ML20091D766
| ML20091D766 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Byron  |
| Issue date: | 12/31/1991 |
| From: | COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO. |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20091D764 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9204130005 | |
| Download: ML20091D766 (8) | |
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s Byron Station Environmental Protection Plan 1991 Annual Ewirorgntathl Op1Lating_RepnLt ,
ATTACIIMENT A Section 4.2 Inyhnmgntal_lianLtating Section 4.2.1 Agil.a1 Remote Santing_
The serial photographic menitoring program was done in 1991, as scheduled in the Environmental Protection Plan for Byron Station. The aerial photographs and the field survey covered an area of approximately one mile radius centered at the Byron Station cooling towers. The phctographs were taken at a scale of one inch to five hundred feet using falso color infrared film. The photography was don. nn August 15, 1991, and tre field survey was done on September 18 and 19, 1991.
The examination and analysis of the photographs and the field survey were performed by a consulting plant pathologist. Dead, dying and stressed foliage signatures and different plant types were identified and marked on the photographs. These sites were inspected during the field survey to determine the cause of the signatures _on the photographs.
The plant pathologist prepared s report covering the results of the analysis of the aerial photographs and the ground truthing fleid survey of the suspect areas. A wide-range of plant abnormalities were observed in the survey area but no saline aerosol or salt injury was identified. Abnormal foliage signatures seen on the photographs or in the field survey were found to be the result of soll erosion, herbicide injury, plant diseases, insect damage, or hall and stonn damage, or f rom planting and cultivating problems.
l Commonwealth Edison Environmental Services has reviewed the consultant's L report. A copy ~1s included. A set of positive color transparencies encompassing the survey' area is provided to ths addressee of the Environmental Operating Report.
The 1991 serial photographic monitoring represents the fourth operational
_ survey, the final operational survey is scheduled to be done during the summer of 1993.
Section 4.2.2 a) Confirmatory Sonnd Survev The Confirmatory Sound Survey requirements were completed in 1988.
b) Noise Related Complaints No noise related complaints were received by Commonwealth Edison concerning Byron Station during 1991.
(3696s/VS) 9204130005 920403-
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Results of 1991 Follar Survey
.of the-Byron Generating Station and its Environs
?<. spared by Bany J. Jacobsen, Ph.D.
Plant Pathologist; for Commonwealth Edison
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. 72 West Adams'St.
Chicago, IL 60690 0767 s' -
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. 2 Introduction The 1991 foliar survey was done on September 18 and 19,1991 utilizing aerial infrared photographs taken by Aero-Metric Engineering, Inc., Sheboygan, WI, on August 15,1991. Plant ibliage within 1.5 miles of the evaporative cooling towers was surveyed
- for incidence of saline nemsol injury, plant diseases, insect damage, and other abnormalities. This survey documents conditions 6 years after the plant became operational and is the seventh survey of the area by this author since 1980. In addition to surveying the area photographed, similar plant types 10 20 miles west and east of the generating station were examined. i Methods and Materials ,
l Analysis of aerialinfrared Cibachrome print photographs, ground truth '
e:; amination of areas of unusual infrared reflectance, anti random grr,und surveys were used to document the health of foliage in the survey area. The area surveyed covered cll or portions of sections 7,8,17,18,19, and 20 of Marion township, and sections 11,12,13,
-14,15,23, and 24 of Rockvale township.
Photographs 4-1 through 4 4 are high altitude photographs and cover all of the surrey area. Photographs 1-1 thmugh 1-8 are from the most northerly flight line for the low altitude photo series,2-1 to 2-8 cover the center of the survey area, and 31 to 3 8 are the most southerly flight line. The low altitude flight line and photo area are myked on photo 4-3.
Results No salii e aercsol or salt related plant injury were identified in the survey area.
Abnormal signatures on infrared photographs v ere found to be due to soil erosion,
3 lightning strikes, weed growth, herbicide injury, plant diseases, insect damage, soil type differences, and injury associated with transplanting and lawn mowing operations.
Specific examples are given in analysis of the following photographs:
Photograph 18 Cloud shadows are notable on the left side of the phc o. In ooybean field marked 3, severallow wet areas with weed growth are noted. Site marked 2 in a corn field is an area of lighter soil whero some drought damage was suspected. Site 4 is a tree killed by lightnit,. Site I was identillad as sumac showing dieback from canker disease. Ground truth of site 5 revealed no obvious damage.
Photorranh 1-7 Much of this photo was unusable due to cloud shadow. Site 1 was identified as a lightning strike. The field marked 2 lud large .vas of foxtas and other grassy weeds.
Photocraph 1 G Other than cloud shadow, them were no notable items on tnis photo.
Photocranh 15 No particular problem we.s noted at site 1. Hickory, red and white oak, slippery _
elm, walnut, apple, and hawthorn in the area were healthy except for minor leafspot diseases noted later in this report. Site 2 was a lightning strike killed oak. No problem was identified at site 3. Trees marked at site 4 were stressed due to mechanical damage.
I Tree plantings at this site demonstrated mechanical damage from grass mowing / trimming opt -tions, drought stress, and erosion. Minor problems with canker diseases and powdery mildew on viburnum plantings. Them was no evidence of salt injury.
Photocraph 1-4 No p ablem was idantified at site 1. The ama adjacent to the plant fence line ar.d pipeline was extensively ground truthed. Very little of the old cone an damage was l
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4 noted on oaks adjacent to the pipeline. Minor problems noted wem rust and Marssonina leafspot on cottonwood, black rot on wild grape, Hypoxylon canker on aspen, apple scab and black mt on apple, cedar apple rust on hawthorn, Botryosphaeria canker on sumac,.
black leafspot on slippery elm, leafspot on multifiora rose, Boxelder, daisy, autumn olive, mi!kweed, gooseberry, and hickory were generally healthy. Alfalfa was generally healthy with the exception of common leafspot and potato lear hopper damage. The motocmss area has stabilized and no generating plant effects were noted.
Photocraphs 1-3 through 1-2 The comments made regartling Photograph 1-4 were characteristic of this area.
The tree at site 1 on Photograph 1-2 was identified as an elm dying from Dutch Elm Disease Photomoh 2-8 Site 1 was an area of poor soybean growth, possible associated with herbicide injury on light soils. Sites 2,3, and 4 were all Dutch Elm Disease kill sites. Site 5 was a weedy soybean field (foxtail, velvetleaf, smartweed).
Photocraoh 2-7 Sites 1,2, and 3 were elms dead or dying fmm Dutch Elm Disease.
Photocraph 2 ,
-Sites 1 and 2 were drought damage associated with light soils. Site 3 was a hackberry showing marginal chlorosis that appears to be caused by herbicide injury. This damage was also apparent to a lesser extent on adjacent trees. The damage was limited to approximately 100 ft. in the fence row.
- Ebotocranh 2-5 Abnormalities in corn fields was due to differences in type and plant equipment ships.
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5 Photograph 2 4 The majority of the area covered by this photograph was within the generating plant and was not inspected. Other areas are noted on other photographs.
Photocraph 2 3 Site 1 was found not to be a problem site. Site 2 was ama of reduced corn growth l l
due to less fertile dmughty soils. j l
}).hotographs 2 2 and 21 l l
No remarkable sites were identified on these photographs.
I_'hotocraph t 3-8 Site 1 is an alfalfa / grass pasture (north field) and corn (son n field) showing reduced growth due to soil type differences. Site 2 (example) was found to be similar.
Photorranh 3-7 Site 1 was a weedy alfalfa field. Other abnormal signatures shown on this photograph were due to soil type diffemnces.
Photocraphs 3-6, 3-ri, and 3-4 All marked sites wem due to soil type differences.
Photograph 3-3 Site 1 was Catalpa tmos showing dieback associated with decay. These have been noted in pmvious surveys. Sites 2 and 3 were not found to be problems following gmund inspection.
~Photoeraph 3 2 Site 1 was an elm showing symptoms typical of Dutch Elm Disease. Other abnormalities were waterways or soil-type differences.
Photor-aph 3-1 No remarkable sites were idemified on this photograph.
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Phe,.aeraph 4-3 This church site has been inspected in each survey, Mountain ash at this site were damaged by fimblight and two yews in landscape plantings had indications of transplant failure associated with poor drainage. Crabapples showed premature defoliation due to apple scab.
General Survey Comments The following plant abnormalities were noted both in the generating plant survey area and in similar survey areas 10 20 miles away.
Corn: Sevem European corn borer damage was noted throughout the region.
Other problemc noted were common smut, rust, and anthracnose.
Sovbeans: Bmwn stem mt und pod and stem blight were common in most fields.
Most fields were senescent and reac y for harvest.
2 Alfalfa: Common leafspot and burn from potato leaf hopper were common throughout the survey area. Verticilhum wilt was identified in several fields in the generating plant survey area. Incidance was less than 1% but will inemase in coming yea rs.
Vetch: Minor Ascochyta canker was common on the railroad right-of-way.
Clover: Powdery mildew was common as was Pseudopeziza leafspot.
Wild Grane: Isariopsis leafspot, powdery mildew, and black rot wem common throughout the region. Minor phenoxy herbicide injury was noted at several locations.
Wild Blackberrv: Orange rust and Septoria leafspot were common.
Apple: Apple scab, black rot, sooty blotch, and flyspeck were common, as was apple maggot damage.
Elm (Slippery. American, and Siberianh Black spot, Dutch Elm Disease, and leafminor injury were common.
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7 Oak (Red gyd Whitch Actinopeltae leafspot and powdery mildew were common.
Doo~cd: Septoria leafspot was common throughout the survey ama.
Hackberry: Nipple gall mite.
Green Ash: Tcansplant stress, anthraenose, and plant bug damage were common to this species in phntings at the generating plant.
Multiflora Roso: Black spot and other fungal leafspots were conaon.
Sumac: Botryosphaeria canker was common throughout the survey ama.
Ragweed, White Daisv. Plantain, Dandillon: Powdery mildew was common thmughout the ama on these species.
Waffer Ash. Hickorv. Boeider, and Slinner Elm were beginning to show normal fall se.escence.
}Jawthorn: Cedar apple rust was cauaon throughout the region.
Manle. Cedar. Basswood. Gooseberry Walnut, white Pine. Scotch Pme, and Spruce were generally healthy in the survey area.
Conclusion -
No saline aerosol or other salt related injury was idntified in the eurvey area.
Abnormalities noted on the infrared photographs and in ground surveys were the result of soil type diffennees, weeds in crop fields, lightning strikes, herbicide injury, or plant disease.
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