ML20125B902

Advises of Error in EIS Re Impact on Demography,Agriculture & Industry from Increase in Moisture.Dumping 24 Million Gallons of Water Per Day Will Bring Cloudiness & Hours or Days of Heavy Drizzle

ML20125B902
Person / Time
Site:	Skagit
Issue date:	11/13/1979
From:	Brady E AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
To:	NRC OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY (SECY)
References
NUDOCS 7912310113
Download: ML20125B902 (1)

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November 13. 1979 , j

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Atomic Safety Commission 4 Mr. V. Deale gY-7 101 Commerce Ave. N. W.

Washington. D.C. 20036 i

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Subject Skagit Power Plant - Environmental Statement l Gentlement Raference the E. I. Statement for the Skagit plant. Sect. 5.1.3.4. states:

l "No impact on the demography, agriculture, or industry because the increase in g moisture will be slight."

i I wish to give my opinions as a meteorologist, I should like to point out the serious error here.

As I understand it, the plan is to evaporate 24 million gallons of water per day out the cooling to..es, dumping it at 1.000 f t. mean sea level. where f requent-ly it will drift westward to a calm, stagnant, and humid atmosphere over the greater Mt. Vernon farm area.  ;

Had the impact statement contained actual lapse rate and wind data taken daily l at 7 A.M. and 5 P.M. over Mt. Vernon during the April through October growing season.

it would have shown that the above area could not handle even 12 million gallons per day dumped at 1.000 feet M.S.L. because of frequent inversions, highly stable and stagnant conditions in the greater Mt. Vernon area.

Such lapse rate data (temperature, pressure, humidity, wind direction and velocity) up to 2.000 f t. M.S.L. would have shown the following for April through October Base of inversions 500 meters or less: 10 times per growing season very stable conditions (0 to 5*C lapse rate): 9.8 " " "

(Portage Bay Seattle tocal) 19.8 "

This is 19.8 times during a growing season that the plant should be shut down with the present cooling tower design. The error is in dumping cooling tower moisture at 1.000 feet rather than 1.650 feet mean sea level where it would not be readily trapped.

During June, for example. corn and strawberries need maximum solar radiation.

Dumping 24 million gallons of water per day in the form of moisture will bring cloudiness and hours or days of heavy drizzle to greater Mt. Vernon area farmers.

Harvesting strawberries in drizzle could wipe out farmers' income. Heavy drizzle during haying or wheat harvesting can be costly to farmers, etc.

Why didn't the Puget Power study Portage Bay. Seattle, radio soundings as well as thousands of old Seattle Weather Bureau soundings and include some of this data 4 in a statement on the lower atmosphere? These records would clearly show the

necessity for dumping the cooling towers above 1.650 feet elevation M.S.L. where moisture would not be trapped easily, rather than the proposed 1.000 ft. M.'.L.

level. Seattle data is valid for Mt. Vernon, in many cases.

i The E.1.S. also failed to point out that much of tha plant winds are mountain and valley type - shallow and very limited in horizontal travel.

There are no A.E.C. or other formulas, that can replace simple lapse rate data-over Mt. Vernon.

Sincerely.

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E. Brady 4619 W. Marginal Way S.W.

Seattle, WA 98106 (206) 932-5855 cc: Puget Sound Power Skagit. Concerned About Nu:: lear Power Interested Citizens 90003107 D**]D *D ~T

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