ML18086B145

Response to NRC Questions Re Endangered & Threatened Species of Sea Turtles Collected at Salem Nuclear Generating Station in 1981.

ML18086B145
Person / Time
Site:	Salem
Issue date:	12/03/1981
From:	Schuler V ICHTHYOLOGICAL ASSOCIATES, INC.
To:
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ML18086B144	List: ML18086B143 ML18086B145
References
NUDOCS 8112220228
Download: ML18086B145 (11)

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Response to NRC Questions Concerning Endangered and Threatened Species of Sea Turtles Collected at the Salem Nuclear Generating Station in 1981, DOcket NOSo 50-272, 50-311.

Prepared for Public Service Elettric and Gas Company 80 Park Plaza Newark, New Jersey 07101 By Harold M. Brundage III and Paul C. Kerkhoven Ichthyological Associates, Inc.

100 south Cass Street Middletown, Delaware 19709 December 3, 1981 Vic r, M.S.

tor Ichthyological Associates, Inc.

Ithaca, New York 14850 811 c:;.c:..

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PDR ADOCK PDR p - -

-- 1 Question 1:

Indicate the time, location (include intake cell number),

condition and manner of collection of the specimens.

Particular attention should be directed towards describing how and where the specimens were. found, collected, and the condition of the specimens at the time of collection.

Response 1:

Atlantic loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta (3 specimens)

Specimen A - found 3 September 1981, at 1400 hrs, on the

• outboard trash bars, Circulating Water System (CWS) intake cell llB. The turtle was initially observed positioned head down against the trash bars by a PSE&G intake operator who subsequently notified the

• Ichthyological Associates' (IA) biologists on duty.

The operator and the biologists recovered the turtle with the trash bar rake. The specimen was alive and appeared to be in excell~nt condition. It had some minor abrasions on its plastron and barnacles attached to its carapace.

• Specimen B - found 8 September 1981, at 0900 hrs, in a trash basket which receives material removed from the outboard trash bars, by a PSE&G intake operator. The intake cel1 at which the turtle was ori~inally impinged could not be determined. The specimen was dead; there were no external signs*of trauma except for a small abrasion on its carapace.

Specimen C - found by an IA biologist in the north fish pool building on 14 September 1981 at 0830 hrs. The specimen had been removed from the outboard trash bars between 0600 hrs, 13 September and 0830 hrs, 14 September by. a PSE&G intake operator and placed in the

.north fish pool building for processing by IA biologists. The intake cell at which the turtle was o~iginally impinged could not *be determined. The specimen was dead; there were no external signs of trauma.

Kemp's Atlantic Ridley turtle, Lepidochelys kempii One specimen - found i3 Septembei 1981, at 1400 hrs on the outboard trash bars, CWS intake cell 12A, by a PSE&G intake operator. The specimen was dead, moderately decomposed, and had a large fracture of *the carapace.

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2 Question 2:

Indicate the position and qualifications of the individuals

• who provided the description and.identification of the specimens.

Response 2:

All specimens were identified with the aid of a pictorial key (see attachment) by IA research biologists assigned to the Salem station to conduct impingement and entrainment sampling.. Identification of Atlantic loggerheads B *and C, and the Kemps' Ridley was confirmed by Mr. Robert Schoelkopf, Director of the Maririe Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC), Atlantic City, New Jersey, and a sea turtle specialist.

Question 3:

I ... Indicate the conditions under which the specimens were kept while under the control of the licensee or his consultants and the disposition of the specimens.

Response 3:

Atlantic loggerhead A: this live specimen was retained for approximately is min in the north fish pool which was filled with ca. 1 ft of water until transport~tion via a PSE&G.

vehicle could be arranged. The turtle was subseque~tly released from the beach area east of Sunken* Ship Cove and was seen to swim away~vigorously. *

• Atlantic loggerhead B: this dead specimen was injected with 10 percent formalin and held in a 55-gal drum until it was removed from Salem on 9 September 1981, at 1200 hrs, by Mr~

Robert Schoelkopf of the MMSC to be autopsied.

Atlantic loggerhead C: this dead specimen was held in the north fish pool building until it was removed on 14 September, at 1215 hrs, by Robert Schoelkopf ** The specimen was not injected with formalin at the request of Mr.

Schoelkopf.

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• e 3 Kemp's Atlantic Ridley: this dead specimen was held on the outboard deck of the intake structure until it was removed on 23 September 1981, at 1530 hrs, by Mr. Frank Hunsberger, of the MMSC. The specimen was not injected with formalin.

Question 4:

Provide the results of the autopsies performed by the Marine Mammal Stranding Center on the three specimens found dead.

Response 4:

Atlantic loggerhead B: -the apparent cause of death was 1

perforation of the large intestine caused by blue crab.

~hells. *rn conducting the autopsy Mr. Schoelkopf noted an 11 C temperature difference between superficial muscles and the* pelvic cavity. He infered that the turtle may have been

~icked up by a fishing boat, held in cold storage or a freezer, and subsequently disposed of in Delaware Bay~

Liver tissue contained < 0.25 ppm mercury, an average value for sea *turtles in New Jersey waters.

Atlantic loggerhead C: drowning was the apparent cause of death. Mr. Schoelkopf determined tha~ the turtle had been dead approximately three days prior to being recovered.

Since the trash bars were then being cleaned a minimum of once per day and frequently once per shift (i.e., three times per day) it is virtually certain that the specimen was dead _prior to being impinged. Liver tissue contained 1.4 ppm mercury, .a very high value for sea turtles in New Jersey waters. _

• Kemp's Atlantic Ridley: a large fracture of the carapace, probably a propeller blade wound, was the apparent cause of death. The turtle was moderately decomposed, precluding tissue mercury determination.

Question 5:

Provide all descriptive measurements made of the specimens.

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. "\ . 4 Response 5:

Carapace Carapace length width Weight*

Species (mm) (mm) (kg) Sex Atlantic loggerhead A 464 415 Atlantic loggerhead B 575 515 27.2 F Atlantic loggerhead c 535 31.8 F Kemp's Atlantic Ridley 325 290 5.9 Question 6:

Provide any historical records of these two species of turtle either taken at the station or collected during monitoring programs. Provide an estimate of anticipated frequency of collection of these species or an index of relative abundance.

Response 6:

One Atlantic loggerhead and one Kemp's Atlantic Ridley were taken* at *the Salem CWS intake during 1980. Three Atlantic loggerheads were taken by IA in field studies; one in each of the years 1979, 1980, and 1981. Details of these captures are given in~Table 1 (attached) *

. The Salem Nuclear Generating Station has been operational since December 1976 and impingement studies have been conducted since April 1977. No sea turtles were taken at Salem during 1977, 1978, or 1979; two were taken during*

1980; and four were taken during 1981. Based on this

-historical occurrence, the expect~d *collection frequency at Salem would be on the order of zero to four turtles per year.

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Question f!/:

Provide the station power level, delta T temperature across the condensers, intake water temperature, and intake flow rate at the time the specimens were first observed on the trash bars.

Response 7:

Required data are presented in Table 2.

Question 8:

Describe any additional programs or efforts on the part of station personnel instituted since the first sea turtles were collected that are designed to find, handle, and dis-pose of captured turtles both alive or dead.

Response 8:

Since the first sea turtles were collected, several programs have been instituted to ensure prompt recovery and proper handling of sea turtles fou_nd at_Sg,lem. . . ______ _

1) The capture of a threatened or endangered species is considered a formal reportable environmental event re-quiring notification of the PSE&G Manaqer of Licensing and Analysis, written documentation of the event, and dialogue between PSE&G and its environmental consultant (IA) regarding the signifiance of the event (see Envi-ronmental Events Reporting Procedures - Salem 1 & 2).

Moreover, station operating personnel are required by the EERP to bring to the attention of IA biologists any unique or interesting fish or animals observed or found dead at the station. ~=

In addition to this formal requirement, IA biologists on-station have developed a good working relationship with, and an awareness of environmental concerns among, PSE&G intake operators who notify the biologists of unusual organisms removed from the outboard trash bars or found in the troughs.

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6

2) In August 1980, arrangements were made to allow IA biologists access to a Salem Station vehicle to transport live sea turtles to a release location far from the influence of the circulating or service water intakes. This procedure was invoked on 3 September 1981 to transport a live loggerhead turtle off~site.

3) In September 1981 the station instituted a policy of cleaning *the outboard trash bars a minimum of once per day during late summer and fall regardless of debris load. In actuality, the trash bars were often cleaned once per shift (i.e., three times per day). This frequent cleaning allowed more precise determination of the time a turtle became impinged on the trash bars and

_increased the probability of detecting live sea turtles on a timely basiso *

4) In September 1981 arrangements were made for the Marine Mammal Stranding.Center (MMSC) of Atlantic City, New Jersey, to remove all live or dead sea turtles recovered at Salem~ Mro Robert Schoelkopf, Director of MMSC, is an agent of the National Marine Fisheries Service authorized to possess, tran~port, and/or medically treat sea turtles.

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Table 1 Capture of Atl.intic: loggerhead and Kemp'11 Atlantic.Ridley sea turtl,es during Salem ll6(b) field studies, 1979-1981 and on-station studies, 1980.

Listed Species Statue Date Location. Method of CaPture Condition Disposition Atlantic loggerhead T 8/23/79 Del. Bay near 14 ft 4.9-m bottom trawl Live released unharmed Bank (RM 15)

Atlantic loggerhead ~ 7/11/80 Salem Nuclear CWS outboard trash Dead Specimen shipped to Generating Station bar rH2A Dr. R. Woelke at URI for autopsy.

As per instructions from D. Beach,, NMFS.

Kemp's Atlantlc E 8/11/80 Salem Nuclear CWS outboard trash Live released unharmed Ridley* Generating Station bar '13A Atlantic loggerhead T *9/02/80 Del. Bay near Egg 4.9-m bottOll trawl* Live released unharmed Island Point Atlantic loggerhead T 6/30/U 200 yds off shore. Found floating near. Dead -* left where found near Ray's Ditch. shore DE {RM SO)

T

• thre11tened Jf

• endanger~d I.A. Research/Consulting

• 8 J v Table 2 Salem Nuclear Generating Station operation parameters at times of sea turtle collection during 1981.

s.ept. 3 Sept. 8 Sept. 14 Sept. 23 Day average daily power level (MWe net)

Unit I 931 970 895 997 Unit II 0 983 1028 0 Intake water temperature (Avgo 0 c .

)

Unit I 25.4 24.4 25.5 21.0

. Unit II 24.6 24.0 25.0 21.9 Delta T (Avg. oc)

Unit I 10.6 12.25 8.30 9.93 Unit II 1.72 12.32 10.32 2.28 In3ake flow rate (m .f sec)

Unit I 81.9 46.8 70.2 58.5 Unit II 0 58.5 58.5 0 I.A.* Research/Consulting

J

~EA RIDLEY HAWKSBILL LOGGERHEAD . GREEN LEATHER BACK J.'

HEAD 9**

Figure by R. G. Howells. BRIDGE From: Brundage, H. M. (in press). The sea turtles of Delaware. Delaware conservationist (not to be rep~odu~ed ~ithout permission.of author).

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c.

RIDLEY HAWKS BILL LOGGERHEAD GREEN LEATHER.BACK TYo pair Two pair of Two pair of One pair of Large number of of plates plates between plates between plates between small scales on between eyes. Four eyes. Three eyes and four h~ad and carapace eyes. Four large bridge large bridge large bridge of young; absent bridge plates plates. Carapace plates. Carapace plates. Carapace in adults. Carapace (count large brown, red-brown reddi~h-brown olive to brown brackish or dark bridge plates to yellow and (mahogany) and and somewhat olive-brown. Carapace only). Carapace hear.t-ahaped. heart-shaped. roundedo of adults has seven

• grey and almost Shoulder plates Has .. extra .. pair

• Shoulder plates longitudinal ridges circular. Has separated from of shoulder separated fro111 and plastron * *

.. extra" pair neck plateo plates touching neck plate., (underside) has W of shoulder neck plateso five ridges.,

plates touching neck plate.

From: Brundage;* H. M. (in press). ~he sea turtles of Delaware. Delaware Conservationist (not to be reproduced without permission of author).

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