoftheprogramshallbesubmitted totheDirectorate ofLicensing andtheNewYorkStateEnvironmental Conservation Department forconsideration. BASESThesoundsurveyshallshowtheextenttowhichtheplantaffectstheambientnoiseinsurrounding landuses.~Thisinformation isneededtoinsurethattheplantconformstonoiserulesandregulations ofthe-NewYorkStateEnvironmental Conservation Department. Theinforma-tionwillalsobeusefultothesurrounding communities forlanduseplanningdecisions. Inaddition, ifasecondplantisproposedthedatawillbeneededforpreparation oftheEnvironmental ImpactStatement forthatplant.Theabovesoundsurveyandsubsequent evaluation shouldbecompleted priortoissuanceofaFullTermLicense.RESPONSENocomment. B-98STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.43)Pae531Itisstatedthat,"TheApplicant's measurements ofsoundintensity indicated thatthemaximumsoundpro-ducedatthesiteboundaries wasfromthetransformer atalllocations; soundintensity fromthetransformer wasequaltoorlessthanthebackground noise."Theacoustical environmental impactevaluation shouldbepresented inaccordance withPart75ofSubchapter EoftheNYSPublicServiceCommission InterimRulesforCertificates ofEnviron-mentalCompatibility andPublicNeedforSteamElectricGeneration Facilities. Itisnotedthattransformers gen-erallyradiatepuretoneswhicharemoreannoyingthanbroadbandnoiseofthesameenergycontent.RESPONSENocomment. B-97STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.42)Section5.5.1,xae5-31-The-discussion of'environmental noiseisinadequate. Asurveyshouldbemadeofsoundlevelsinandaroundthe'planttodetermine soundlevelscreatedduringvariousmodesofpl'antoperation. Thesurveyshouldincludesoundlevelsassociated withhighvoltagetransmission facilities. Resultsofthesurveywouldpermitanevaluation ofthesoundbilevelim-pactfromthisplant,andwouldbeusefulinevaluating thepotential impactof'proposed Unit,2.Itissuggested 'thata'soundlevelstudyberequiredoftheapplicant, andthatastatement tothat,effect(asrecommended incommentNo.44)couldbeaddedtotheTechnical Specification Requirements onpageivoftheDraftEnvironmental Statement. RESPONSENocomment. B-96STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.41)Section5.2.4,Pae5-12Inparagraphs two,themaximumallowable grossbetaactivityshouldbecorrected to1000picocuries perliterratherthanthestated100picocuries.. RESPONSENocomment. B-95SXA'J:KUi'."i0"WYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION'COMMENT NO.40)Section5.1.-2,Pae5-2Itisstatedthat"Nostandsofpotentially poisonous plantsshouldbesprayedwithherbicides." Wearecuriousaboutthebasisforthisrecommendation. Recommendation (j)shouldbeexpanded.toincludealistofpotentially poisonous plants.RESPONSENocomment. STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMENTNO.39)Section5.1.2Thefollowing arerecommended modifications toSection5.1.2oftheDraftEnvironmental Statement forNineMilePointUnit-l.ATechnical Specification fortheNineMilePointUnit1.shouldbedeveloped usingthissectionasmodified: a.Section5.1.2(b)-change"should"to"shall"'. C~Section5.1.2(c)-changeto"Treatment shallnotbeMorethanonceevery4years."Section"5.1.2(d)-change"should"to"shall"d.Section5.l.2(e)e.Section5.1.2(f)andaddatend"andtheirwrittenapprovalsecured." Section5.1.2(g)-Addsentenceatend-"Allpesticide applicators shallbecertified applicators underStateprovisions andshallcomplywithapplicable Statestandards." g.Section5.1.2(h)-No"safe"dioxinlevelhasbeenestablished. h.Section5.1.2(i)-Addphraseatend-"andactiontakentoensurethatdriftorvolatilization beheldtoaminimumforfutureapplications." RESPONSENocomment. B-93STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMENTNO.CONTINUED f.)Theprevention andcontrolofenvironmental noisepollution resulting frommaintenance operations andtheoperation ofthehighvoltagetransmission lineshouldconformwithNewYorkState'sproposedregu-lations.Ig.)'aintenance orlandmanagement oftheright-of-way inmanyinstances canbebestaccomplished byencouraging theownerorformerownertocontinuehislanduseinsofarasitiscompatible withtheApplicant's objectives. Suchlandusemightbetheraisingofvariouscrops,grazing,andrecreational uses.RESPONSE'ocomment. B-92STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.38)Section5.1.2Transmission LinesWeconcurwiththefactthattheApplicant didnothavethebenefitoftheStateofNewYorkDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation guidelines andrecommendations fortransmission linelocationandconstruction (asstatedinSection4.1.2)whentheoriginal500ft.corridorwasselectedandcleared(theNineMilePointUnit-Clay Circuit). However,thisdoesnotprecludetheuseofsaidguidelines inthemaintenance ofthetransmission lineswhichareapartofthereferenced documents. Accordingly, kindly.consider thefollowing inthepreparation ofanenvironmental maintenance management planforthisinstallation: Ia.)"Itisrecognized thatitwillbenecessary fortheapplicant toperiodically inspectthetransmission lineandtheroadwayandtomaintainsaidlineandroadwaytoinsurethesafetransmission ofpower."b.)Dangertrees,asdetermined bythedesignated repre-sentatives oftheapplicant andtheregulatory agency,maybecutaslongasconditions andlimitations forsuchcuttingareestablished priortothestartof-operation. c.)Nativevegetation, particularly thatofvaluetofishandwildlife, whichwassavedduringconstruction orhassincereproduced tonaturalgrowingconditions anddoesnotposeahazardtothefacilityshouldbeallowedtogrow,andincriticalareasshouldbeplantedintheright-of-way. d.)Accessroadsandserviceroadsshouldbemaintained withnativegrasscover,waterbarsandproperslopeinamannerwhichthedesignated representatives oftheapplicant andtheregulatory agencydeemsufficient topreventsoilerosion.e.)Burningwillnotbepermitted duringmaintenance operation. STATEOFNEWYORK'EPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.37)Section4.1.2,Pae4-2Itshouldbenotedthattheexisting500-footcorr'idor accommodates two345-kVtransmission linestotheClaySubstation. In'addition, itshouldalsobenotedthatwithconstruction ofproposedNineMilePointUnit2,at.leastaportionoftheeasternedgeoftheexistingcorridorwouldhave-tobeextendedtoaccommodate anew765-kVtransmission line.RESPONSENocomment. B-90TABLEICATEGORYCLASSIFICATION ANDSUGGESTED NOISE-CRITERION RANGEFOR'NTRUDING NOISEASHEARDINVARIOUSINDOORFUNCTIONAL ACTIVITY. AREASCategoryArea(andAcousticRequirements) NoiseCriteriaBedrooms, sleepingquarters, hospitals, residences, apartments, hotels,motels,etc.(forsleeping, rest-ing,relaxing). Auditoriums,

theaters, largemeetingrooms,largeconference rooms,churches, chapels,etc.(forverygoodlistening conditions).

NC-20toNC-30NC-20toNC<<30Privateoffices,smallconference rooms,class-rooms,libraries, etc.(forgoodlistening conditions). NC-30toNC-35Largeoffices,reception areas,retailshops,and stores,cafeterias. restaurants, etc.(forfairlisten-ingconditions). Lobbies,laboratory workspaces,draftinganden-gineering rooms,maintenance shopssuchasforelectrical equipment, etc.(formoderately fairlis-teningconditions). NC-35toNC-40NC-40toNC-50Kitchens, laundries, shops,garages,machinery spaces,powerplantcontrolrooms,etc.(formin-imumacceptable speechcommunication, noriskofhearingdamage).NC-45toNC-65 B-899018AUGUST'1970PROJECTNO.1850020'"7575150~4~~~r~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~r~'ll~e~'~~~r,~~~~~~~~~~'::NOtSECRITERlA-lNCCuRVESBoltBeranek&Newmaninc.'50,300600120024004800300610=1200240048009600I~cCIOCgO8C3C7c9tdZ:tdtdtdtdCCCLClOAKmtdI-OO80706050403020~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~II~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I~~~~~~~~~LINEDATAr735KV50fSPACING1.38"$CONDUCTORS 4CONDUCTORS, ~:~c:pp'~~~~~~~~C~p~~~~~~~~~i~~~~~~~0~0~C~p.~~~~~~~~+c~p~~~~~~~~~0~~0~~~HOMEAT200FT.~~~~,~~HOMEAT400FT.HOMEAT800FT<C-pp~~10APPROXIMATE THRESHHOLD OFHEARINGFORCONTINUOUS NOISE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I~~~~~~~31.5631252505001000200040008000OCTAVEBANDCENTERFREQUENClES lNHz(cps)FIG,1DESlGNTRANSMlSSlON LlNESPUSINSlDERESfDENCES WlTHOPENWlNDOWSFAClNGTHELINE(DAMPWEATHER). B-88RESPONSETOSTATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMENTNO.36CONTINUED areatheNC-20NoiseCriterion isnormallyappliedfornight-time indoorconditions; butincityareas,orinapartments, dormitories, ormotelsforsleepingareas,anNC-30NoiseCriterion isnormallyused.Figureldemonstrates howthenoisefitstheNoiseCriterion curvesatseveraldistances fromtheouterphase.Thisshowstha'tonlyhousesatabout200feetfiomtheouterphasewouldbesubjected tothelownoiselevel(NC-25toNC-30).Thislownoiselevelwouldbeheardonlyindampweather,withwindows,nearest.thelineopen,andwithalowambientnoiselevel(including themaskingofrainnoise).Whenthesystemisenergized to765-kVtheApplicant willte'stforaudiblenoiseandevaluatefeasiblemethodsofnoisereduction ifrequired. AtthisdatetheApplicant doesnotintendtoin-stallanyhighervoltagelinesgreaterthan765-kV. B-87RESPONSE-TOSTATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMENTNO.36CONTINUED Themeasurements madebyBolt,BeranekandNewman(BBaN)wereconducted duringtwooccasions nearQuebecCity,'anada,whereHydroQuebecoperatesa735-kVtransmission linewhichhasafour(4)conductor bundleconfiguration with1.38inchdiameterconductor andafiftyfootphasespacing.Thisarrangement issimilartoour765-kVconductor sizeandbundlearrangement, andthuswasidealforaudiblenoisemeasurements. Measurements weretakendirectlybeneaththemid-spanofthe.conductors andatvariousdistances fromtheouterphase.Duringfairweathertheaudiblenoisefromthetransmission linewaslowerthanthebackground noisefrominsectsandothersourcessothatreadingsweredifficult toobtain.Bolt,BeranekandNewmanhavemadeupcategoryclassification andNoiseCriterion curves(Fig.1andTableI).'hi'sfamilyofNoiseCriterion (NC)curveshasbeenusedinnoisecontrolworkforoverfifteenyearsfordesignandevalua-tionofexistingnoiseconditions. Thesecurvesaccurately correlate thesubjective responseoftheaveragehumaneartoacousticlevelsatvariousfequencies andintensities asmeasuredbyinstrumentation. .Thus,thelowercurvescandescribenoiselevelsthatareconsidered quietenoughforrestingorsleepingorforexcellent listening conditions inconcert,hallsorauditoriums, whiletheuppercurvescandescribenoisyworkareas.Foraquietorruralcommunity B-86STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.36)Section4.1.2,Pae4-1Wenotethatthestationisconnected totheApplicant's systembytwo345-kVtransmission linesandtheright-of-way isplannedforanadditional 765-kVline.TheFinalEnvironmental Statement shouldpresentdataonthesoundlevelsproducedbytheselines.Theintention oftheApplicant withregardtothepossibleinstallation ofhighervoltagelinesandtheresulting 'potential forincreased soundlevelsshouldalsobestatedintheFinalEnvironmental State-ment.RESPONSEApplicant 'hasa765-kVtransmission line(presently operatedat345-kV)in'ervice. Togainabetterunderstanding oftheaudiblenoisewhichthebundlearrangement andconductor selection forthiscircuitwouldgive,Applicant

retained, theprofessional:services ofAcresAmerican, Inc.,Bolt,BeranekandNewmanofCambridge, Massachusetts, consultants inthefieldofaudiblenoisephenomena, andWestinghouse ElectricCorporation tostudyaudiblenoiseonhighvoltagetransmission lines.Westinghouse ElectricCorporation conducted audiblenoisemeasurements indoorsattheTraffordHighVoltageLaboratory andfieldmeasurements atthe750-kVprojectatAppleGrove,WestVirginia.

However,therewaslittlevalidagreement betweenlaboratory andfielddatabecauseacoustical measurements inanindoorlaboratory areaffectedbytheenclosure. B-85STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.35)Section4.1.1,Pae4-1Itisstatedthatnoimpactsonneighboring landswillresultfromconstruction oftheradwastebuildingandthat.theeffectswillbetemporary. Yet,theradwastebuildingwilltakeapproximately twoyearstocomplete, theJamesA.FitzPatrick plantwillbeunderconstruction nearbyandadditional plantsmaybeconstructed in,thevicinity.= Thesynergisticeffect mightbeacontinuing environmental impactfromconstruction noise.RESPONSESinceconstruction ispresently underwayontheJamesA.FitzPatrick NuclearPowerPlanttotheeast,the,modifications totheNineMilePointUnit1radwastesystem'east sideofthebuilding) willresultinonlymodestincre-mentaldisturbance tothearea. B-84STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMENTNO.34)Section4.1.1,Pae4-1Thefirstparagraph states,"Theapplicant established 130acresofthesiteasawildlifehabitatin1969bypostingthenorthwest cornerofthesite."Supplement 1,oftheapplicant's environmental reportreferstothisareaasa"naturalwildliferefuge"(pageS1.5-1).Theproblemhereisuseoftermsandintent.Itwouldseemthatthereasonforpostingwassafetyconcernsforthevisitorcenterandthereisnoargumentagainstthat.However,ifthatisthecase,stateit.Theycertainly didnot"...establish wildlifehabitat...byposting..."andit,isquestion-ablethattheyestablished anaturalwildliferefugewithanactivevisitorcenterinvolved. It-wouldbeverydesirable atsometimetohaveanactivewildlifemanagement programonthe855acresavailable, butuntil.thisisthecase,nosuchinference shouldbemade.RESPONSENocomment. B-83STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO-33)Section3.8,Pae3-35Itisstatedthattoallowforprobableneedforafuture345-kVtransmission line,a500-footright-of-way waspurchased; Thefuture345-kV,transmission lineisquestioned, sinceapplicant's testimony (Garcy,NYSPublicServiceCommissionCase 26251,TrPageSm4657ofJanuary26,1973),andtheFinalEnvironmental Statement. forUnit2notethattheproposedfuturetransmission lineis765-kV.RESPONSEThefuture345-kVtransmission linementioned inSection3.8,page3-35oftheDraftEnvironmental Statement couldextendfromanewVolneyStationsouthtotheSyracusearea.VolneyStationwillbelocatedapproximately ninemiles-southfromNineMilePoint,ononeoftheexisting345-kVNineMilePoint-Claytransmission circuits. The765-kVtransmission linementioned byGarcy(NYSPublicServiceCommission Case26251,TrPageSm4657ofJanuary26,.1973)couldextendfromNineMilePointtoVolney. B-82STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.32)Section3.5.3Pae3-30Thestaffestimateofsolidwastebaseduponexperience'at otheroperating BWRplantsisgivenas11,000cubicfeetwithanactivityof2700curies.Theactualexperience atNineMilePointUnitNo.1indicates about,thesameorderofmagnitude oftotalcubicfeetwithanactivityofapproximately 10%ofthestaffestimate. Thereasonorsignificance ofthisdifference shouldbediscussed. RESPONSENocomment. STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.31)Section3.5.3Pae3-28.Thesectiononsolidwasteshouldconsiderthedisposalproblemasthiswasnotcoveredinthe"SurveyoftheNuclearFuelCycle".Tobetterevaluatethedis-posalproblem,theisotopicbreakdown, particularly thealphacontent,shouldbepresented in-ordertodemonstrate thesewasteswillmeetburialcriteria. RESPONSENocomment. B-80STATEOFNENYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO-30)Table3.6,Pae3-27Theisg)opeXrislistedtwice.Thesecond83mentxyshouldbemKr.RESPONSENocommen't. B-79STATEOFNEWXORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMENTHO.29)Theupgradedgaseouswastetreatment system,showsasinglecatalytic recombiner system.Apparently theTable3;7doesnotconsiderdowntimefortherecombiner system.Forthedraftenvironmental statement oftheFitzPatrick plant,adowntimeoftendaysperyearwasconsidered andconsiderable noblegaseswereestimated tobereleased. RESPONSETable3.7doesnotshowtheredundancy oftheupgradedoff-gassystem.Allcomponents areredundant inthesystemexceptforthecharcoaltanks,mixingnozzle,andpreheater. B-78STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.28)Table3.3,Pae3-20Incolumnfive,the0.0014shouldbereplacedbyTC-99m.RESPONSENocomment. B-77STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OF,ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

(COMMENT NO.27)Section3.5.1.6,Pae3-18Theapplicant's calculations

.regarding thepresentliquidwastetreatment systemunderestimated theactualreportedradioactivity, excluding tritium,in,liquidreleasesbyafactorofaboutfifteenthousand. TheEnvironmental Statement shouldtherefore providemorethancalculational evidencetosupportthecontention thatradioactivity releasedfromtheupgradedliquidwastetreatment systemwillmeetthe"aslowaspracticable" guidelines. RESPONSEThenumberidentified intable3.5,(0.002ci/yr,fortheexistingsystemisnotcorrect.Thenumberswerereportedforindivi'dual isotopes. Basedonthat,theaverageyearlyreleasewouldbeabout45ci/yr.exclusive oftritium.Therefore, thecommentappearstobevalid. B-76STATEOFNEW'ORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMENTNO.26)Table3.3,Pae3-20andTable3.7'ae3-29Alicensecondition notesthattheapplicant willcompleteconstruction ofanewradwastebuildingonsite(expected tobefullyoperational inlate1975withtheliquideffluentportionbeingoperational inSeptember 1974)toassurecompliance withthe"aslowaspracticable" criteriacontained in10CFR50.Tables3.3and3.7tabulateestimated annualreleaseofradioactivity inliquidandgaseouseffluents fortheupgradedradwastesystem.Itisquestioned ifthesereleasesmeettheconditions ofWASH-1258 -(numerical GuidesforDesignObjectives AndLimitingConditions .forOperation ToMeetTheCriteria"AsLowasPracticable" ForRadioactive MaterialInLight-Water CooledNuclearReactorEffluents) fortheproposedtreatment providedintheupgradedradwastesystemwastestreams.IfWASH-1258 criteriaandconditions aremet,itisrecommended thatthisbenotedontheconcerned tablesand,inaddition, brieflydiscussed inSection3.RESPONSETheupgradedradwastesystemwillmeetthestatedguidelines. B-75STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMENTNO.25)Table3.2,Pae3-19TheisotopeRu-103isincorrectly identified, asRa-103.RESPONSENocomment. '-74STATEOF-NEWXORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION 'COMMENT'O.24)Table3.2,Pae3-19Liststheestimated annualreleaseofradioactivity inliquideffluents. 'hetabledoesnotincludedissolved noblegases.AppendixI10CFR50states:"Thedesignobjectives guidesforliquideffluents includelimitations onbothquantities andconcen-'rations ofradioactive materialineffluents. Theestimated annualquantityofradioactive

material, excepttritium,releasedtounrestricted areaswouldbelimitedtonot,morethanfivecuriesperpowerreactoratasite."=Thequantities andenvironmental effectsofdissolved noblegasesshouldbeevaluated.

RESPONSENo'comment. B-73STATE"'OF NEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.23)Fiure3.6,Pae3-9TheservicewaterandfirepumpsshouldbelabeledonFigure3.6,sinceparagraphs 3.4.1referstothemasbeingshownonFigure3.6.RESPONSENocomment. B-72STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.22)Section3.4.2,Pae3-7Thefollowing clarifications andcorrections shouldbemade:a.Itshouldbenotedthatthedischarge tunnelis10feetindiameter. b.Itisstatedthattheeffluenthasaninitialvelocityofapproximately 4fps.Itisnotclearwhereinthedischarge flowpath'hiseffluentvelocityexists.RESPONSEa.Nocomment.'b.Thestated4fpsvelocityoccursatthefacesoftheportsofthesixsideddischarge structure. STATE-OFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENT.NO.2l)Section3.4.1,Pae3-7Thefollowing clarifications andcorrections shouldbemade:a.Forclarityandforconsistency withSection3.4.2,itshouldbenotedthattheintakestructure islocatedabout.850feetoffshore. b.Itisstatedthat.theintaketunnelhasa74square-.-footcrosssection.About78square-feet moreaccur-atelydescribes thecrosssectionofthel0footdiameterintaketunnel.c."Diagrammatic Sketch"betterdescribes thescreenwall showninFigure3.6than"Schematic Diagram." Schematic Diagramintonates singleline(wiring,piping,etc.)depictions. ThetitleofFigure3.6shouldalsobechanged.d.~It.shouldbeclarif'ied thatthenoted8fpsvelocitythroughtheintaketunnelisadesignvelocitybasedonthecoolingwaterflowrequirements formaximumpoweroutput.e.Adescription ofthetraveling screen'sbackwashing sequenceandsluicingoperation shouldbeincluded. RESP.ONSE Nocommentitemsa-d.e.RefertoApplicant's Environmental Report-Construction PermitStage-NineMilePointNuclearStationUnit2,Supplement 3,whichdiscusses thesequencing andoperation oftheUnit1traveling screens. B-70STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.20)Fiure3.4,Pae3-6Figure3.4isentitled"Circulating, WaterSystem:Plan."Itisrecommended thatthistitlebemodifiedto"In-takeanddischarge structure locations: Plan."Thistitlemorecorrectly describes thatportionofthecoolingwatersystemdepicted, andisconsistent=.with thedescription con-,tainedinSection3.4.Inaddition,, forclarity.,(Reference Figure3.4ofFitzPatrick's FinalEnvironmental Statement datedMarch,l973)theintakeand,discharge tunnelsshouldbelabeled,andafter"intake"and"discharge" theword"structure" added.RESPONSENocomment. B-69STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTlKNT OF-ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COI1MENT NO.19)Fiure3.3,Pae3-5Thefigureappearstodepict"the

existing, andnottheupgraded, liquidradwastesystembecausefloordrainsampletankdrainsareshowngoingdirectlytothecirculating water'systemdischarge.

Thusitshouldbenoted,at'leastfortheradwasteportionofthewater-usage flowfigure,thattheexistingsystemisdepicted. Inaddition, thedischarge canal,screenhouseanddischarge tunnelshouldbelabeledtoclarifywhereeffluentdischarges interface withthecirculating waterdischarge system.liRESPONSEThediagrams(Fig.3.8and3.9)arecorrectinthatabout10percentoftheWastecollector lowconductivity, lowactivitywasteisdischarged asanexcess.Thediagramsareincorrect inthat,Figure3.9doesnotshowadischarge fromthefloordrainsampletankstodischarge. Thisdischarge is2,700gal.perdayasdelineated intheEnvironmental Report. B-68STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.l8)Section3.3,Pae3-4.Itisstatedthat.theapplicant proposestouseahighpressurewaterflush,orothermechanical meanstopreventfoulingofthecondensers. Thisisnotclear,sincehighpressurewaterflushingisnotconsidered mech-anicalcleaning. RESPONSE" InSupplement No.lofitsEnvironmental Report,P.Sl.3-l,theApplicant notes"There,willbenochemicalcleaning".'igh pressurewaterflushesormechanical cleanin'g methodswillbeused. STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.17)Section3.2,Pae3ItisstatedthatthereactorhasaStretchratingof1850MWt,corresponding toanetelectrical outputof610MWe.Thisisquestioned, sincepreceding sections(Pagel-landi)notethattheseareratedvalues.RESPONSETheNineMilePointUnit1outputisratedat610MWenetfor1850MWt. B-66STATEOFNHWYORKDHPART&IHNT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COi~L~JHNT NO.16)Section2.5.2,Paes2-10and2-11Paragraph 3andFigure2.6notethatLakeOntariohasamaximumsurfacetemperature of72'Fduringsummer.Paragraph 2ofSection3.4(Page3-7)statesthattheintakewatertemperature varieswiththeseasonfrom33to77'F.Initialimpactimpliesadiscrepancy (thisimpactisfurthersubstantiated bystatements thatverticalthermalstratification existsduringthesummer,andthattheintakestructure isaminimumof15feetbelowthesurface)unlessitisclarified (asintheFitzPatrick Environmental Technical Specifications) that:(1)the77'Ftemperatu're isthemaximumrecordedLaketemperature, and(2)that77'Fistheconservative designbasisforestablishing themaximumallowable discharge temperature. RESPONSEThetemperature plottedinFigure2.6oftheDraftStatement arethevaluesforagivendayoftheyear,averagedovertheyearsofrecordthrough1971.Theresultant curvehasamaximumpointearlyinAugust,,with avalueof72F.However,thisvalueisitselftheaverageofarecordedrangenotanactualmaximum. B-65'TATE OFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.15)Section2.4,Pae2-8The.phenomena ofbedrock"pop-up"shouldbebrieflydiscussed inthissection.Thediscussion shouldincludestatements thattheapplicant (PSARforUnit2)observedno"pop-up"featuresofconsequence duringUnit1excavation, .andthattheclosestreportedfeaturesofconsequence arenearLowville, approximately 50milesnortheast ofthesite.RESPONSEAdescription ofthebedrock"popup",phenomenon iscontained onpageC4ofAppendixIoftheNineMilePointUnit2PSAR,DocketNumber50-410. B-64STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.l4)Section2.2,Pae2-7Itisstatedthattheentireshoreline northofUnit1willbeaccessible tothepubli'c.Thisisnotclear,sincetheEnvironmental Reportnotesthatmostofthesiteareahasonlyrecreational possibilities, exceptforthatrestricted areaintheimmediate vicinityofthegenerating stationwhichincludedtheStation's immediate shoreline. RESPONSETheentireshoreline northofUnit1isaccessible tothepublic.Howevertheshoreline areaconsistsoflargerockswhichmakeupashoreline protection dike.Theexten-siverockiness of.thisdikelimitsitsrecreational potential althoughitisusedbyshoreline fishermen. STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.'3)Tablel-l,Pae1-4PermitsfromtheN.Y.S.Department. ofEnviron-mentalConservation areneededforthestandbydiesel.generators andfirepump.RESPONSEApplication forms(NYSDEC-AIR 100C)fortheappropriate permitswerefiledwiththeDepartment onOctober17,1973. B-62STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTl1ENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.12)SummarandConclusions, Paeiii-LicenseConditions The500-footwideclearedtransmission linecorridorhasasignificant, anddisturbing visualimpact.Theapplicant shouldberequired, asacondition offull-term licensing, toalleviate thissituation bymeansofplanting. Treesoflimitedheightpotential, andshrubs,plantedingroupsatselectedspotswherelong,straightsectionsofthecorridoroccur,willreducethetunnel-like aspect.Speciesoftreesandshrubshavingwildlifebenefitsshouldbeused.Similarplantings shouldbemadeatpointswherethecorridorisintersected byaroadorstream.RESPONSENocomment. STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.ll)SummarandConclusions, PaeivThefifthTechnical Specification Requirement shouldbeexpandedtoread,"TheApplicant willconductaterrestrial monitoring programtodetermine theenviron-mentaleffectsoftheuseofherbicides forlinemainten-ance.Particular attention shouldbegiventovegetation whichfiguressignificantly inthelife-cycle ofvaluedwildlifespecieswhichmayoccupythisright-of-way. TheprogramRESPONSENocomment. B-60STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATXON (COMMENTNO.10)SummarandConclusions, B,Paeiv,suggeststhatstudiesbeconducted to"...evaluate themagnitude ofthefish-kill problem." Wesubmitthatthefishkillislarge(Table5.12,page5.-33)andthatsomesteps,asoutlinedabove,betakentoreducethekillimmediately. Then.conduc'tamonitoring programtodetermine theextenttowhichNineNilePoint,isstill'illing fish,andtheeffectofthiskillonthelocalpopulations andonLakeOntario.RESPONSERefertoApplicant's responsetoDECCommentNo.1 B-59TATE OF.NEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMENT.NO.')--"SummarandConclusions, PaeiandIntroduction, Pae1-1notpagenumbered), -'hesesectionsnotethat1850MWtisrequiredtoproduce610MWenet.The610MWenet.isquestioned, 'sinceotherNineMilePoint.UnitNo.1documents (i.e.,U.,S.AECROInquiryReport.No.50-220/72'-110 of11/21/72) noteahigherthan610MWeoutput.RESPONSEMWenet.,TheNineMilePointUnit1rated'output is610 STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.8)Ther'earenumerouseditorial oversights throughout thedocument. Forexample:'a~PaeNumberin-Thepagebeginning eachsectionshouldbenumbered, i.e.1-1,2-1,etc.Thisisconsistent withotherenvironmental statements suchasGinna'sDraftofApril1973,andFitzPatrick's FinalofMarch1973.b.c~Cover-theword"Energy"ismissinginthetitle"UnitedStatesAtomicEnergyCommission." Section3.5.1.2,Pae3-16-Thefirstwordofthepara-graphshouldbe"In"insteadof"An."d.Fiure2.5,Pae2-9;Fiure3.2,Pae3-3,andFiure3.14Pae3-38-Thepoorqualityofthephotographs inFigures2.5,3.2and3.14doeslittletopromotetheaesthetic featuresofthefacility. e.NuclideSmbols-Aconsistent setofsymbolsshouldbeusedtoidentifyradionuclides inTables3.2,3.3,3.6,3.7,and5.3Section3.7.2,ae2-18.Secondfromlastparagraph, thirdlineintroduces anewfishtotheLakeOntariofishery,the"allleye." RESPONSENocomment. B-57MSTATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONML'NTAL 'CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.7)Adiscussion oftheeffectsthattheconstruction andoperation ofthestationhashadonthelocalcommunity shouldbeincludedintheEnvironmental Statement. Theimpactonschools,housing,localroads,etc.,withastate-mentonthenetsocietalimpact,shouldbeaddressed inthisdiscuss1on RESPONSENocomment. B-56STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.6)MostofthecommentstheStatepreviously forwarded totheU.S.AtomicEnergyCommission on'heNineMilePointUnit2andJamesA.FitzPatrick Plantdraftenvironmental statements regarding thermal/hydraulic waterqualityconsider-ationsareapplicable tothisdraftenvironmental statement. RESPONSENocomment. B-55RESPONSETONEWYORKSTATEDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION .(COMMENT NO.5)CONTINUED, maintenance personnel emphasizing theprudentuseofelectricity andnaturalgas.-Further, weareworkingcloselywitharchitects andengineers toinsurethatenergysystemsinnewbuildings andfactories aredesignedtomin-imizeconsumption withoutreducingperformance. Atthesametime,assistance isprovidedcom-mercial,industrial andagricultural customers insolvingpollution-controlandwaste-management problemsbyrecommending appropriate energyapplications." B-54STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.5)Adiscussion oftheapplicant's presentandproposedenergyconservation effortsshouldbeincludedintheEnviron-mentalStatement. RESPONSETheapplicant' policyregarding electricenergyutilization andconservation isrepresented inthefollowing quotefromtheNiagaraMohawkAnnualReportfor1972:"Realizing thecriticalimportance ofusingenergywisely,NiagaraMohawktodayasneverbeforeisstressing efficient, useofelectricity andgasandurgingcustomers inallcategories toconserveenergy.Thisisadominantthemeinourpublicrela-tionsandcustomercommunications. SpeakersBu-reaupresentations, brochures, billenclosures andnewspaper advertisements listingenergy-saving suggestions areallpart,ofacampaigntoencour-ageconservation. Duringtheyear,ourMarketing Department expandedaprograminwhichCompanyrepresentatives visitcustomerfacilities, examinetheirenergysystemsandequipment andmakerecom-mendations forimprovement. Thishelpfulserviceincludesanalyzing andtestingtodetermine theefficiency of.industrial equipment andmakingnecessary fieldadjustments whereverpossible. Wearealsoadvisingcustomers onanincreas-ingbasistoemploywasteheatreclamation asamethodofconserva'tion andeconomy.Throughout theyear,ourmarketing representatives madenumerouspresentations toindustrial andtradeorganizations, commercial buildingownersand STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.4)'iththeconstruction ofproposedNineMilePointUnitNo.2,thecirculating watersystemforUnit,No.1willbemodifiedtoacombineddischarge systemforbothunits.Adiscussion shouldbepresented oftheprojected combined. discharge velocityandthermaldilutionimprovements ofthecombineddischarge system.TheState'sreviewofthisreportisobviously influenced bythefactthattheapplicant hasthiscommitment. RESPONSERefertoApplicant' responsetoU.S.Department ofCommerceComment,No.1. STATEOFNENYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATXON (COMMENTNO.3)Xtisstatedthatthestaffisoftheopinionthattheapplicant's monitoring programtodatehasnotshownthattheintakesystem.willavoidsubstantial fishkills,withsubsequent. lackofconfidence ontheimpactoffishpopulations intheNineMilePointarea.Xtisfurtherstated.that,theapplicant willberequiredtoperformintensive monitoring atsomeunstatedfuturetimetodeter-minetheseriousness ofthisfish-kill problem.Xnaddition, itisstatedthattheapplicant haspresented noalternatives tothedesignofthepresentintakesystem.Basedonthesestatements, andtheconservation assumption thattheinten-'ive monitoring programwillreflectthatthepresentintakesystemwillnot.prevent"substantial" fishkills,itisconsidered prudentthattheU.S.AECrequirethattheapplic-antimplement theintensive monitoring programassoonaspossible, sothatredesignoftheintakesystem,ifrequired, canbeaccomplished withappropriate dispatch. RESPONSERefertoApplicant's responsetoDECCommentNo.1.Thefishimpingement studyevaluated inthedraft,environmental statement ofNineMilePointUnit1hasbeenupgradedasofMarch14,1973.Fromthat,date,fishimpingement monitoring hasbeenperformed onceaweek,for24hourscontinuously. TheApplicant's report(Applicant's Exhibit3b-NineMilePointUnit2PublicHearings, AECDocket.SO-410)hasevaluated thesignificance ofthemeasuredimpingedfishkilluponthelake,population andconcludes thetotalstobeinsignificant asevaluated inthecontextof'available lakepopulations. STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.2)Summar-andConclusions,, Pageiii-LicenseConditions AnyCommission fulltermoperating licensefor.thisfacilityshouldbeappropriately conditioned to'ssurethattheupgradedradwastesystemsareinstalled inthemosttimelymannerandfurtherproventooperatewithintheirdesignparameters. RESPONSENocomment. B-101STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.46)Section5.5.2a.IntakeEffectsae5-34,3rdararah.Thedescription givenhereofremovaloffishfromthetraveling screensdiffersfromtheprocessobservedattheplant.Thisstatement infersthatimpingedfishremovedfromthetraveling screens"...collect inthetrashpitalongwiththedebris,"andthat"The'ecological death'fthesestressedanddisabledfishappearsinevitable." Inobservation ofthisprocess,thefishwereremovedfromthescreensbyahighvelocityspray,slammedagainstthehous-ingandwentdirectlytothedischarge. Alargepercentoftheseimpingedfishwere'aliveastheyenteredthedischarge. Wesubmit,thatecological deathisnotinevitable, andthatminormodifications suggested (commentgl)abovewouldsavemanyofthese:Thethemeofthelastparagraph ofthissectionwascoveredincomment510.RESPONSERefertoApplicant's responsetoSX5teofNewYorkDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation CommentNo.1regarding intake-traveling screenstudies. B-102STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.47)Pae536Itisstatedthat"mechanical stress.doesnotappeartobesignificant atmoderatelaketemperatures, (50'-59'F), yetthereisnostatement. oftheeffectsofmechanical stressat-othertemperatures. Thedraftenvironmental statement shoulddiscusstheseeffectsalso.RESPONSEStudiesbytheApplicant indicatemechanical stressproducesaplanktonkillrateontheorderof10to20'ercent, regardless ofwatertemperature. Thesestudieswereperformed whilethecirculating watersystemwasoperating butnoheatwasbeingdischarged sincethereactorwasshutdownatthetime.,.ReferalsotoApplicant's responsetoEPACommentNo.F.2. B-103STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.48)Section5.5.2b.Entrainment EffectsPae5-37Thelastthreesentences ofthissection,page5-37,aptlysumupthesubjectofentrainment, particu'larly offisheggsandlarvae,atNineMilePointgl.ThisshouldbeaddedtoSummaryandConclusions, pageiatthebottomofthepage.RESPONSENocomment. B-104.STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.49)ISection5.5.2cThermaldischaresEffectslFishes.Pae5'37,Thestaffmakes,severalreferences topreferred temperatures offish.Thestatements arecorrect.However,itshouldbe'notedinthissection,'that thesepreferred temperatures aredetermined forthemostpart,by'eryshort.termlaboratory experiments. Andthattheyonlyindicatetemperatures fishpreferred overtemperatures theywereacclimated toatthetime.Preferred temperatures inthiscontextmayormaynotindicatebiologically desirable temperatures forgrowth,maturation, reproduction, etc.RESPONSENocomment. B-105STATEOFNEW-YORKDEPARTMENT'F ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.-50)Section5.5;.2c.l)Fishestoofae5-38.Thestatement ismadethatocca'sional smallfishmaytravelintolethaltemperatures. Thismayormaynothaveanybasisandreferences forthisstatement wouldbeappreciated. RESPONSENocomment. VSTATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL 'CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO;51)Section6.1AuaticMonitorin Proram.ae6-1The3rdsentences ofthegeneralstatement infersthatfishdistributions andfoodpreferences areknowntosomeextent.Thisdoesn'0seemtobeafact.'betterstatement mightbethat..."OnlysinceMay1970hastheapplicant collected datathatcouldleadtofishdistribution, food..."RESPONSENocomment. STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMENTNO.52)afI1Section6.1c.Fishes1stararahae6-2..Inall.biological monitoring

programs, theneedforstandardization, wheredesirable, ofmethodsofdatarecording andanalysiswithpastandon-goingLakeOntariostudiessuchastheInternational FieldYearintheGreatLakesandtheDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation,~

CapeVincentstudiesshouldbe-stressed. Thereareconsiderable dataavailable andbeingcollected whichwouldbevaluableforevaluation 'oftheNineMilePointmonitoring. However,thesecouldonlybeusedwhentheNineMilePointdatawerecomparable. Forexample,moststudiesontheLakeusinggillnetsindicatethatanll-meshexperimental gillnetsamplesspeciesandsizesthebest.ThisisthegearusedbytheDEC,Federalstudies,andothers,however,theapplicant hasbeenusinga5-meshnet.Towardtheendofthisparagraph, theStaffsuggestsseiningalongtheshore.Trapnets(frequently tended)wouldbebettertosamplethissituation. Inorderto*alleviate thepossibility ofanimcomplete ordistorted monitoring andassessment program,itisrecommended, thattheapplicant reviewtheseprogramswiththisDepartment, beforestartingstudies,andperiodically throughout thestudy.RESPONSETheexperimental gill-netbeingusedinthe1973.ecological programatNineMilePoint.consistsofpanelsofsixdifferent meshsizes,namely,1/2",3/4",1",11/2",2"andGillnetsarepassivecollection devices,andtheir'Iperformance cannotbeevaluated quantitatively. Thatistosay,itisnotpossibletocomparenumbersoffishcaughtbyidentical nets,letalonenetsofdifferent sizes. B-108STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO-53)Section6.1c.Fishes,ae6-3,1stararah.WefullyagreewiththeStaff'sstatement onthevalueofechosounderdata.Werecommend thatfurtherstudiesbedesignedtoevaluatewhatdataisactuallybeingrecordedbytheechosounder,e.g.,species,sizeoffishrecordedatvariousdepths,sizeoffishthatarenotrecordedatvariousdepths,andconditions thatalterrecording patterns. RESPONSENocomment. B-109STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMENTNO~54)Section.6.1c.Fishes,ae6-3,3rdaxarah.Thefood-preference studywillhaveno'valueifgillnettedfishareused.Fishin'gillnetstendtolosefoodinthenetandtheirgutcontentsgiveabiasedviewoffoodhabits.Fishforthistypeofanalysisneedtobecapturedandworkedupveryfasttogetanaccuratepictureoffoodhabits.Inthissameparagraph, the5thlinefromthebottom,"important species"shouldnotbelimitedto"commercial" importance. RESPONSENormalgill-netting procedure usuallyinvolvesleavingnetsintheLakefor12hoursatatime.Underthoseconditions, nettedfishwillindeedoftenregurgitate food.However,forfoodpreference studies,gillnets,whenused,areinstalled fornomorethanonehourbeforebeinghauled.Thefishcollected areimmediately cooledwithiceandrocksalt,andremovedtothelaboratory atonce.Fishusedinthesestudiesarealsocapturedbyseining. STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERUATION (COMMENTNO.55)Section6.lf.Entrainment Studiesae6-4.Itshouldbeemphasized thatsamplesbetakenwithappropriate gearclosetoandattheleveloftheintakeinthelakeaswellastheintakeanddischarge wells.RESPONSEForprocedures andlocations involvedinthesamplingofentrainable organisms intheLake,refertoApplicant's responsetoDepartment ofCommerceCommentNo.5.Samplingintheplantscreenwell utilizesa0.5meternet,andtheflowingwaterintheforebaysmaketowingunnecessary. Otherscreenwell planktonsamplingactivities areperformed similarly tothoseinthelake. STATEOFNEWYORKDEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (COMMENTNO.56)Pacae9-9ItisstatedthattheApplicant hasmadeaspecificdesignstudyofnaturalandforceddraftcoolingtowersandthatoneofthedisadvantages offorced-draft towersismorenoise.Thisdisadvantage shouldbequantified intermsoftheincreased numbersofpersonsexposedtovarioussoundlevelsifforceddraftcoolingtowerswereutiliz'ed. RESPONSETheApplicant evaluated noiselevelsforbothtypesofcoolingtowersanditwasdetermined thatnoresidences, schools,orhospitals wouldreceiveasoundlevelgreaterthan65dbA.Tenresidences wouldbewithinthe45to65dbArangewithanaturaldraftcoolingtowerandfortyresidences wouldbewithinthisrangewith'amechanical draftcoolingtower.Itshouldbenotedthattheestimates usedtodeter-IIminethesoundlevelcontoursareconservative anddonotincludeattenuation fromtrees,terrain,ormeteorological conditions whichwouldreducetheoffsitenoise. ADVISORYCOUNCILONHISTORICPRESERVATION (COMMENTNO.1)Pursuanttoitsresponsibilities underSection102(2)(C)oftheNationalEnvironmental PolicyActof1969,theAdvisoryCouncilonHistoricPreservation hasdetermined thatyourdraftenvironmental statement appearsadequateregardirig ourarea'fexpertise andwehavenofurthercommentstomake.RESPONSENocomments. FEDERALPOWERCOMMZSSlON (COKIENTNO.1)Theuseofgeothermal powerasanalternative tothenuclearunitwasnotconsidered, according totheDraftEnvironmental Statement (Page9-1').Xnlightofthefactthatgeothermal 'sources're knowntoexistinNewYorkandneighboring states,Q3adis'cussion ofthisalternate wouldbeappropriate. (Footnote omittedbMPRESPONSETheonlywarmwaterspringlistedfortheStateofNewYorkintheabovereference, "ThermalSpringsoftheUnitedStatesandOtherCountries oftheWorld-ASummary", isaspringatLebanan,NewYork.Thishasatemperature ofonly76'Fwhichisunsuitable forsteamproduction. U.S.'NVIRONMENTAL, PROTECTION, AGENCY.COMMENTS, uA.INTRODUCTION AND'CONCLUSIONS (COMMENT'NO'-')'Theproposedaugmented radioactive management systemisexpectedtolimitradioactive releasestoalevelthatcanbeconsidered "aslowaspracticable." .RESPONSEFqWNocomment. U.S.ENVIRONMENTAL'.PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSA.INTRODUCTION AND"CONCLUSIONS (COMMENTNo.2)'.Operatin'g datafromthisplant.'lead ustoquestiontheapplicability oftheAECstandardmodel'for'valuating theliquidradwastetreatment systems;Thefinalstatement shouldaddress,specifically,what,equipment deficiencies 'aveoccurred'andwhatcorrective actionshavebeentakenorare,committed'o, whichwillinsurethattheliquidrad-wasteequipment will'perform asdesigned.

RESPONSE, Nocomment.

U.S.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSAINTRODUCTION ANDCONCLUSIONS COMMENTNO-3)Afteranexamination ofthecuriesreleasedandtherelativepercentages ofcriticalisotopes-reportedin.the-l971andl972operating reportsforthestation,wequestionthevalidityofsomeofthebasicassumptions usedbytheAECintheir-.dose calculations forthisnuclearstation.Useof,thestandardAECdosemodel,is,.acceptable onlyifitadequately reflectsreportedoperational releasesfromthestationsince1972.RESPONSENocomment. U.S.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSA.INTRODUCTION ANDCONCLUSIONS (COMMENTNO~"4)Theexistingmonitoring programforassessing theextentofimpingement andentrainment. lossesisinadequate..- WeconcurwiththeAECstaff'srecommend-ationthat.thisprogrambesubstantially'xpanded. ERESPONSEIRefertoApplicant's responseto'tateofNewYorkDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation CommentNo.3andDepartment ofCommerceComment.No.12: 1U.S.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTS. AINTRODUCTION ANDCONCLUSIONS (COMMENT. NO.5)*Owingtothelack.ofinformation concerning theeffectsoftheplant.onthebiotaofthereceiving water,.acompleteassessment oftheplant'senvironmental impactisnotpossible. Consequently, itis,ourrecommendation thatthefinalstatement notbeprocessed and,,thefull-termoperating licensenotbegranteduntilaftercomple-tionofthemonitoring programandanalysisoftheresults., Intheinterim,theplantshouldcontinuetooperateunderits.provisional license.RESPONSENocomment. U.S~ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTS"'.INTRODUCTION ANDCONCLUSIONS (COMMENTNo.6),Thecoolingsystemaspresently designedwith.causeNewYorkStatecriteriaforthermaleffluents tobegrosslyexceeded. RESPONSERefertoApplicant's responsetoU.S.Department ofHealth,Education, andWelfareCommentNo. B-120U.S~~ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSB.RADIOACTIVE WASTEMANAGEMENT (COMMENTNO-1)Theradioactive wastemanagement systemscurrently beingutilizedintheNineMilePointNuclearStationUnit1arenot.'representative ofcurrentpractice. However,theproposedaugmented radioactive wastesystemsinclude"state-of-the-art" technology and,ifproperlyoperatedandmain-tainedconsistent with10CFRPart50,thedischarges shouldbe-"aslowaspracticable." Asnotedonpage3-18ofthedraftstatement, "Operating experience todatehas:resulted inhigherliquidreleasesthanthosecalculated. Theoperating maintenance reportindicates thattheradwaste,equipment hasnotperformed. according todesign."These.deficiencies couldbeduetoavarietyofcauses,suchasalackofcomponent reliability causingexcessleakage,orfailuretoachieveexpecteddecon-tamination factors.Ontheotherhand,theproblemsthathaveoccurredmaybepeculiartotheNineMilePoint1stationratherthanthewastetreatment equipment itself,duetoopera-'tionalfactors.Inviewofthecurrently available operating experience, weareconcerned withtheapplicability oftheAECstandardmodelforevaluating theliquidradwastesystem.Thefinalstatement shouldaddressspecifically whatdeficiencies haveoccurredandthecorrective actionsthathavebeenim-plemented, orarecommitted to,whichwillinsurethattheliquidreleaseswillbe"aslowaspracticable." Ifcorrective actionhasalreadybeentaken,thenwewouldencourage theutilization ofoperating datatakensub-sequenttothatactiontovalidatetheAECstandardmodelfortheanalysistobemadeinthefinalstatement. RESPONSEVBasedonoperating experience changesarebeingmadetotheliquidandgaseousradioactive wastesystems.Thesemodifications willresultindischarges beingwellwithin,"aslowaspracticable" numerical guidelines. U.S.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSC.DOSEASSESSMENT (COMMENTNO.1)Weareconcerned withthevalidityofusingtheAECstandardassumptions inthedosecalculations associated withliquidreleasesfromthestationinlightof-theavail-ableoperating data.Thisconcernistwo-fold: 1)theoperating dataindicateamuchgreatertotalactivityreleasedand2)largevariations areevident.inthepercentages ofcriticallong-lived isotopes(isotopic mix)observedinoperat-ingdataversustheAECpredicted releases. Thefollowing tableillustrates theproblerii: AECestimateofexistingsystemreleases1971operating "1972operating dataadjusteddataadjustedto80%loadto80%loadfactorfactorIsotope1972totalCi19711972totalCi0totalCiCs-134Cs-137Mn-54Co-60I-1330.90.80.110.915.750.0360.0320.00440.0370.631.54.518.420.00.90.701.478.459.300.37ll.129.113.626.01.955.851S.517.0113.651.01Accordingly, thefinalstatement shoulduseeitherextrapolations fromtheexistingoperating dataforthedosecalculations, orjustifytheuseofthestandardAECmodelinordertopresentamorerealistic pictureoftheimpactofthisfacility. RESPONSENocomment. U-STENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 'AGENCYCOMMENTSD.TRANSPORTATION (COMlKNTNO.1)EPA,initsearlierreviewsoftheenvironmental impactoftransportation ofradioactive

material, agreedwiththeAECthatmanyaspects.ofthisproblemcouldbestbetreatedonagenericbasis.ThegenericapproachhasreachedthepointwhereonFebruary5,1973,theAECpublished forcommentintheFederalRegisterarule-makingproposalconcerning the"Environmental EffectsofTransportation ofFuelandWastefromNuclearPowerRe-actors."EPAcommented ontheproposedrulemaking byalettertotheAEC,datedMarch22,1973,andbyanappear-anceatthepublichearingonApril2,1973.Untilsuch,timeasagenericruleisestablished, theEPAiscontinuing toassesstheadequacyofthequant-itativeestimates ofenvironmental radiation impactresult-ingfromtransportation ofradioactive materials providedinenvironmental statements.

Theestimates providedfor'hisstationaredeemedadequatebasedoncurrently avail-ableinformation. RESPONSENocomment. B-123US.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSE.REACTORACCIDENTS (COMMENT. NO.')EPAhasexaminedtheAECanalysisofaccidents andtheirpotential riskswhichAEC-hasdeveloped inthecourseofitsengineering evaluation ofreactorsafetyin,thedesignofnuclear-plants.Sincetheseaccidents arecommontoallnuclearpowerplantsofagiventype,,EPAconcurswiththeAEC'sapproachtoevaluatetheenvironmental riskforeachaccidentclassonagenericbasis.TheAEChasinthepastandstillcontinues todevoteextensive effortstoassuresafetythroughplantdesignandaccident'analyses inthelicensing processonacase-by-case basis.EPA,however,favorstheadditional stepnowbeingundertaken bytheAECofathoroughanalysisonamorequantitative basisoftheriskofpotential accidents inallranges.Wecontinuetoencourage thiseffortandurgetheAECtopressforwardtoitstimelycompletion andpublication. EPAbelievesthiswillresultinabetterunderstanding ofthepossibleriskstotheenvironment. Inordertoprovideafullerunderstanding ofthedirection oftheseefforts,itisrequested thatthefinalstatement (eitherdirectlyorbypubliclyavailable reference) provideinformation onthenature,expectedschedule, andlevelofeffortofthos'egenericstudieswhichareexpectedtoleadtoabasisforasubsequent assessment bytheAECconcerning theriskfromallpotential accidents classesintheNineMilePointStation.Itisrecognized thatthissubsequent assessment maybeeithergenericorspecificinnaturedepending ontheoutcomeofthegenericstudies.Inaddition, thefinalstatement shouldincludeanAECcommitment thatthisassessment willbemadepubliclyavailable withinareasonable timeperiodfollowing completion ofthegenericstudies.Clearly,iftheaboveeffortsindicatethatunwarranted risksarebeingtaken.attheNineMilePointStationweareconfident thattheAECwillassureappropriate corrective action.Similarly, if'PAeffortsrelatedtotheaccidentareauncoveranyenviron-mentallyunacceptable conditions relatedtothesafetyoftheNineMilePointStation,wewillmakeourviewsknown.RESPONSENocomment. U.F.S.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSBIOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS (COMMENTNO.1)a~NineMilePointUnit1hasbeeninoperation for31/2years.Duringthatperiodthe,applicant hashadtheopportunity toperformcomprehensive monitoring ofthebiological effectsoftheonce-through coolingsystem.Inparticular, completeanalysesoflossesbyimpingement andentrainment couldhavebeenperformed andtheresultsmadeavailable atthistime.Thesecouldhavebeenusedasabasisforjudging'he acceptability ofthepresentcoolingsystemdesignasitaffectstheaquaticecology.Instead,overthe31/2yearsoftheplant'soperation, theapplicant hascarriedoutanincomplete andinsufficient monitoring program,theresultsofwhichareinadequate forpurposesofdetermining theenvironmental impactoftheplant'soperation. b.Indications are,however,thesignificant lossesduetoentrainment andimpingement. willoccur.WeconcurwiththeAECstaff'sconclusion thatcompletemortality willresulttoentrained organisms whenexposedtoa32'Ftemperature riseandatransittimeof6minutes.Fishwhichenterthroughtheintakestructure arelikelytosuffer100%mortality also,and,sincethestructure islocatedinaregionknowntohavehighconcentrations offish,thislosscouldbesubstantial. Thetrueextentofalltheselosseshasnot,asweindicated above,beenquantified. Consequently, ajudgmentoftheimpactoftheplantontheaquaticecologycannotbemade.IntheSummaryandConclusions sectionthestaffrecommends thattheapplicant undertake amuchexpandedenvironmental monitoring programfordetermining theplant'simpactontheaquaticenvironment. Weconcurwiththisrecommend-ation.Certainaspectsofthisprogramneedfurtherexplan-ation,however.Theportiondealingwithintakeeffectsdoes:.not describethedurationofthefishmonitoring program.RESPONSESince1968theApplicant hasbeenconducting aquaticbiotastudiesintheareawhichwouldbeaffectedbythethermaldischarge andhascontinued toexpanddatacollection withnewtechnology. RESPONSETOU.S.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSF.BIOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS COl1HENTNO-1)CONTINUED TheApplicant hastakenadvantage oftheopportunity toconductfishimpingement studiesandev'aluate fishentrapment atNineMilePointUnit1.Thefishimpingement. studybeganinMay1972andeffortsthroughNovember7,1972werereportedinSupplement 3oftheApplicant's Environmental Report.Thisstudywill'continue throughout 1974.SinceMarch1973,samplinghasbeenperformed atweeklyintervals, whichisdoublethesamplingfrequency in1972,but.eachsamplerunisfora.24hourperiodratherthanforafewhoursperday.TheApplicant hasconducted studiesatNineMilePointUnit1regarding theeffectofcondenser passageuponmortality ofphytoplankton andzooplankton. Resultsofthesestudieswerere-portedinSupplement 2oftheApplicant's Environmental Report.Additional entrainment. studiesareincludedinthe1973surveillance programtocontinuetoevaluatethebehavioroforganisms passingthroughNineMilePointUnit1.Fordetailsoflakeichthyoplankton

sampling, refertoApplicant's responsetoDepartment ofCommerceComment.No.5.Phytoandzooplankton willbesampledmonthlyinfourdifferent depthsofwateronfourtransects, twolocatedatNineMilePoint.Unit1andtheJamesA.FitzPatrick plant,andtheothertwoatthewestandeastendsoftheNineMilePointpromontory.

B-126RESPONSETOU.S.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOIQKNTSF.BIOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS (COMIKNTNO.1)CONTINUED Thegeneralobjectives oftheentrainment studies,are:1.Toexpandtheexistingdatabasewithrespecttothelimnological aspectsofLakeandresidentplanktonpopulations inthevicinityoftheNineMilePointarea.Thesestudieswillincludethediurnalandseasonaldistributions ofichthyoplankton andphytoplankton. 2.Todetermine therateofentrainment ofsuchorganisms inthis,area.3.Tomeasuremortality, ratesoftheorganisms entrained attheNineMilePointUnit1atvarioustimesduringtheyear.4.Toestimatetheeffectthatentrainment andthemortality ratehaveontheichthyoplankton populations. Withregardtotheeffectonlakefishpopulations offishimpingement, refertoApplicant's responsetoDECCommentNo.l. U.S.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCXCOMMENTSF.BIOLOGICAL CONSIDERATION (COMMENTNO.2)Also,theproposedlaboratory entrainment studiesconsidertheeffectoftemperature buttotallyignorethemechanical stressexperienced duringasixminutetransit,time.Thismechanical stressisprobablymoreharmfulthanthetermalstressand,thetwoincon-junctionworksynergistically toproducetheactualloss..Thus,inordertoaccurately determine entrainment lossesatechnique shouldbedeveloped tosimulatetheactualstressexperienced byentrained orgariisms. RESPONSEEntrainment samplingisbeingperformed inboththeintakeanddischarge forebaysofNineMilePointUnitl.Theprocedure involvessamplingfirstintheintake,andthen,three,minuteslater,inthedischarge. Threeminutesisapproximately thetransittimebetweenthetwosamplinglocations. Thedifferences betweenthetwosetsofsamplesdisclosed bylaboratory analysiscantherefore beattributed topassagethroughthescreens,pumpsandcondenser. tSamples.collected andanalyzedduringperiodsofpumpoperation withouttheadditionofheat(reactorshutdown) indicatemechanical stress(plankton killrate)tobeintherangeof10-20percent.Thermalstress(plankton killrate)ofcoursevarieswithtemperature andplantstudiesindicatethisrateF-variesfromapproximately 30percentatdischarge watertemperature of95'Ftoapproximately 100percentatdischarge watertemperature of105'Fwhilecondenser deltaTequals32'F. B-128U.S~ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOM&KNTSF.BIOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS (COMMENTNO.3)ISincethegoaloftheproposedmonitoring programistodetermine theeffectofentrainment andimpingement lossesonthelakeecosystem, thetotalimpactofallplantsintheareamustbedetermined. Ratherthanseparatemon-itoringprogramsforNineMilePointUnits1and2.and.theFitzPatrick plant,asinglemonitoring effortforallthreeplantsshouldbeinstituted. Thus,impingement andentrain-mentlossdatafromthethreeplantscouldbecorrelated withthedatafromasinglelakepopulation studyandeffects,ifany,determined. RESPONSEJ'heApplicant concursthattheentireNineMilePointpromontory (thesiteofthethreeplants)beincludedintheecological program,andthishasindeedbeendone.RefertoApplicant's responsetoDepartment ofCommerceNo.l2.Itisalsoplannedtoconductimpingement studiesat.thethreeplants.SincethedeltaTforeachplantisapproximately thesame,entrainment studydataonNineMileUnitlcanbeextrapolated totheotherplants. B-129US~ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSF.BIOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS (COMMENTNO.4)Thestaffprecedestheirrecommendation ofamonitoring programwiththeconclusion thatthecurrentprovisional operating licenseshouldbeconverted toafull-term license.ItisstatedthatthisistheactioncalledforundertheNationalEnvironmental PolicyAct(NEPA).Itisouropinion,basedonthelackofsuffic-ientinformation withwhichtoassesstheenvironmental impactoftheplant,thattherequirements ofNEPAhavenot.beensatisfied, andtherefore thatnoactioniscalledfor.Considering thelackofinformation, whichisdis-cussedabove,anevaluation oftheenvironmental impactofthisaction,sufficient underNEPA,isnotpossible. Wedonotseetherequirements ofNEPAbeingsatisfied untiltheproposedmonitoring programiscompleted andtherearesufficient dataavailable sothattheeffectsoftheplantcanbeassessed. Therefore, werecommend thatthefull-term licensenotbeissueduntilsuchtimeastheenvironmental impactoftheactioncanbefullyevaluated. Onlywhentherequiredinformation -isavailable, shouldafinalenvironmental impactstatement beissuedasabasisforthedecisiononthefull-term operating license.RESPONSENocomment. B-130U-S~ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTXON'GENCY COMMENTSG.THERMALCONSIDERATION (COMMENTNO-1)AsreportedintheEXS,NewYorkStatethermaldischarge criterialimittheriseinsurfacetemper'ature inthereceiving waterto3'Fwithina300'footradiusarea.(6.5acres).Withthepresentdischarge system,theareaencompassed bythe3'sotherm ofUnit1rangesfrom50to400acres.Evenatthelowendoftherange,NewYorkStatethermalcriteriaaregrosslyexceeded. Xtcanthenbeassumedthatwhenthedischarge fromUnit2andthedischarges fromUnit,2andtheFitzPatrick plantaresuperimposed ontheUnit1plume,thesituation willbeworsestill..ThisEXSbarelymentionsandneglectsanydis-cussionoftheapplicant's

proposal, contained inthedraftstatement forNineMilePointUnit2,tocombinetheUnit1and2discharges intoasinglesubmerged jetdiffuser.

Thistypeofdischarge hasasignificant effectonplumesizeandwouldalterconsiderably thesizeoftheplumeencompassed bythe3'sotherm. Thewaythatthismightaffectcompliance withthermalcriteriashouldhavebeencompletely analyzedinthisdraftstatement. Also,theresultofanyinteraction withtheplumeoftheFitzPatrick plantshouldhavebeenanalyzed. Bothoftheseanalyzesshouldbeincludedinthefinalstatement, andwillbeconsiderations intheissuancebyEPAofaSection402discharge permitundertheFederalWaterPollution ControlAct(FWPCA).RESPONSERefertoApplicant's responsetoU.S.Department <<CommerceCommentNo.1andU.S.Department ofHealth,Education, andWelfareCommentNo.4. U.S.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSG.THERhQLCONSIDERATIONS (COMMENTNO.2)A.Inaccordance withtheFWPCA,discharges tonavigable watersaresubjecttoeffluentlimitations re-flectingthe"bestpracticable controltechnology currently available" byJuly1,1977,ortostricter1'mitations if'theyarenecessary tomeetapplicable'water qualitystandards. ByJuly1,1983,discharges mustachieveeffluentcontrolreflecting the"bestavailable technology economically achievable." (Forthethermal component ofdischarges, areevaluation ofthelimitations imposedbytheAdministrator ofEPAispossibleunderSection316'WPCA)Definitions ofthetechnology-based termsarescheduled forpromulgation inOctober1973.Thecool'ingsystemasnowoperatedcausesaviolation ofexistingcriteria, asnotedabove,andweanticipate thatthedischarge willbeinviolation ofarevisiontoFederal-State standards nowpendingundertheFWPCA.B.Furthermore, thedischarge would,inallprob-ability,failtomeettheeffluentlimitations g'uidelines, oncepromulgated. Theapplicant should,therefore, evaluate. alternative heatdissipation systemsforthisfacility, in-cludingclosed-cycle systemalternatives, takingintoaccounttherelationship ofwasteheateffectsfromUnitIIandFitzPatrick aswellasUnitI.Suchevaluation shouldbeincludedinthefinalstatement. RESPONSEA.Thecoolingsystemasnowoperateddoesnotcauseaviolation ofexistingcriteria, asdiscussed inApplicant's responsetoU.S.Department ofHealth,Education andWelfareCommentNo.4.B.Coolingsystemalternatives wereconsidered inaccordance withthepublished guidelines forcost-benefit 4analysis(section9.5)oftheApplicant's Environmental Reportandhavebeendescribed insection9.2-1oftheDraftEnviron-mentalStatement. U.S.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSH.OTHERWATERQUALITYEFFECTS(COMMENTNO.1)TheAECstaffhasconcluded (Page5-6)withrespecttotheincreaseintotaldissolved solidsasaresultofplantoperation, that"nolake-vide effectwillbediscernible." Werecommend thattheapplicant includeanevaluation of-localimpacts,andjustifythenon-compliance withrequirements fortotaldissolved solidslevelsoftheMinimumFederalWaterQualityCriteriaandtheInternational Agreement onGreatLakesWaterQuality(April15,1972).RESPONSETheinternational Agreement, onGreat,LakesWaterQualitysetalimitonthedischarge oftotaldissolved solids.Thesestandards specifythatthedissolved solidsinadischarge shouldnotexceed200mg/1.Thetotaldissolved solidslevelinLakeOntarioisapproximately 233mg/1neartheNineMilesiteundernaturalconditions. Totaldissolved solidslevelsintheLakealongtheOswegotoNineMilePointshoreline areahavebeenmeasuredasgenerally higherthanthoseinLakeOntarioasawholeevidently duetorunofffromthelargeIIV~solidsloadcarriedbytheOswegoRiver.TheIJCReportof~M(1969(Pollution ofLakeErieLakeOntarioandtheInternational SectionoftheSt.LawrenceRiver)citeslakewidevaluesofVII4totaldissolved solidsapproaching 200mg/1in1960,risingat.1Iyllp)~",I,"rateofapproximately 10mg/decade. I~4 B-133'RESPONSE TOU.S.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTS.H.OTHERWATERQUALITYEFFECTS(COMMENTNO.1)CONTINUED InadocumentissuedinJuly1973entitled*"Proposed Classifications andStandards Governing theQualityandPurityofWatersofNewYorkState",therecommended valuefordissolved solidscontentinClass"A"(LakeOntario)waterswasstated:"Shallnotexceed'500mg/1orone-third abovenaturalcharacteristic levels,whichever isless".Measurements oftotaldissolved solidshavebeenmadeinboththeoxidation pondandthestormdraineffluents atNineMilePoint.Theoxidation pondeffluenthadtotaldissolved solidsof400and500mg/1in24hourcomposite samplestakenonSeptember 5-6andSeptember 26-27,1973,respect-ively.Thelowvolumeofeffluentfromthissourceandtheexceptional possibilities ofdilutionordispersion priortoenteringLakeOntarioindicatethatitisunlikelythissourcewouldhaveaneffectuponLakeOntariowaterquality.Composite samplesofthestormdraineffluentwerealsoicollected. The24-hourmeanvalueonSeptember 5-6was195mg/1,whiletheaverageforthis24-hourperiodonSeptember 26-27was240mg/l.Neitherofthesevaluesisinconsistent withthenaturalvariations ofdissolved solidcontentmeasuredintheLake. U.S.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSH.OTHERWATERQUALITYEFFECTS(COMMENTNO.2)Thedraftstatement alsorecognizes (Page5-7)thenon-compliance ofNineMilePoint,Unitl,withrequire-mentsfortheadditionofphosphates toreceiving watersoftheMinimumFederalWaterQualityCriteriaandtheIntern-ationalAgreement. onGreatLakesWaterQuality.Theapplic-antshouldpresent,inthefinalstatement, detailedjustif-icationforthisnon-compliance. RESPONSERefertoApplicant's responsetoU.S.Department ofHealth,Education, andWelfareCommentNo.5. B-135U.S.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSI.AIRQUALITYANDMETEOROLOGY (COMMENTNO~1)Theimpactstatement shouldprovideadiscussion ofthemechanical equipment atthefacilitywhichhasapotential foremittingnon-radiological airpollutants. information forauxiliary boilersanddieselenginesshouldbeprovidedrelatingtosizeofequipment, fueltype,fuelanalysis, fueluserateandfrequency ofuseforeachtypeofequipment, andpollutant emissionfactorsemployedinestimating a'irpollutant emissions. RESPONSEThediesel-driven firepumpandtwostandbydieselgenerators areoperatedwhenrequired-onanemergency basisandaretestedperiodically todetermine availability. Theauxiliary boilersareelectricandpoweredfromtheApplicant's generation'system. Theyarenormallysecuredwhilethestationisinoperation. Thefirepumpdieselwasinoperation foraperiodof18hoursduring1972andconsumedanaverageof21.8gallonsoffuelperhourofoperation. Eachstandbygenerator wasoperatedforaperiodofapproximately 15hoursduring1972withanaveragefuelconsumption rateof190gallonsperhour.Thesefiguresarerepresentative ofnormalplantoperation. Thediesel-driven firepumpispoweredbya300HPdieselenginefueledbyNo.2dieselfuel.Thispumpanddieselsetisastandbyunitandwillbetestedonceaweekforaperiodofapproximately 30minutes.Thefuelconsumption atratedrpmoperation is23gal/hr. RESPONSETOU-S-ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSI.AIRQUALITYANDMETEOROLOGY (COMMENTNO.1)CONTINUED Standbypowerissuppliedbytwodieselgenerator sets-bothratedatapproximately 2500KW.Conservatively assumingthat:a)Bothdieselenginesusecommercial gradeNo.2dieselfuelataconsumption rateofapproximately 220gal/hr.each.b)Eachoftheseunitsaretestedoncepermonthwithatestdurationofapproximately 4hours,andc)ThefuelanalysisforNo.2dieselfuelisasfollows:sulfur0.05-1.0percentbyweighthydrogen11.8-13.9 percentbyweightcarbon86.1-88.2 percentbyweightnitrogennegligible -0.1percentbyweightTheconcentrations ofpollutants expectedtobeemittedbythedieselenginesduringtheiroperating periodsaretab-ulatedbelow:Hydrocarbon Particulate S02CONOFixe,Pump Diesel0.58lb/hr2.4lb/hr3.4lb/hr1.512.2Energency Diesels5.2lb/hr23lb/hr32lb/hr13.8lb/hr B-137U.STENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSI'IRQUALITYANDMETEOROLOGY (COMMENTNO.2)Information shouldbeprovidedinthefinalstate-mentrelativetotheimpactofthehighvoltagetransmission lineozoneprediction rateandits,potential environmental impacts.RESPONSETheApplicant hasinvestigated andevaluated studies*directedatOzoneproduction andsubsequent environmental effectsassociated withhighvoltagetransmission lines.Thesestudiesconcluded that,althoughOzoneaswellasNitrogenOxidesarepro-ducedduringhighvoltagetransmission lineoperation, theirdi-lutionanddecayissuchthatitisessentially impossible todetectandmeasuredifferences inconcentration atgroundlevelfor"lineenergized" and"linedeenergized" conditions. Itwasalsoconcluded thattheoperation of765kVsystemsdoesnotcreateanyadverseeffectsonvegetation oranimalsinrespecttooxidantseven'duringfoulweatherconditons underwhichtheheaviestcoronalossandmaximumoxidantproduction occur@.*Juette,G.W.,"Corona-CausedAirPollution" ProjectUHV.,Tech.ReportNo.TIS-71-EU-13, 3/18/71.Juette,G.W.,Zaffanella, L.E.,",TestResultsoftheEner-gizationofProjectUHVTest,Lines"36in.Diam.bundle(ReportNo.TIS-71-EU-15, 5/28/71)56in.Diam.bundle(ReportNo.TIS-71-EU-39, 8/19/71)SchererJr.,H.N.,Ware,B.J.;Shih,C.H.,"GaseousEfflu-ents.duetoEHVTransmission'Line Corona"'EEE Transactions PaperNo.T72"550-2presented atSummerMeeting-July 9-14,1972.Frydman,M.,Levy,A.;Miller;S.E.'"Oxidant Measurements intheVicinityofEnergized: 765kVLines"-IEEETransactions Paper'No.T72'441-0presented atSummerMeeting'-July9-.14>1972 B-138USENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSI.AIRQUALITYANDMETEOROLOGY (COMMENTNO.3)Thestatement shouldprovideadi'scussion ofthe"existingambientairqualityandtheanticipated ambientairqualitywithandwithoutthefacilityinoperation. RESPONSETheoperation ofthenuclearfacilities willnotaffecttheexistingambientairqualityoftheNineMile.Pointarea.NewYorkStateDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation hadclassified thisarea.aslevelI'underSection256.1NYCRR.LevelIisdefinedas"predominantly usedfortimber,agricultural crops,dairyfarming,orrecreation. Habitation andIndustrySparse."Underthisclassification thefollowing airqualitystandards arere-quireddA.SO2Concentrations, -DurinAn12Consecutive Months1)99'4ofonehouraverageconcentrations shallnotexceed-650ug/m(0.25ppm)2)Noonehouraverageconcentration shallexceed.-1300ug/m(0.50ppm)3)99%ofthe24houraverageconcentration shallnotexceed-260ug/m(0.10ppm)4)No24houraverageconcentration shallexceed365ug/m(0.14ppm)5)Theannualaverageofthe24hour,averageconcentration shallnotexceed80ug/m(0.03ppm) B-139RESPONSETOU.S-ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTS.I.AIRQUALITYANDMETEOROLOGY (COMMENTNO.3)CONTINUED B.Particulates (Susended)1)ShortTermvalue:Forany24hourperiodtheaverageconcentration shallnotexceed-250ug/m32)Longtermvalue:a)Duringany12consecutive months,50%ofthevaluesofthe24houraverageconcentrations shallnot,exceed-45ug/m3b)Duringany12consecutive months,-84%ofthevaluesofthe24houraverageconcentrations shallnotexceed.70ug/m3C.NitroenDioxideDuringany12consecutive months,theannualaverageof.the24hourconcentrations shallnotexceed100ug/m(0.05ppm)3D.CarbonMonoxide1)Foran8hourperiod,theaverageconcentration shallnotexceed10mg/m(9ppm)32)Fora1hourperiod,theaverageconcentration shallnotexceed40mg/m(35ppm)AsnotedinApplicant's response.to EPACommentNo.I-1emissions frommechanical equipment atthesiteareextremely limited.Permitstooperatestationary sourcessuchas RESPONSETOU.-S.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSI.AIRQUALITYANDMETEOROLOGY (COMMENTNO.3)CONTINUED auxiliary boilersanddieselenginesarerequested fromtheNewYorkStateDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation andtheiroperation issubjecttoappropriate emissionregu-lations.Mobilesources,ie,trucktrafficandconstruction equipment donotconstitute majorsourcesofemissions. Siteconstruction activitywillcontribute toperiodsofincreased suspended particulate concentrations, howeverthiscontribution isconsidered short,termandprecautions suchaswettingofroadsandconstruction areasarefollowedtoreducefugitivedustconcentrations. U.S.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYCOMMENTSX.AIRQUALITYANDMETEOROLOGY (COMMENTNO.4)Meteorological materialpresented inthisdraftandenvironmental andtheenvironmental statement forUnit1isessentially identical tothatpresented earlierforUnit2.[sic)Ourmeteorological commentsremainthesameasthose.presented inourletterofMay25,1973,onNineMilePointNuclearStation,UnitIX.RESPONSEAnnualaveragesofsitemeteorological conditions werepresented totheAECaspartofDocketNo.50-220(NineMilePointUnit1FinalSafetyAnalysisReport,Vol.XI).Thesedata'werealsoemployedforUnit2andJamesA.FitzPatrick NuclearPowerPlantandarereadilyavailabl.e. TheApplicant's responses toothermateorological commentsaresetoutatpagesJ-191throughJ-197oftheFinalEnvironmental Statement relatedtoconstruction ofNineMilePointNuclearStationUnit2.

C<<1APPENDIXCAPPLICANT'S PARTIALRESPONSETOCOMMENTSONDRAFTENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT C-2NIAGARAMOHAWKPOWERCORPORATION ~/IINIAGARA:MOHAWK300ERIEBOULEVARD WESTSYRACUSE. N.Y.I3202/November9,1973Mr.N.H.Regan,Jr.,ChiefEnvironmental ProjectsBranchNo.4Directorate ofI.icensing OfficeofRegulation U.S.AtomicEnergyCommission I)'ashington, D.C.20545Re:NineMilePointUnit1DocketNo.50-220

DearMr.Regan:

YourletterofOctober30,1973includedcommentsfromvariousgovernmental agenciesconcerning theDraftEnvironmental Statement forNinehlilePointUnit1.Ourresponses totheDepartment oftheInterior. commentsareattached. Asrequested inyourletter,thereplyconsistsofthreesignedoriginals andfortyadditional copies.Responses toallotheragencycommentsMeretransmitted toyoubymyletterofOctober31,1973.Verytrulyyours,LPhilipD.RaymondVicePresident-Engineering CVM/sjzAttachment C-3NIAGARAMOHAWKPOWERCORPORATION NINEMILEPOINTUNIT1APPLICANT'S RESPONSES TOU-.S~DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIORONAECDRAFTENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT SUBMITTED TOUNITEDSTATESATOMICENERGYCOMMISSION DOCKETNO-50-220November9,1973 c-4UeS~DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO~1)GeneralNineMilePoint,NuclearStation,Unit1,istheinitialcomponent ofa2,531MWe-power generating complexlocatedalongtheshoreline, ofLakeOntarionearSyracuse, NewYork.Unit1,a610,MWeplantwhichbeganoperating inDecember1969,willbecomplemented bytheJames'A.Fitz-PatrickNuclearPowerplant,scheduled tobeginoperation inOctober1973,andNineMilePointUnit2wh'ichisexpectedtobecompleted in1978.Eachfacilityisdesignedforonce-,throughcooling.FishstocksofLakeOntariohaveundergone sub-stantialchangesbecause'ofmodification ofvegetation patternsinthewatershed, dammingoftributary streams,depletion ofthefishstocksbycommercial harvest,intro-ductionofexoticfishspecies,andeffectsofmunicipal andindustrial wastedisposal. Thesekindsofchangesinteracttoalterthecompetitive composition offishstocks,generally favoringthosehavinglesservaluetoman.'ITheevidenceofenvironmental deteriorationisfarmoremarkedinshorethanoffshore. By1950algaebegantofoulgillnetsofcommercial fisherman, yetoxygendepletions whichareoftenassociated withsuchdensealgaegrowthwerenot,detecteduntil1970.Theseconditions donotfavor,successful reproduction offishspeciessuchaslakeherringandwhitefish.Theindividual andcumulative impactsofonce-through power,plantcoolingintheareaofNineMilePointwillplaceanunwarranted andunacceptable burdenonthelake'sresources. Technology forclosed-cycle coolingsystemshasadvancedtoapointwhereintheenvironmental-effects, includ-ingdriftandblowdownareminimal.Basedonpartialandin-completestudiesontheenvironmental effectsofUnit,l;webelievethatcontinued useofthelake'swaterforpowerplantcoolingatNineMilePointisnotinthebestpublic,interest. RESPONSENocomment. C-5U.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO.2)SummarandConclusions Basedonthedescription ofthethermalplumegiveninSection5andthelocations ofthe=intakeanddischarge facilities, itisprobablethatrecirculation oftheheatedeffluentwilloccuratUnitl'.Wesuggest,thattheimpactsassociated withrecirculation shouldbeidentified intheSummaryandConclusions Section.RESPONSEThreedimensional thermalsurveyswhichhavebeenconducted intheareaofNineMilePointUnitlcoolingwaterdischarge haveincludedmeasurements oftheplantsintaketemper-atureaswellastemperature inthethermalplume.Recirculation hasnotbeenmeasurable. Themajordifficulty indiscerning smallamountsofrecirculation isnaturalvariability intheambient,temperature. Temperature variations ofl'Fhavecommonlybeenobservedoverhorizontal distances ofafractionofamile.Inadditiontothehorizontal differences intemperature nearthesite,theambienttemperature frequently variesbyafewdegreesintheverticalwaterdepthsshallower than50feet.IISinceslightlycoolerwaterisusuallyfoundbelowthesurface,theintakeexperiences nomeasurable recirculation. C-6U.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO.3)OutdoorRecreation Ourconcernsforoutdoorrecreational development forthisareahavebeenexpressed inourpreviousletterstotheAECinregardtotheJamesA;FitzPatrick NuclearPowerPlantandUnit2ofNineMilePoint.Webelievethatthesubjectstatement shouldaddressthepossibilities ofdevelop-inganopenspacemultiple-use planforthelandsofbothpowerplants.Theplancouldbedeveloped bythejointeffortsoftheapplicant, thePowerAuthority oftheStateofNewYork,theNewYorkStateConservation Department, andtheCountyofOswego.Sincetheareaisonly36milesfromthemetropolitan areaofSyracuse; anoutdoorrecreation planforamajorportionofthelandsappearstobeinthepublicinterest. Wearepleasedthattheapplicant hasestablished 130acresofthesiteasawildlifehabitatbypostingthenorthwest, cornerofthesite.Additionally, wesuggestthatconsistent withgeneralsafetyfactors,consideration begiventodevelop-ingsecondary usesofthetransmission right-of-way intheinterestofoutdoorrecreation. ThisDepartment's Northeast RegionalOfficeoftheBureauofOutdoorRecreation willwelcomeanopportunity toworkwiththeapplicant forsuchdevelopment. BOR'sNorthe'ast Region'sofficeislocatedattheFederalBuilding, 1421CherryStreet,Philadelphia, Pennsulvania 19102.RESPONSETheApplicant ispresently devotingportionsofthesitelandtomultipleuse.AProgressCenterwithinthementioned 130acreareaprovidesanarrayofeducational exhibitsconcerned withelectricity generation, nuclearpowerandenviron-mentalawareness. Thefacilitysiteofferspicnicareasandnaturetrailsforpublicuse.TheProgressCenterisvisitedbyapprox-imatelyfiftythousandvisitorsperyear. C-7RESPONSETOU.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO.3)CONTINUED TheApplicant continues torecognize thepotential forfurthermultiplelandusehereandthroughout hissytem'ndcontinues toconsiderthesubjectwherepublicusejustifiessuch,plans. C-8US~DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO.4)ToorahandGeoloThebriefsectionongeologyandtopography isin-adequateforanindependent assessment ofhowthesemajorelementsoftheenvironment relatetoUnit1.Thedistrib-ution.andthickness ofsurficial depositsandphysicalproperties ofrocksandsoilsshouldbesummarized, partic-ularlyastheyrelatetodesign,construction, slopestability, anderosion.Atopographic andgeologicmapshouldbeincluded. Theseismic-design parameters andthemethodsoftheirderivation arenot.mentioned. Sinceatleast13earthquakes haveoccurredwithin50milesofthestationoveraperiodof110years,including onewithanintensity ofVIonthemodifiedMercalliscalethefinalenvironmental statement shouldstatespecifically whatseismicdesigncriteriawereusedinconstruc-tionofUnit1andwhatenvir'onmental effectsarepredicted fromearthquakes. Thestatement ismadeonpage2-8that"therelationship ofsitesesimology tothesafetyoftheStation,itsdesign,andseismicdesigncriteriahavebeenconsidered indetailbythe.Staffinthesafetyreview.." Nesonotfeelthatenvironmental concernsrelatedtoseismology aresatisfied bythisstatement orotherdiscussions ofseismology inthereport.Thedraftenvironmental statements forboththeNineMilePointNuclearPowerStationUnit.2andtheJamesA.Fitz-PatrickNuclearPowerPlantconcluded thatthesiteislocatedinaninactiveseismicregion.OurletterofApril1973,advisedyouthattheNineMilePointPlantisshownindamagezone2(moderate damage)onaseismiczoningmapdated1969(U.S.CoastandGeodeticSurvey).Basedontheseconsiderations webelievethatthisenvironmental statement shouldpresentamorecomprehensive summaryoftheregionalandlocalsitegeology,andshouldspecifyhowthegeologicandseismologic analyseshavebeentakenintoaccount.Inthisrespect,wenotethattheAEChaspublished "SeismicandGeologicSitingCriteriaforNuclearPowerPlants"(Proposed AppendixA,10CFR100,FederalReceister, November25,91971)whichprescribe thenatureofrequiredinvestigations. Theimpactstatement shouldclearlyspecifywhetherthesecriteriahavebeenappliedtotheNineMilePointsite. C-9U.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHE'XNTERIOR (COMMENTNO.4)RESPONSEThesubjectsofthiscommentarediscussed inconsiderable detailin"FinalSafetyAnalysisReport-NineMilePointUnitl,AECDocketNo.50-220"and"Preliminary SafetyAnalysisReport-NineMilePointUnit2,AECDocket50-410". U.S~DEPARTMENT OFTHEXNTERXOR(COMMENTNO~5)LakeWaterHdroloAdditional information shouldbeincludedinthissection'o describethe-temperature stratifications anddevelopment ofthermoclines intheareaofNineMilePoint.Descriptive information regarding thissubjectisincludedinTechnical ReportNo.14fromtheGreatLakesFisheryCommission, entitled"Limnological SurveyofLakeOntario,1964."Thispublication isdatedApril1969,andisavail-ablefromtheGreatLakesFisheryCommission, AnnArbor,.Michigan. RESPONSENocomment. U.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO~6)AaticEcoloBecausethissectionisheavilydependent uponinform-ationavailable intheliterature, webelievethatdataandinformation inTechnical ReportNo.23fromtheGreatLakesFisheryCommission,

entitled, "AReviewofChangesintheFishSpeciesComposition ofLakeOntario"datedJanuary1973,shouldbereferenced.

also.Information contained inthisreportrelatestothespawningcharacteristics ofthewhitefishandlakeherr-ingaswellasotherfishes.Also,fishspeciessuchasthewhitefish,lakeherringandtheyellowperchrequiretemperatures lessthan4'Cduringwinterperiodstosuccessfully reproduce. Exposingadultsandeggsandlarvaetotemperatures higherthanthosewhichnaturally occurduringwinterperiodsmaycausede-,formities todevelopeitherintheeggorlarvalstages.Althoughdataarenotavailable ontherequirements ofcloselyrelatedspeciessuchassaugerandwalleye,theseandotherspeciesmayhavetheirreproductive potential impairedbyincreases inseasonaltemperatures. Reference totheseandotherpotential impactsonfisheryresources aredescribed. inareportentitled, "ReviewofRecentTechnical Information Concerning theAdverseEffectsofOnce-Through CoolingonLakeMichigan," preparedbytheU.S.FishandWildlifeService,BureauofSportFisheries andWildlife, GreatLakesFisheryLaboratory, AnnArbor,Michigan, datedNovember1,1972,Muchofthisinformation isapplicable toLakeOntario.RESPONSETheApplicant hasobservedyellowperchinthedischarge plumeareaofUnit1(refertoApplicant's re'sponse toDepartment ofCommerceCommentNo.9,submitted totheAECOctober31,1973.)Regarding theotherspeciesmentioned inthiscomment,noneisasdelicateasthealewife,andthealewife's reproduction andgrowthhaveevidently notbeenaffectedsincetheplantwentintoopera-tionlatein1969. RESPONSETOU.STDEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIORCOMMENTNO.6)CONTINUED IrtThealewifeexistsinfreshwaterun'dersuchasmoticstressthatthehormonalcontrolmechanisms (e.g.,Thyroid)areexhausted (l).NootherspeciesinLakeOntarioexists.inalikestate,yetsamplingcruisesinl972(2)shownoevidenceofalewifedepletion innumbersorquality.Thethermalplumeislargelyrestricted tothenearshore watersbytheinfluence ofprevailing windsandcurrents. However,inwinter,adultfishretreatoffshore1tothedeeperwarmerwaters,andeggsandlarvaeare'otnormallyfoundinshoreatthistimeofyear.Withreference totheinformation reviewoftheGreatLakesFisheryLaboratory (3),thisisfirstaddressed toadocumentation offishkillsatsitesonLakeMichigan, noneofwhichisstrictlycomparable, eitherbiologically orphysically, toNineMilePointarea.Itisareviewoflaboratory experimentation, detailing responses totemperature changesofspeciesnot.impacted.byNineMilePointUnitl,eitherbecauseofimpingement ordi:scharge. RESPONSETOU.STDEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO.6)CONTINUED (1)Hoar,W.S.,"ThyroidFunctioninSome'Andronomous andLandlocked Teleosts. "Trans.Ro.Soc.Canada,Vol.46(3),Sec.5,pp.39-53,1952.(2)GreatLakesFisheryLaboratory, B.S.F.W., AnnArbor,Michigan, R/VKahoCruiseReorts1972.(3)Edell,T.A.,andYokum,T.G.,"R'eviewofRecentTechnical Information Concerning theAdverseEffectsofOnce-through CoolingonLakeMichigan." ReortforLakeMichianEnforce-mentConf.,AnnArbor.U.S.Fish6WildlifeService,B.S.F.W., GreatLakesFisheryLab.,1972. U.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO.7)SanitarWastesandOtherEffluentsCopperandotherheavymetalswillerodeandcorrodefromthecoolingwatersystem.Theamountsofthesematerials andtheirpotential environmental impactsshouldbedescribed inthissectionoftheenvironmental statement. RESPONSE6'numberofLakeOntariowaterqualityparameters

• "wereanalyzedinthevicinityofNineMilePointandintheUnit1coolingwaterdischarge during1972.Thesedatawerepresented inareportsubmitted totheNewYorkStateDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation inFebruary1973.(EffectofCirculating WaterSystemsonLakeOntarioWaterTemperature andAquaticBiology-NineMilePointUnit2,QLMProjectNo.191-9).Theminimumandmaximumvaluesofsixsamplescollected

~monthlyduringtheperiodApriltoNovember1972(MayandOctoberexcluded) andanalyzedforheavymetals,are.presented intheattachedtable.Evaluation ofthesevaluesindicates anegligible contribution oftheplanttolakewaterconcentrations ofheavymetals. NINEMILEPOINTHEAVYMETALSANALYSISLAKEONTARIOVICINITYOFNINEMILEPOINT30-footWaterDeth40-footWaterDethtlnit1uraceBottomurtaceBot'tonnta.eDxscareonosxte"*MininunHaxinunMinimumMaximumHininu=Max=nunMinimumMaximum.Mininu.=MaximumMininumMaxinumMinimumMaxinunBeryllium CadmiumChromiumCopperLeadMercuryVanadiumZincpg/1<15ug/1<112pg/1<15<15pg/1c2c2vg/1<2(164Vg/1<11"pg/1<<60<60Vg/1<2<<2<1<1<110<15clS<217<20<20<12<604291828<15<<20<60<215cl88clcl1<1353<6075222404<6024c217"cl'5353<6093528204<1414<17<lS<15<15<15c15<2<2c2c268c2c2<20<<20c20c2025<2050<15<2<20<602613<1513<20116'akenatscreonhouso discharge channel U.S~DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO~8)'olidWasteSstemSolidradioactive wastesthat'esultfromoperations ofUnit1aredescribed mainlybytheirgrosscharacter, asconcentrates, fromradwasteevaporators, spent.resinsandfiltersludge,paper,airfilters,rags,"andcontrolrods,fuelchannels, andcontaminated replacedequipment. "Theirtotalquantityisroughl'yestimated as11,000cubicfeetannually, withanactivityof2,700curies.However,thedraftstatement doesnot.specifythekindsofradionuclides, theirphysicalstates,ortheircon-centrations inthewastes,norhasthelocationplannedforoff-siteburialbeenidentified. Thisinformation shouldbepresented inthefinalenvironmental statement. Webelievethattheoffsitedisposaloftheoperational solidradioactive wastesfromtheNineMilePointNuclearPowerStationconstitutes animportant, long-term environmental impact.TheAECmustsatisfactorily solvetheproblemoftheseprolifer-atingoperational wastesfromallnuclearplants"beforetheypresentamajorproblem.Therefore, webelieveandstronglyrecommend thattheenvironmental statements forallreactors(including NineMilePointUnit1)shouldspecifythekindsofradionuclides, their,physicalstates,andtheirconcentrations inthewastes,andtheestimated totalvolumeofwastesfortheexpectedoperating lifeofthereactor.Additionally, ifan-environmental impactstatement hasnotbeenpreparedfortheproposedburialordisposalsite,orifsuchastatement doesnotfullyconsiderwastesofthenatureandquantityofthosegenerated attheNineMilePointStation,thenwebelieveitincumbent ontheAECtoincludeanevaluation ofthedisposalsiteinthisenvironmental statement. Webelievesuchanevaluation shoulddiscusstheFederalandStatelicensing provisions,

criteria, andresponsibilities forthesiteinconnection with:(1)determination ofthehydrogeologic suitability ofthesitetoisolatethewastesoftheNineMilePointStation(andanyotherwastesaccumulating orexpectedtoaccumulate atthesite)fromthebiosphere forspecificperiodsoftime;(2)anyremedialorregulatory actionsthatmightbenecessary throughout aspecificperiodoftimeinwhichallthewasteswillbehazardous.

~Weareawarethat"radioactive wastesotherthanhigh-level,"whichapparently'n'elude reactoroperational solidwastes,havebeendiscussed onpagesG-2throughG-9oftheAECdocument"Environmental SurveyoftheNuclearFuelCycle."Wedonotconsiderthosegeneralized descriptions ofthemanag'ement andthedisposalofthesewastesasbeingadequatetocovertheconcernsexpressed abovebecausethedescriptions onpagesG-2throughG-9andG-12throughG-14arenonspecific toaparticular siteandtotheparticular wastesbeingdisposed'here. Similarly, the RESPONSETOU.ST)DEPARTMENT OFINTERIOR(COMMENTNO.8)CONTINUED environmental consideration givenonpagesG-18throughG-21arenotspecifictoaparticular siteortoparticular wastes.RESPONSENocomment. U-STDEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO~9)ThermalStudiesThermaleffectsofcoolingwaterdischarged intoLakeOntarioshouldbeestimated forthecombinedeffectofoperation ofbothadjoining powerplants.Dataavailable frominfraredradiometer measurements shouldbeincluded. Thistypeofdatahasbeenpublished inthefinalenviron-mentalstatement fortheFitzPatrick Plant.Wealsorecommend thattheapplicant utilizeremotesensordata.inmonitoring thethermalplumedurtotheextensive areaandthecomplex-itiesinvolvedwhenseverallargewasteheatsourcesareoperating inasmallarea.Fieldtemperature surveysofthethermalplumeresulting fromtheoperation ofUnit1farexceedwater-qualitystandards. Throughout earlierreportsonthisplant,weareassuredthroughmathematical andhydraulic modeltestresultsthattherewillbenothermalproblems, Previously, wequestioned theresultsofthesestudiesandstatedthatalternatives shouldbeconsidered. TheAECinthisdraftrespondswiththestatement givenonpage5-11."Theapplicability ofStateandFederalWaterQualitycriteriarelatedtothethermaldischarge forUnit1'isuncertain. However,itshouldbenotedthatnoadverseeffect,ontheaquaticbiotaduetothethermaldischarge isexpected." WebelievetheNewYorkStatestandardof3degreesFahrenheit in6.5acresistoorestrictive; butevenifitwere5degreesFahrenheit, theheatedwaterdischarge fromthisunitwouldexceedthestandard. Eventhoughthisdraft.statement coversUnit1,itshouldrecognize thatthefutureoperation ofUnit2inaonce-through modewillalmosttriplethewasteheatfromthisplantcomparedtoUnit1alone.Thisfactoralonerequiresseriousconsideration ofalternative coolingmethods.Itisindicated onpage'9-15 thatnosignificant dis-advantage oftheexistingdischarge systemhasbeenidentified. TheAECstaffbelievesthatmodification oftheexistingsystemisnotjustified atthistimeevenwiththeplannedadditionofUnit2withaonce-through coolingsystem.Sinceacomprehen-siveevaluation oftheexpectedthermalplumesfromboth'units andfromtheneighboring JamesA.FitzPatrick Planthasbeenperformed, wefindnobasistoconcludethatthesethreeunitscansafelyoperatewithonce-through coolingat.thissite. RESPONSETOU.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO.9)DataarerecordedfortheUnit1discharge onpages5-4and5-.5oftheDraftEnvironmental Statement whichsupple-mentthedatapresented intheFitzPatrick FinalEnvironmental Statement. Theenvironmental monitoring programforNineMilePointUnit1andFitzPatrick asoutlinedintheEnvironmental Technical Specifications willprovideadditional data'ontheNineMilePointUnit1plume.Interpretation oftheNineMilePointUnit1plumerelativetoNewYorkStatecriteriaandstandards requiresanJunderstanding ofthelegalhistory.of'heNew'YorkStatecriter'ia. WhenNineMilePointUnit1wasconstructed, regulations restricted discharge ofheatedliquidsbythefollowing specifications: "Nonealoneorincombination withothersubstances 'or,wastesinsuffic.-ientamountsoratsuchtemperatures astobeinjurious tofishlife,makethewatersunsafeorunsuitable asasourceofwatersupplyfordrinking, culinaryorfoodprocessing purposesorimpairthewatersforanyotherbestusageasdetermined forthespecificwaterswhichareassignedtothisclass."TheUnit'1discharge systemhasbeenconstructed tomeetthestandardandcontinues tomeetthat,standardasdocumented bythestudieswhichhavebeencompleted nearthesite.Thecriteriapromulgated byNewYorkStatein1969addedadditional thermalcriteriatoapplyanumerical basisfor'the C-20RESPONSETO.U.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COISKNTNO.9)DataarerecordedfortheUnit1discharge onpages5-4and5-,5oftheDraftEnvironmental Statement whichsupple-mentthedatapresented intheFitzPatrick FinalEnvironmental Statement. Theenvironmental monitoring programforNineMilePointUnit1andFitzPatrick asoutlinedintheEnvironmental Technical Specifications willprovideadditional dataontheNineMilePointUnit1plume.Interpretation oftheNineMilePointUnit.1plumerelativetoNewYorkStatecriteriaandstandards requiresanunderstanding ofthelegalhistoryoftheNewYorkStatecriteria. WhenNineMile.PointUnit1wasconstructed, regulations restricted discharge ofheated.liquidsbythefollowing specifications: "None'aloneorincombination withothersubstances orwastesin'suffic-ientamountsoratsuchtemperatures astobeinjurious tofishlife,makethewatersunsafeorunsuitable asasourceofwatersupplyfordrinking, culinaryorfoodprocessing purposesorimpairthewatersforanyotherbestusageasdetermined forthespecificwaterswhichareassignedtothisclass."TheUnit1discharge systemhasbeenconstructed tomeetthestandardandcontinues tomeetthatstandardasdocumented bythestudieswhichhavebeencompleted nearthesite.Thecriteriapromulgated byNewYorkStatein1969addedadditional thermalcriteriatoapplyanumerical basisforthe RESPONSES TOU.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO-9)CONTINUED standardcitedabove.Section704.4oftheNewYorkCodesRulesandRegulations describes "ExtentofApplicability ofCriteriatoExistingDischarges: Indetermining whetheranydischarge existingpriortotheadoptionoftheaboveVcriteriacomplieswiththeapplicable standardforthermaldischarges, ...thesecriteriaareintendedtobyonlyaframeofreference." Thus,itisconcluded thattheUnit1thermaldischarge doesnot"farexceedwaterqualitystandards" butrathercomplieswiththeapplicable regulations. TheApplicant hasinvestigated andevaluated altern-ativecoolingsystemsforNineMilePointUnit1intheNineMile1Environmental ReportSection9.5.Similarly alternatives toacombinedoncethroughcoolingsystemwereevaluated intheNineMilePointUnit2Applicant's Environemntal Report,Section8.5.ItshouldalsobenotedthattheNineMilePointUnit1discharge willbecombinedwiththeplannedUnit2discharge andthatalltheevaluations fortheUnit2atitsConstruction StagehearingincludedcombinedeffectswithNineMilePointUnit1inoperation. Thecontinued operation oftheUnit1discharge systemiscontingent uponcompletion oftheUnit2discharge systemandhencedoesnotrepresent apermanent, continuing operation config-uration. C-22U.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERXOR(COMMENTNO.10)I'ransmission LineEnvironsTheuseofherbicides fortransmission. linemain-tenanceisbrieflydiscussed. Sincenospecificherbicides areindicated, thefollowing languageshouldbeaddedto'th'issection,'"Xtisessential thata'llherbicides, pesticides, andrelatedchemicals" mustberegistered inaccordance with'P.L.92-516,TheFederalXnsecticide, Fungicide andRodenticide Act.Application shouldbeaccomplished inamannerfullyconsistent withtheprotection oftheentireenvironment. Anycontemplative useofthesechemicals mustconsiderbothknownandpossibleenvironment effects.Theapplicant shouldconsultwiththeEnvironmental Protection Agency,theDirectoroftheStateConservation Agency,theCountyAgentandthenearestofficeoftheBureauofSportFisheries andWildlifewhenchemicalvegetation andpestcontroliscontemplated. Suchcontactshouldbemadeearlyintheplanningsothataccept-ablechemicals andmethodsofapplication knowntobemosteffective canbeusedwiththerecommendations oftheconcerned agency."RESPONSENocomment. U.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO.11)EffectsOnAuaticEnvironment .a.'able5.1.2containsdataonstudiesconducted duringJune1972throughJanuary1973.Acomparison ofthistablewithtablesthatwereincludedintheenviron-mentalstatement forNineMilePointNuclearStationUnit2,indicatethatdatacollected priortoJuneweredeletedfromthistable.Datawereincludedonwinterperiodswhichwouldbiastheinformation presented onimpingement. Webelievethat,allavailable information shouldbeincludedtodescribefishimpingement. b.Aspreviously indicated, consideration shouldbegiventotheeffectsofincreased temperature onthereprod-uctioncapabilities ofvariousfishspecies,including thatofyellowperchwhicharereferredtointhissection.Althoughspeciessuchastheyellowperchmaybeattracted tohighertemperatures, theresulting effectsmayincludereducedreproduction success.Also,.itshouldbeindicated thatdatafromtheConsumer's PowerCompany's reportindicates thatSteelhead Trout,LakeTrout,Coho,andChinookSalmondooccurintheareaofpowerplantintakesandthermaldis-chargesandaresubjecttoimpingement. Thepotential impactsuponFederalandStatesponsored programstoestablish thesespeciesinLakeOntarioshouldbeconsidered. c.Onpage5-38ofthissectionreference ismadeto6degreesFahrenheit isothermextending alongabout1mileofshoreline. Onpage5-3itisindicated thatthe5degreesFahrenheit isothermextendsalongabout2milesofshoreline. Duringperiodsofwarmernaturallakewatertemperatures, atemperature risemuchlessthan5or6degreesFahrenheit mayinihitfishmovement, anddiscourage fishfromenteringimport-antshallowwaterzones.Also,potential impactsofsinkingplumesonfishesandfishreproduction potential shouldbementioned inthissection.d.Indiscussing theenvironmental impactofplantoperation onfish,plankton, benthos,andvariousaquaticorganisms, itshould,berecognized thatLakeOntarioisina"-~stateofecological change.This.changeisaresultofthecumulative impactofman"sactivities onthelakeandfromrecent'introduction ofexoticfishspecieswhichcompete'iththe.previously established fishpopulations. Theseconsiderations shouldbereflected inanticipating theenvir-onmentalimpactsofthisdevelopment onthesystemingeneral. U.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO-ll)CONTINUED e.Therelationship ofdecomposing organicmaterials tothedissolved. oxygenconcentrations inthewatershouldbedescribed. Encouraging oraccelerating thegrowthandreproduction ofattachedplantsmaycompoundproblemswhicharepresently occurring withtheoxygenconcentrations inthewater.Thissectionshoulddiscusstheseaspectsoftheplan't'soperational impacts.RESPONSEa.Foracompleterecordoffishimpingement datacollected atNineMilePoint.Unit1throughAugust31,1973,.refertoExhibit3b,(AECDocketNo.50-410)NineMilePointUnit2PublicHearings., ThisdocumentisareportwrittenforNineMilePointUnit2onthesubjectoftheeffectoffishimpingement atthissiteonthefishpopulations ofLakeOntario.b.RefertoApplicant's responsetoCommentNo.2oftheU.S.Department ofCommerce, submitted totheAEConOctober31,1973.c.RefertoApplicant's responsetoCommentNo.11oftheU.S.Department ofCommerce, submitted totheAEConOctober31,1973.d.Assumingalewivesareconsidered as"exoticspecies"inLakeOntario,theywereprobablyabletoestablish themselves (since1860,approximately) becauseendemicpiscivores, suchasLakeTrout,andAtlanticSalmon,etc.,werealreadyindecline. C-25RESPONSETOU.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO.11)CONTINUED Itisalsoprobablethatthealewifecompeteswithendemicplanktivores formostzooplanktonic crustacea. Documentation offcedinghabitsofsmelt(established intheGreatLakes191S,approximately) showscompetition with,andpredation uponCyprinids (e.g.,EmeraldShiner)anditself.CohoSalmon(established 1968,approximately) arepartially fillingthegapleftbydepletedLakeTroutandAtlanticSalmonpopulations. e.Continuing measurements ofdissolved oxygenintheLakeoffNineMilePointshowconsistently highvalues,oftenabovesaturation. C-26U.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(CONYiENT NO.12)Environmental Monitorin ProramTheNiagaraMohawkPowerCompanyhasconducted amonitoring programintheNineMilePointareasince1963.TheAECstaffbelievesthatstudies,astheyhavebeenpro-posedandarebeingconducted bytheapplicant, willnotprovideinformation adequatetoassesstheoperational effectsofthe.stationonthebiota.For-example,'he collection ofthedatafromJuly1963'hrough December1969.wasinfrequent. OnlysinceMay1970hastheapplicant. collected dataonfishdistribution andfoodpreferences offishandbenthoswithsomecontinuity. Samplingandobserv-ationofplanktonfromtheintakedischarge wellsofUnit1duringJune-October 1971provideneitherestimates ofplanktonabundance intheareanorabaseforreasonable assessment ofdamageduetoentrainment. Samplingoflakewaterfortheusualchemicalandphysicalparameters isentirelywanting.Basedonlimitedsamplinginformation, itisapparentthatNineMilePoint,NuclearStationUnit1,hascauseddamagestofisheryresources. Continued operation ofthe.Unitmaycauseunacceptable lossestolocalfishpopulations. Itshouldbenotedthatwiththeexception ofthelimitsontotaldissolved solids,phosphate concentrations indischarge sewageandthethermalplumesize,theplantconformstowaterqualitystandards. Webelievethattheapplicant shouldberequiredtoconformtoexistingstandards andtoadoptpro-cedureswhichwouldrequiretheenvironmental impactoftheplantoperation ontheresources ofthelake.AsaresultoftheLakeMichiganEnforcement, Con-ference,specificguidelines arebeingdeveloped forstudiestodetermine theenvironmental impactofpowerplantcoolingonLakeMichigan. Itisanticipated thatadraftoutlineofguidelines willbeavailable byNovember1973.Sincetheecology.ofLakeMichiganandLakeOntarioaresimilar,tech-niquesandstudiesthat,aresuitableforLakeMichiganmaybeadaptable forLakeOntario.Weencourage theAECstafftomakeuse.oftheseguidelines indeveloping anyfutureplansforstudyofthermaldischarges into.LakeOntario.Itissuggested thatthethermalmonitoring programbemodified'to includetechniques developed inconjunction withtheSurryNuclearPowerStationontheJamesRiver,.'irginia. Thesestudiesshouldbedesignedandconducted todetermine theimpactsofonce-through coolingintheNineMilePointarea. C-27.U.STDEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO~12)RESPONSETheApplicant's AquaticMonitoring Programisdescribed intheresponsetoDepartment ofCommerceCommentNo.12submitted totheAECOctober31,1973.Similarresponses toquestions ondissolved solids,phosphate concentrations andthermalplumesizewerealsosubmitted totheAEConthatdateinresponses toEnvironmental Protection AgencyCommentNo.H-l,DepaxtmentofHealth,Education andWelfareComment,No.5andDepartment ofHealth,Education andWelfareCommentNo.4;respectively. TheApplicant's presentthermalplumemappingprogramconsistsoftentofifteensurveysayeapundervary-ingweatherconditions. Threedimensional (surfaceanddepth)surveysareperformed fromaboattraversing theplumeareausingshoremountedgridmarkersforboatlocationduringsurveyperformance. Temperature dataisreducedandplottedtodefineisotherms withdepthtothenearest0.5'F.Anymonitoring devicesthatrequirepermanent install-ationsinthispart.ofLakeOntarioareliabletoheavydamage.Ontheonehand.,theLakeissubjecttoverysuddenincreas'es .inwavemotion,whichplace.considerable strainsonanyanchored'device.Ontheotherhand,theNineMilePlaintpromontory isanareaofheavyiceaction,whichcandislodgethemostmassiveofanchorslocatedinthewaterdepthofinterest, i.e.,downtoabout30feet. C-28U.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHEXNTERXOR(COMMENTNO.13)Nonradiolo icalEffectsonEcoloicalSstemsTheconcernforthepossibleimpactsonfishandotheraquaticlifeasaresultofthemaximumintakevelocityof2fpsisindicated onpage5-34.Nesharethisconcernsincetheapplicant hasnotshownthatfishlosseswillbeloweRESPONSERefertoApplicant's responsetoU.S.Department ofCommerceCommentNo.2andNewYorkStateDepartment ofEnvironmental Conservation CommentNo.l. C-29USTDEPARTMENT OFTHEXNTERZOR(COllMENT NO.14)Environmental XmactofPostulated Accidents Thissectioncontainsanadequateevaluation ofimpactsresulting fromplantaccidents throughclass8forairborneemissions. However,theenvironmental effectsofreleasestowaterislacking.Manyofthesepostulated accidents listedintables7.1and7.2couldresultin'eleasestoLakeOntarioandshouldbeevaluated. Wealsothinkthat,class9accidents resulting inbothairandwaterreleasesshouldbedescribed andtheimpactsonhumanlifeandtheremaining environment dis-cussedaslongasthereisanypossibility ofoccurrence. Theconsequences ofanaccidentofthisseveritycouldhavefarreaching effectsonlandandinLakeOntariowhichcouldpersistforcenturies affecting millionsofpeople.RESPONSEPostulated accidents whichcouldresultinliquidreleasestoLakeOntariohavebeendiscussed andevaluated inSection6,pages6.3-1and6.8-5oftheApplicant's Environ-mentalReport. C-30U.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHEINTERIOR(COMMENTNO.15)Alternative EnerSourcesTheexpectedemissions fromalternative oil-fired andcoal-fired powerplantsgivenonpage9-4aremisleading. Modernwell-operated centralstationsdischarge muchsmalleramounts.ofcarbonmonoxides andhydrocarbons thanshown,sincecombustion iscompleteexceptforsmallamountsofunburnedcarboninflyashandbottomashincoal-fired plants.IRESPONSENocomment. U-.S.DEPARTMENT OFTFIEINTERIOR(COY84ENT NO.16)Environmental CostAlthoughthetotaleconomiclosses.oftheproposedactionaredifficult toestimatetherearedataandmaterials available whichcanbeusedtodetermine, thereplacement costsofresources. Forexample,thepollution committee oftheAmericanFisheries Society,SouthernDivision, in1970estim-atedthemonetaryvalueoffishbasedontheirreplacement cost.Variousstates,including NewYork,MarylandandWashington havedeveloped criteriaforevaluating fishkilldamagesandcomput-ingfishkilldamageclaims.WebelievethestaffoftheAECshouldbeawareofthesecriteriaandwheneverpossibletheyshouldbeusedtodetermine economicorreplacement costforfish.Inaddition, webelievethattheimpactsofthisproposedactionshouldnotberelatedtoentirelakealonebutshouldalsobecomparedtotheproduction ofthelocalarea..RESPONSENocomment. t}}