ML033640591

Unusual Fish Impingement - December 2003

ML033640591
Person / Time
Site:	Seabrook
Issue date:	12/23/2003
From:	Peschel J Florida Power & Light Energy Seabrook
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Environmental Protection Agency
References
NH0020338, NYE-03031
Download: ML033640591 (6)

Text

0s FPL Energy FPL Energy Seabrook Station P.O. Box30D Seabrook, NH 03874 Seabrook Station (603) 773-7000 December 23, 2003 NPDES Permit No. NH0020338 NYE-03031 Environmental Protection Agency NPDES Program Operation Section P.O. Box 8127 Boston, MA 02114 Seabrook Station Unusual Fish Impingement - December 2003 FPL Energy Seabrook, LLC, provides the enclosed report [Enclosure] of an unusual fish impingement on Seabrook Station's intake travelling screens in accordance with Part I.A.24.e of the referenced NPDES Permit. It is estimated that approximately 50,000 fish were impinged during the two-week period from December 6-18, 2003 as a result of a series of strong coastal storms. This report is submitted due to the number of fish impinged during the storms being greater than a typical year's impingement totals.

Telephone notifications were made to the Environmental Protection Agency and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services on December 22, 2003 in accordance with the NPDES Permit Part I.A.24.e.1 If you have questions on this matter, please call Allen Legendre, Enviromnental Compliance Supervisor at (603) 773-7773.

Very truly yours, FPL Energy Seabrook, LLC James ,esch Regulff Programs Manager Notification of an unusual number of fish impinged at Seabrook Station, telephone notification to J.

Hilton (EPA) and T. Croteau (NHDES) on December 22, 2003 an FPL Group company

i Environmental Protection Agency NYE-03031/ Page 2 I certify under penalty of law that this document and all attachments were prepared under my direction or supervision in accordance with a system designed to assure that qualified personnel properly gather and evaluate the information submitted. Based on my inquiry of the person or persons who manage the system, or those persons directly responsible for gathering the information, the information submitted is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, true, accurate, and complete. I am aware that there are significant penalties for submitting false information, including the possibility of fine and imprisonment for knowing violations.

EvoLegntalC Environmental Compliance Supervisor

Environmental Protection Agency NYE-03031 / Page 3 cc (with enclosures):

New Hampshire Department of Environmental Mr. Hubert J. Miller Services (NHDES) Water Division Regional Administrator - Region 1 Wastewater Engineering Bureau U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 29 Hazen Drive, P.O. Box 95 475 Allendale Road Concord, New Hampshire 03302-0095 King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415 United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission V. Nerses, Project Manager Attention: Document Control Desk Mail Stop 8B-1, Division of Licensing Washington, DC 20555-0001 Project Management U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission G.T. Dentel, 11555 Rockville Pike NRC Senior Resident Inspector, (49-NR) Rockville, Maryland 20852 SEABROOK ECOLOGICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Mr. Jeffrey Andrews NH Dept. of Environmental Services Dr. John Tietjen, Chairman 29 Hazen Drive 134 Palisade Avenue Concord, NH 03302 Leonia, NJ 07605 Mr. Robert Estabrook Dr. W. Huntting Howell NH Dept. of Environmental Services 12 James Farm 29 Hazen Drive Lee, NH 03824 Concord, NH 03302 Mr. John Nelson Dr. Saul Saila NH Fish and Game Department 317 Switch Road 225 Main Street Hope Valley, RI 02832 Durham, NH 03824 Dr. Clare McBane Dr. Bernard J. McAlice NH Fish and Game Department 270 Foster Road 225 Main Street Round Pond, ME 04564 Durham, NH 03824 Mr. Damien Houlihan Dr. Robert Wilce U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 221 Morrill Science Center I Congress Street, Suite 1100 University of Massachusetts Boston, MA 02114-2023 Amherst, MA 01003 Mr. Jack Paar NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES Ecosystems Assessment U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Mr. Paul Geoghegan 11 Technology Drive Normandeau Associates, Inc.

North Chelmsford, MA 01863-2431 25 Nashua Road Bedford, NH 03110 Mr. Mike Johnson National Marine Fisheries Service One Blackburn Drive Gloucester, MA 01930

ENCLOSURE TO NYE-03031 Seabrook Station Unusual Fish Impingement - December 2003 Seabrook Station's NPDES Permit Part I.A.24.e specifies that the following five topics be addressed in this report.

1. The species, sizes, and approximate number of fish involved in the incident.

An estimated 50,000 fish were impinged during the referenced period. Identified below are the 10 species that constitute about 98 per cent of the fish impinged, their size and approximate number. The majority of these fish are demersal fish with the exception of Atlantic silverside, which was the most common fish impinged.

Species Size Range (length) Approximate Number Atlantic silverside most < 4 inches 19,000 Winter flounder most < 6 inches 8,300 Windowpane flounder most < 5 inches 4,100 Shorthorn sculpin most < 4 inches 4,000 Sand lance most < 6 inches 3,000 Atlantic cod most < 6 inches 2,600 Rainbow smelt most < 6 inches 2,800 Rock gunnel most < 5 inches 2,700 Three-spine stickleback < 3 inches 1,400 Grubby sculpin < 4 inches 1,200 The biomass of the fish impinged was relatively small as noted by the volume of the 5,200 fish identified during a December 16, 2003 impingement assessment being less than five gallons. The small size and biomass of these fish were representative of the size of the other fish during the December 6-18, 2003 unusual impingement period.

Additional adult equivalency information on the key species impinged will be included in the 2003 Seabrook Station Environmental Monitoring Report.

2. The time, date, and duration of the occurrence.

The high fish impingement event occurred during the December 6-18, 2003 coastal storms.

Fish impingement decreased substantially after December 18, 2003.

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3. The operating mode of the station at the time of the occurrence.

Seabrook Station was operating at 100 per cent power during the period of the unusually high fish impingement.

4. The opinion of the permittee as to the cause of the incident.

Continuous rough ocean conditions and high winds caused by a series of strong coastal storms are believed to be the cause of the unusual fish impingement event. These oceanic and atmospheric conditions apparently made these fish more susceptible to being drawn into Seabrook Station's offshore intake structures.

5. The remedial action that the permittee will undertake to prevent a recurrence of the incident.

Because the high impingement event was due to weather-related conditions, there are no specific corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

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