ML17266A507

Proposed St Lucie Plant Preoperational & Operational Biological Monitoring Program.

ML17266A507
Person / Time
Site:	Saint Lucie
Issue date:	08/31/1981
From:	ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
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ML17266A506	List: ML17266A505 ML17266A507
References
AB-358, MONITOR1-55, NUDOCS 8110010374
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4q01+>p3lAB-358g8lSTLU1P,f"NONITOR1-55PROPOSEOST.LUCIEPLANTPREOPERATIONALANDOPERATIONALBIOLOGICALMONITORINGPROGRAMAUGUST19818ii00i03748109TOPDRADOCK05000335P~PDR ATTACHHENT1 PROPOSEDST.LUCIEPLANTPREOPERATIONALANDOPERATIONALBIOLOGICALMONITORINGPROGRAMI.GENERALTheecologicalbaselinestudyofFloridaPower8LightCompany's(FPL),St.LucieUnitNo.1wasdesignedandimplementedbythestaffoftheFloridaDepartmentofNaturalResourcesMarineResearchLaboratory.Fiveoffshoresamplingstationswereestablished(Figure1)andsamplingwasconductedfromJuly1971toAugust1974.TheseresultshavebeenreportedasSt.LuciePlantbaselinedatapreparedbytheFloridaDepartmentofNaturalResources(References4-12).Thelastportionsofthedataanalysesandreportpreparationforthisbaselinestudyarepresentlybeingcompleted.Followingthesamplingforthebaselinestudy,theEnvironmentalTechnicalSpecifications(ETS)forthe'opera-tionalmonitoringprogram,containedintheoperatinglicenseforSt.LucieUnitNo.1issuedbytheNuclearRegulatoryCommission(NRC),werewritten.Thesespecificationsdelineatedthebioticcommunitiestobestudiedandstatedthatsamplingwastobeconductedatthesamefivestationsestablishedforthebaselinestudy.Theobjectiveoftheopera-tionalmonitoringstudywastogatherdataforcomparisonwithdataobtainedduringthebaselinestudy.InMarch1976,samplingfortheoperationalmonitoringprogramwasbegunbyAppliedBiology,Inc.(ABI).Inadditiontothefivestationsestablishedforthebaselinestudy,anearshoresitesouthoftheplantwasselectedasacontrolstation.Thiscontrolstationwaslocateddistantfromtheplantandthereforeawayfrompossibleinfluencefromwarmwaterdischarges.InaccordancewiththeETS,collectionsweremade YARDSKILOMETERS2000100001SCALE~~C~<r-N-\:;r.r'.\~~1~~1t~,\~05V4:.'G..~r,;v'I,;~'~Offshore:~.Discharge"i:::~"St.LuciPlant'-'=-':Q'IIOffshore";:!..~~"':.'..Intake04\I'~\~~4"."0m~'27'.03:"-;Vlr00Figure1,Locationofthefiveoffshoresamplingstations(1-5)establishedforbaselinestudyandthecontrol(C)stationdesignatedfortheoperationalmonitoringstudy.

toassessbenthicorganisms,plankton,nekton,macrophytes,waterqualityandmigratoryseaturtles.Theresultsandanalysesofthesecollectionshavebeenreportedannually(Ref.1,2,3,16).ThefiveoffshorestationswereestablishedbytheFloridaDepartmentofNaturalResources(FDNR)beforeacomprehensiveevaluationoftheoffshorecurrentswasavailable.Morerecently,watercurrentdata(Ref.14)havebeenobtainedthatindicatesthatifthestationswererelocatedtheycouldbetterevaluatethebiologicalcommunitiesinareasofpotentialplumeimpact.AsshowninFigure2,thepredominantsurfacecurrents,andsubsequentplumeorientationfromthepointofdischarge(Station1),aretothenorth.Basedonwatercurrenteval-uationandtheresultsofthebiologicalmonitoringprogramtodate,FPLbelievesthatcertainrevisionstotheprogramprescribedintheETSand/orNPDESPermitareappropriate.TheprogramdescribedhereinreflectstheserevisionsandwouldbeusedbybothSt.LucieUnitNo.1(operationalmonitoring)andSt.LucieUnitNo.2(preoperationalandoperationalmonitoring)-Itisproposedthattheprogramcontinuefor2yearsafterSt.LucieUnitNo.2isoperational.IntheregulatoryschemeestablishedbytheFederalWaterPollutionControlActof1972(FWPCA),33USCA551251et~se.,theEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)wasgivenjurisdictionoverallwaterqualitymattersrelatingtonon-radiologicalliquideffluents.initsYellowCreekdecision(ALAB-515),theNRC'sAtomicSafetyandLicensingAppealBoardheldthattheNRCmaynotspecifywaterqualityrestrictionsin C,ss'"I"~~4%iS~~/r~r~Ishh2fi~',0I-'0;'~h1~15)~h~'t"~~~rI~OOe~)\0%0~~s.r,0)0~bgO.rC.".;=:-F-:='~q):4~jKfO-'rr.~~rJscCI.O3'v>:,0O0I'rl~s:~.00~~-i(i...0St.'Lucre'.',,~,s0lanI~r~.O.s.AVL'rs~~'s'040(0CPh0I~~~~6.goyFigure2.Frequencydistributionofsurfacecurrentdirectioninrelationtooperationalmonitoringsamplingstations.

excessofthoseimposedbytheEPA.OnthebasisofALAB-515andthewaterqualityeffluentlimitationsandmonitoringrequirementscontainedintheNationalPollutantDischargeEliminationSystem(NPDES)permitissuedbyEPApursuanttoFWPCAforSt.LucieUnitNo.1,FPLhaspeti-PtionedtheNRCforthedeletionofthermalandchemicalmonitoringrequirementscontainedintheETSforSt.LucieUnit1.However,thisrequesttotheNRCdidnotaddresstheaquaticbiologicalmonitoringrequirementsalsocontainedintheSt.LucieUnitNo.1ETS.Toremovethisstateofimplicitdualregulation,FPLproposestoincorporateappropriateaquaticbiologicalmonitoringrequirementsintotheNPDESpermitforSt.LucieUnits1and2andtorequesttheirdeletionfromtheUnit1ETS.(TheNRCoperatinglicenseandaccompanyingETSforSt.LucieUnitNo.2havenotyetbeenissued.)TheprogramdescribedbelowisherewithsubmittedtotheEPAforthatpurpose.II.PROPOSEDBIOLOGICALMONITORINGPROGRAM~0bective-Tomonitorthepopulationsofseaturtles,nektonicandbenthicorganismsoftheAtlanticOceanneartheplanttodeterminetheextentthatplantoperationsmaybeinfluencingthenearshoreecosystem.Thbilv1dii<<h11b4termsofabundanceandcompositionofthemarinebioticcommunityand2)intermsoftherelationshipbetweenphysicalpropertiesofthewatersandtheabundanceandcompositionofthebiologicalcommunity.Communitiesdescribedbelowaretobeevaluatedtodeterminepotentialalterationsduetoplantoperation.

A.BenthicOranismsBenthicorganismswillbecollectedquarterlyandinventoriedastokindand'abundance.B.NektonicOranismsSampleswillbecollectedbygillnettingoncepermonthduringAprilthroughSeptemberandtwicepermonthduringOctoberthroughMarch.Kindandabundanceoforganismspresentwillbedetermined.C.Analysiswillbemadeatthesurfaceatthesametimeasthenektonsamplecollectionsandnearthebottomatthesametimeasthebenthicsamplecollections.Parametersmeasuredwillbetemperature,'alinity;dissolvedoxygenandturbidity.D..HiratorSeaTurtlesSeaturtlenestingsurveyswillbeconductedbiannuallyontheFPLshorelinepropertyandalongselectedcontrolbeaches..Seaturtlesenteringtheintakewillberemoved,taggedandreleasedbackintotheoceanorracontinualbasis.E.'eortinReuirementsResultsoftheaquaticbiologicalmonitoringprogramshal1bereportedinanAnnualNon-RadiologicalEnvironmentalMonitoringReporttobesubmittedtotheEPA.~6 14III.IMPLEMENTATIONOFPROPOSEDBIOLOGICALMONITORINGPROGRAMA.IntroductionThemonitoringprogramstudydesignoriginatedandwasimplementedin1971bytheFloridaDepartmentofNa'turalResourcesMarineResearchLaboratory.Thesamplingregimewasbasedontheecologicalinformationavailableatthetime.Samplelocationswereselectedinrelationtopredictedplumedirection,predictedplume'realextent(Ref.4)andthemajormacrohabitatsknowntoexistoffHutchinsonIsland.Stations1,2and3werelocatedinthepredictedthermalplumearea,while4and5wereestablishedasnorthandsouth'ontrolslocatedinthesamemacrohabitatasStation2(Ref.5).Since1972,extensivedataonthebiologicalcommunitiesneartheSt.LuciePlanthavebeenobtained(Refs.1-3,6-12,16).Additionalphysicaldatahavebeengatheredonwinds(Ref.-13),currents(Ref.12)andthethermalplume(Ref.15).ThesebiologicalandphysicalstudiesindicatethateffectsofthePSt.Luciedischargearelimitedtosurfaceareasnearthepointofdischarge.Theproposedstudyisthereforedesignedtoevaluatethebiologicalconditionsinthenear-fieldareaofpotentialplumeimpact.B.BenthicOranismsToassessthepotentialthattherearethermaleffectsonthebenthiccommunity,quarterlysampleswillbetakenatcontrolStationBC,StationBl,andatastation(B2)tobelocatedjustnorthofthethermal plume'swarmestspot(Figure3).Fourormorereplicateswillbetaken.Station2ofthecurrentprogramwillberetainedasStationC1tohelp/integratethemodifiedprogramwiththeexistingdata.Station5ofthecurrentprogramwillberetainedasStation83foratleastoneortwoyearsafterUnit2goeson-line,todocumenttheprobabilitythatthereisnoeffectofcbmbinedUnits1and2dischargeatthislocation.Benthicsamplingatotheroffshorestations(3and4)willbeterminated..C.'ektonThesamplingprogramwillconsistofnearshoregillnetting.Twosamplingstationswillbeestablishedneartheintakestructureandthreeinthedischargearea(Figure4).Thedischargestationsampleswillprovidedataonnear,intermediateanddistanteffectsoftheplumeonfishdistribution.Stationswillbelocatedinthethermalplume'swarm-estspotandapproximately200metersand450metersfromthiswarmestspot.Thesestationswillbesampledasfollows:oncepermonthduringAprilthroughSeptemberwhenthecommerciallyimportantmigratoryspeciesaregenerallynotpresentoffshoretheSt.LuciePlantandtwicepermonthduringOctoberthroughMarchwhenthesespeciesarepresent.Station2(Cl)willberetainedtohelpintegratethedatafromthemodifiedprogramwiththeexisitingdata.D.MiratorSeaTurtlesSeaturtlenestingsurveyswillbeconductedbiannuallyduringodd-numberedyearstomonitorspecies,numbersandnestingcharacteristics.Thenestingsurveyswillbeconductedduringthesummernestingseasonon YAOSKILOMETERSVC~'P2000100001SCALE23'leQ4'01';r.'~O~~eo~~~oe'~'.:r'::1~~Vw~~5~I~rOB38~>~a~QGia'B1St.LuciPlant"Oc1.IA~O'.ITl0.'O0BC(CONTROLSTATION)~4Figure3.Locationofbenthicsamplingstations.

NST.LUCIEPOWERPLANTTl!DISCHARGECANALT-".rLIIIIIIIIIITHERMALPLUMEIIOF5,INOTE:ThesestationswillbeorientedIasneededtomaintaintheirpositionsre'lativetotheplume.UnittFischarge(submergedmultiportdiffuser)Unit1Discharge(submerged2-portYdiffuser)gal@,cINTAKECANALOF2QSubmergedIntakeStructureFlINDIANRIVERI:iI!\0.5kmFigure4.Locationofgillnetstations.

theFPLshorelinepropertyandalongselectedcontrolbeaches.Specificsofthenestingsurveys,suchassamplingfrequency,andtheamountofbeachsampled,varybetweenstudyyearsandareestablishedfollowinginputfromtheappropriatestateandfederalagencies.Seaturtleremovalfromtheintakecanalisconductedonacontinualbasis.Theturtlesareremovedwithnetsfromthecanal,measuredandweighed,taggedandreleasedbackintotheocean.Theutmostcareistakensoasnottoinjuretheanimals.K.WIIW1Samplesforwaterqualityanalysiswillbecollected.concurrentlywiththebiologicalsamples.IV.SIGNIFICANTCHANGESFROtlTHEETSMONITORINGPROGRAMTheETScontainaprovisionformodificationoftheprogrambaseduponthedataaccumulatedaftertwoyearsofoperation.Theprogrampro-posedinSectionIIabovedifferssignificantlyfromthatprescribedintheSt.LucieUnitNo.1ETSinseveralrespects.Thesechanges"andtheirbasesaredescribedbelow.A.Plankton-Themonthlycollectionofphytoplanktonandzooplanktonhasbeendeleted.

JustificationInterstationcomparisonshaveshownthatconcentrationsofzooplankton,phytoplanktonandchlorophyllagenerallyhavebeenhigherintheareaoftheStation1dischargethanattheotherstations,suggestingsomeenhancementofplanktonconcentrationsduetothethermalinput..Itisunlikelythatdifferencesinplanktonconcentrationsaresignificantinthehighenergy,nearshorelocationunderconsideration.Continuedplanktonmonitoringdoesnotappeartobejustified.B.NektonicOranisms-Collectingofsamplesbytrawlingandseininghasbeendeletedandgillnetstationlocationshavebeenrevised.JustificationTheETSallowedcollectionofsamplesby"trawling,seining,orothersuitablemethod".Trawlingandbeachseiningaresamplingtech-niquesthatarehighlyselectiveforbottomdwellingandsurfzonedwellingforms.Duringoperationalmonitoring,neitherofthesecom-munitiesappearedtobeinfluencedbythethermaldischarge(Ref.3).Gillnettingobtainssamplesinthewatercolumnandisaneffectivemethodforcollectingsportandcommercialfishspecies.Theproposedscheduleemphasizescollectionsduringtheperiodoftheyearwhenmigra-toryspeciessuchasbluefish,SpanishmackerelandkingmackerelareneartheSt.LuciePlant.Stationsmovedtotheimmediateplumeareawillbetterassesstheinfluenceofthethermaldischargeonthemove-mentsoffishesinthearea.12 IC.~hh-fhqI11Ifdlqtationhasbeendeleted.JustificationThehighestdiversityofalgae,88species,wascollectedduringthethirdyearofthestudy.Thenumberofspeciescollectedwaslowestinearlyspringandhighestinsummerandearlyfall.Thisseasonalpatternwastypicalforsubtropicalmarinevegetation.Diversitywashighernearshorebecause,drift(unattached)algaewerethepredominateformsandthesewerecarriedinshorebytheprevailingwindsandcurrents(Ref.3).Vegetationdistributionandgrowthatallnearshorestationssur-veyedseemstobelimitedbyalackofappropriatesubstrateforvegeta-tionattachment.Well-developedmacrophytecommunitiesmayoccuronisolatedrockoutcroppings,butthechancesofthecollectingdredgeencounteringoneoftheseoutcroppingsisremote.Becausetheattachedmacrophytecommunityissolimited,itisnotconsideredanimportantfoodsourceorhabitatfororganismslivingintheSt.Luciearea.Becauseoftheabove,thesamplingprovideslittleusefuldataandthereisnoneedforfurthermonitoringofmacrophytes.'13 JustificationDatafromthecontrolstation,locateddistantfromtheSt.LuciePlant,werecomparedwithresultsfromstation-specificwaterparameteranalyses.Datafromtheliteratureformarinewatersofnearshorecoastalenvironmentsadjacenttotheplantwerealsocomparedwiththepresentstudy.Datdcomparisons(Ref.3)indicated:a~b.Nearlyallparametersmeasuredvariedsignificantlyduringdif-ferentmonthsoftheyear;andTherewerenosignificantdifferencesinparametersamongsta-tionsoratdifferentdepths.TheseresultsshowthattheoperationoftheSt.LuciePlanthasnosignificanteffectontheselectednutrientsinthisstudy.Continuednutrientanalysesdoesnotappearwarranted.E.MiratorSeaTurtles-Variousrequirementsrelatingtotheeffects.ofthedischargethermalplumeandtemperaturestress,hatchingandrearingfactorsformigratoryseaturtleshavebeendeleted.JustificationTherequirementsoftheETShavebeensatisfied.Areportwaspre-pared(Ref.2)andsubmittedtotheNRCbyFPLletterNo.L-78-109,datedI'30March1978,thatdescribedstudiesperformedtodeterminetheeffectsofthedischargethermalplumeonturtlenestingpatternsandturtlehatchlingswimming.Additionally,controlstudiesontemperaturestress,hatchingandrearingfactorsconductedusingturtleeggsfromdisplacednestswerereported.Theresu1tsofthestudiesofturtlehatchlings.14 shownoevidencethatpotentialnearshoresurfacetemperaturesfromtheplantwillcausepermanentimpairmentormortality(Ref.2).F.EntrainmentofAvaticOranismsETS4.1-Variousrequirements,Prelatingtoassessmentoftheeffectsonplanktonicorganismsofpassagethroughtheplantcondensershavebeendeleted.JustificationTheresultsoftheichthyoplanktonandzooplanktonsamplinghavebeenpresentedintheAnnualNon-RadiologicalEnvironmentalMonitoringReportsfor1976,1977,1978and1979(Ref.1,2,3,16).ThesestudiesshowthattheinshoreoceanwatersneartheSt.LuciePlantarenottypicalofaproductivefishnurseryarea.Physicalcharacteristicsneededinanurseryareaareloworfluctuatingsalinities,silt-sand-mudbottom,andextensivebedsofrootedaquaticvegetation.Chemically,thewatersintheSt.LuciePlantareaarehomo-geneouswithlittleseasonalvariations.Physically,thenearshoreareasarecharacterizedbythepresenceofrelativelyconstantsalinities,shell-hashsedimentsandtheabsenceofsignificantmacrophyticgrassbeds.ImportantmigratorysportandcommercialfisheswerenotfoundtobespawningintheareaoftheSt.LuciePlant.Ingeneral,lowcon-centrationsoffisheggsandlarvaehavebeenrecordedintheintakecanal,whichconfirmsthatentrainmentisnotsignificant.Zooplanktonlossesthroughentrainmentarenotsignificant.1S Basedontheabove,therequiredEntrainmentStudiesneednotbeincludedintheoperationalmonitoringprogram.16 LITERATURECITED1.ABI.1977.EcologicalmonitoringattheFloridaPower&LightCompany,St.LuciePlant,annualreport,1976.ReporttoFloridaPower&LightCompany,Miami,Fla.2..1978.EcologicalmonitoringattheFloridaPower&LightCompany,St.LuciePlant,annualreport,1977.ReporttoFloridaPower&LightCompany,Miami,Fla.3.1979.FloridaPower&LightCompany,St.LuciePlantannualnon-radiologicalenvironmentalmonitoringreport,1978.Vol.IIandIII.Bioticmonitoring.ReporttoFloridaPower&LightCompany,Miami,Fla.-4.FloridaPower&LightCo.1971.HutchinsonIslandplantunitNo.1environmentalreportDocketNo.50-335.20May1971.FloridaPower&LightCompany,Miami,Fla..5.FloridaDepartmentofNaturalResources..1972.PreliminaryenvironmentalstudiesofcoastalwatersnearHutchinsonIsland,Florida.ProgressreporttoFloridaPower&LightCompany,Miami,Fla.6.Gallagher,R.M.1977a.NearshoremarineecologyatHutchinsonIsland,Florida:1971-1974.I.Rationale'ndmethods.Fla.Mar.Res.Publ.No.23:1-5.7.1977b.NearshoremarineecologyatHutchinsonIsland,Florida:1971-1974.II.Sediments.Fla.Mar.Res.Publ.No.23:6-24.8.Worth,D.F.,andM.L.Hollinger.1977.NearshoremarineecologyatHutchinson-Island,Florida:1971-1974.III.Physicalandchemicalenvironment.Fla.Mar.Res.Publ.No.23:25-85.9.Futch,C.R.,andS.E.Dwinell.1977.NearshoremarineecologyatHutchinsonIsland,Florida:1971-1974.IV.Lanceletsandfishes.Fla.Mar.Res.Publ.No.24:1-23.10.Camp,D.K.,N.H.Whiting,andR.E.Martin.1977.NearshoremarineecologyatHutchinsonIsland,Florida:1971-1974.V.Arthropods.Fla.Mar.Res.Publ.No.25:1-63.ll.Gallagher,R.M.,M.L.Hollinger,R.M.Ingle,andC.R.Futch.1972.MarineturtlenestingonHutchinsonIslandin1971.Fla.Dept.Nat.Resour.,Mar.Res.Lab.Spec.Sci.Rept.No.37:1-11.12.Worth,D.F.,andJ.B.Smith.1976.MarineturtlenestingonHutchinsonIslandin1973.Fla.Mar.Res.Publ.No.18:1-17.13.Dames&Moore.1977.Graphicalandtabularwindroses.St.Lucie,HutchinsonIsland,Florida,1973.ReporttoFloridaPower&LightCompany,Miami,Fla..17 LITERATURECITED(continued)14.EnvirosphereCo.1976.St.LuciePlantsiteoceancurrentanalysis.ReporttoFloridaPower8LightCompany,Miami,Fla.1977.Thermalevaluationstudy.St.LucieUnit1oceandiffuser.ReporttoFloridaPower8LightCompany,Miami,Fla.15.16.ABI.1980.FloridaPower5LightCompany,St.LuciePlantannualnon-radiologicalenvironmentalmonitoringreport,1979.Vol.IIandIII.Bioticmonitoring.ReporttoFloridaPower8LightCompany,Miami,Fla.'18 ATTACHNfNTII ST.LUCIEUNITNO.2BIOLOGICALMONITORINGPROGRAM-OPERATIONALPHASEADDITIONSThefollowingadditionstotheBiologicalMonitoringProgramsub-mittedtoEPAon3April1980arerecommendedfortheprogramtoserveSt.LucieUnitNo.2intheoperationalmode.d.BI11<<.~Sifts1-TddltionswillbeaddedneartheUnitNo.2discharge.Thesestationswillbeincloseproximitytothedischargepipewithonenorthandonesouthofthepipe.Stationswillbesampledquarterlywithfourormorereplicatescollectedtoassessthetaxonomiccompositionandabundanace.JustificationTheUnitNo.2dischargepipewillextend1875feetfurtheroffshorethantheUnitNo.Ipipe.Thereisahabitatandsedi-mentchangefrombeachterracegraysandnearshore(e.g.Unit1dischargearea)toashellhashsubstrateintheareaofUnit2discharge.Theongoingmonitoringprogramhasshownthesehabitatstosupportsomewhatdifferentcommunities.Thesedifferentcommunitiesmayreactdifferentlytoaheateddischarge.B.Bk.~5ifi1-1ddf1'1ffkBflltionswillbeestablished.OnestatiopwillbeinthemiddleoftheUnitNo.2thermalplume'swarmestareaandtheother,thecontrol,about200metersupcurrentfromthiswarmestspot.Thestationswillbesamp1edoncepermonthduringAprilthrough20 Septemberwhenthecommerciallyimportantmigratoryspeciesaregenerallynotpresentoffshore.theSt.LuciePlantandtwicepermonthduringOctoberthroughMarchwhenthesespeciesarepresent.JustificationTheadultfishcommunityinthedischargeplumefromUnitNo.2shouldbeexaminedtodetermineifattractionorexclusionisoccurring.TheSt.LucieNo.2dischargepipewillextendabout1875feetpasttheUnitNo.1pointofdischargeandthedischargedwatermayinfluencefishmovementinthearea.C.~1i.~Siftsi-hyidF11bmeasuredatthesamestationsandfrequencyasthebiologicalsamples.JustificationWaterqualitydeterminationsaremadetosupportthebiologicalprogramandshouldbetakenconcurrentlywithbiologicalsampling.ThisprogramwillenableanevaluationoftheimpactoftheUnitNo.2dischargetobemade.TheadditionofthesestationsandsamplinghregimestakesintoconsiderationtheoptionofdirectingtheplantdischargethroughtheSt.LucieUnitNo.2diffuserpipeifoneunitisdown~21 A