ML20085G567

AOs Bf EAO-732W Through 735W Re Shad Minnows & Other Fish Impinged on Intake Screens on 730809-14.Caused by Seasonal Concentrations of Young Shad & Incomplete Const of Intake Control Structure

ML20085G567
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	08/17/1973
From:	Watson J TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
To:	Moseley N NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
Shared Package
ML20085G549	List: ML20085G567 ML20085G583
References
BF-EAO-732W, BF-EAO-733W, BF-EAO-734W, BF-EAO-735W, NUDOCS 8308290146
Download: ML20085G567 (3)

Text

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Mr. Norman C. Moseley, Director -

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Subject:

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY - BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT UNIT 1 - DOCKET No. 50-259 - FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE DPR ENVIRom! ENTAL ABNOR!!AL OCCURRENCE REPORT BF EAO-732W, -733W, -734W, and -735W The purpose of this report is to provide details concerning several incidents of a similar nature which occurred on August 9 through August 14, when a number of shad minnows and other fish were killed when impinged on the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant unit 1 intake screens.

This report is required by section 4.1.2(f) of our environmental technical specifications.

These incidents were reported to the Region II Regulatory Operations Office by telephone within a short time after each occurrence.

Each of these incidents occurred while washing the circulating water pump traveling screens at the pumping station. Norm:lly, the screens are washed at least once a day, but on August 9 the screens were not washed for a period of approximately 35 hours4.050926e-4 days <br />0.00972 hours <br />5.787037e-5 weeks <br />1.33175e-5 months <br /> in anticipation of the arrival of a TVA biologist to observe and collect first-hand infornation.

The table below shows the fish kill estimates for these incidents. In each case, the shad minnows impinned were generally from 1 to 2 inches long and the other species observed were primarily drum. The total number of fish impinged was estimated,by observing the number impinged on one intake screen and nultiplying that count by the number of intake screens on the circulating pumps which were in operation.

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O Mr. Norman C. !!oseley August 17, 1973 FISil IMpINCDfENT ESTI? FATES Other Date SM Species Totals August 9 2,100 120 2,220 August 10 64 128 192 August 11 184 108 292 August 12 480 148 628 August 13 2,136 516 2,652 August 14 5,408 96 5,504 This and similar previous events reported earlier in BF EAO-731W are jt.dged to result from seasonal concentrations of young shad, the schooling behavior of the species, and the inconplete construction of the intake control structure. We feel that the size of a typical school of young shad exceeds 1,000. Therefore, the impingement of a single school vould result in a violation of the present environmental technical specifications. These fish are young-of-the-year (1 to 2 inches in length) and are most numerous at this time of the year. We would therefore anticipate the reoccurrence of the impingement of more than 1,000 shad in a day during this time of the year. We also believe that this same phenomenon applies to other species, such as crappie and drum, because of their schooling behavior although the numbers of fish of other species involved would be expected to be much less.

Our studies of Uheeler Reservoir indicate that it contair.s about 32 million adult fish (primarily shad) . Therefore, a 1-day mortalit3 of even 50,000 shad represents only approximately 0.1 percent of the population, and we would not consider this mortality to be a signifi-cant adverse impact. A singic loss of as many as 2,000 fish of species other than shad would not be considered a significant impact. !!owever, chronic reoccurrence of morta11 tics of these magnitudes would be of concern in terms of environmental impact.

The original value of 1,000 was conceived as a daily average over 1 year, but did not consider the seasonal nature of the impingement phenomenon. Therefore, TVA biologists are currently developing a e

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Mr. Norman C. Moseley August 17, 1973 basis for the environmental technical specifications which will more accurately relate the environmental impacts of fish impingement.

Very truly yours, TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY James E. Watson

. Manager of Power CC: r. John F. O' Leary, Director Directorate of Licensing .

U.S. Atomic Energy Conmission Washington, DC 20545 -

Mr. Sam Spencer, Chief Fisheries Section Alabama Game and Fish Commission Department of Conservation and Natural Resources 624 North Union Street

• Montgomery, Alabama 36104 9

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