ML20140H771
| ML20140H771 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Seabrook  |
| Issue date: | 06/13/1997 |
| From: | Feigenbaum T NORTH ATLANTIC ENERGY SERVICE CORP. (NAESCO) |
| To: | Schmitten R COMMERCE, DEPT. OF, NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20140H238 | List: |
| References | |
| LIC-97102, NA-970214, NUDOCS 9706180451 | |
| Download: ML20140H771 (5) | |
Text
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W North North Atlantic Energy Service Corporation t.
g.o. 3,x 300 Atlantic seatroot,xu 03874 ji (603) 474-952t The Northeast Utilities System June 13,1997 4
LIC-97102 NA-970214 Dr. Rolland Schmitten, Ph. D.
Assistant Administrator National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Resources 1315 East-West Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282 Seabrook Station Small Take Exemption Permit Application North Atlantic Energy Service Corporation (North Atlantic), the operator of Seabrook Station nuclear power plant, hereby submits the enclosed application, pursuant to Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and in accordance with 50 CFR 216.104. The application requests a small take exemption permit for the incidental lethal taking of a small number of seals as a result of plant operations.
Seabrook Station generates 1,150 megawatts of electrical power for the New England region. As described in the application, the plant draws ocean water through offshore intake structures to provide cooling for the plant's main condenser and other components necessary for the safe and reliable operadon of the facility. The cooling water is pumped back to the ocean through discharge structures. The intake and discharge structures are located in about 60 feet of water over a mile offshore from Hampton Beach, New Hampshire and more than three miles from f
Seabrook Station. Small numbers of seal carcasses and seal remains have been found in the
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Station's intake forebays as an apparent result of their entering the intake structure and then being drawn through the intake tunnel.
g4 Although the Station did not begin commercial operations until 1990, the cooling water system was placed in service in 1985. The intake and discharge structures associated with the cooling water system were specifically designed and located to minimize their environmental impact particularly with respect to thermal discharge and fish entrapment. Since 1993, North Atlantic has observed and reponed to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Northeast Region, the entrapment of seals at the plant. As discussed in the application, we believe that these events are related to the rapid growth of the seal population in the area.
9706180451 970613 PDR ADOCK 05000443 P
PDR I
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Dr. Rolland Schmitten, PhD National Marine Fisheries Service LIC-97102/NA-97214/Page 2 Incidental takes at Seabrook Station have negligible impact on seal stocks or the ability of the seal populations to reach and maintain their optimum sustainable levels and are only a small fraction of the total number of the reported non-natural mortalities that occur annually.
Nonetheless, North Atlantic, in consultation with the NMFS Northeast Region, has concluded that it is necessary to submit this application for an exemption from the Marine Mammal Protection Act of February,1995 for small takes.
In parallel with the submittal of this exemption permit application, North Atlantic is conducting studies to determine if there is an effective, implementable means to minimize seal entrapments.
The efforts to-date are described in Section 11 of the application. A number of options have been eliminated as unsuitable or ineffective for application at Seabrook Station. Several options involving structural barriers and acoustic deterrents are still undergoing detailed evaluations.
The detailed evaluation considers not only the option's effectiveness as a deterrent to seals but its impact on plant safety and generation, its effect on non-target species and its maintainability.
North Atlantic expects to decide this fall which, if any, of the alternatives now being evaluated will both eliminate or minimize seal entrapment and have acceptable impacts. If more than one is identified, the option that best meets this criteria will be selected and developed for implementation.
Development of any option will likely include a period of prototype testing. Because of the uncertainties associated with the ultimate suitability and effectiveness of any deterrent scheme that might be selected, North Atlantic respectfully requests that NMFS issue the exemption for the maximum period allowed by law.
If you have any questions on this matter, please do not hesitate to call Mr. Terry L. Harpster, Director of Licensing Services, at (603) 773 7765.
Very Truly Yours NORTH ATLANTIC ENERGY SERVICE CORP.
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Ted C Feigenbaum
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Executive Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer
Dr. Rolland Schmitten, PhD l
National Marine Fisheries Service l
LIC-97102/NA-97214/Page 3 l
cc:
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Mr. Kenneth Hollingshead Washington, D.C. 20555 National Marine Fisheries Service Offfice of Protected Resources 4
Mr. H. J. Miller 1315 East-West Highway Regional Administrator Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 Mr. A. W. De Agazio NRC Project Manager Division of Reactor Projects U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 Mr. W. J. Olsen NRC Senior Resident Inspector North Atlantic Energy Service Corp.
PO Box 300 Seabrook,NH 03874 Dr. Kathryn A. Ono University of New England Department of Life Sciences 11 Hills Beach Road Biddeford,ME 04005 Dr. James Gilbert University of Maine 206 Nutting Hall Wildlife Department 168 College Avenue University of Maine Orono, Maine 04469 Chris J. Schoppmeyer National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Enforcement c/o U.S. Coast Guard l
Portsmouth Harbor Station Newcastle, NH 03854 Mr. Kevin Herbinson Southern California Edison 2244 Walnut Grove Ave.
Room 497 G01 Rosemead, CA 91770
Dr. Rolland Schmitten, PhD National Marine Fisheries Service LIC-97102/NA-97214/Page 4 TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE:
Mr. Eric Hutchins National Marine Fisheries Service Dr. Edward Schmidt Northeast Region NH Dept. Of Environmental Services One Blackburn Drive Water Supply & Pollution Control Div.
Gloucester,MA 01930 6 Hazen Drive Concord,NH 03302 NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE Mr. Jeffrey Andrews Supervisor, Industrial Permits Section Mr. Daniel Morris Dept. Of Environmental Services National Marine Fisheries Service Water Supply & Pollution Control Division Northeast Region 6 Hazen Drive One Blackburn Drive Concord,NH 03302 Gloucester,MA 01930 Mr. Robert Estabrook SEABROOK ECOLOGICAL ADVISORY NH Dept. Of Environmental Services COMMii i EE:
Water Supply & Pollution Control Division 6 Hazen Drive Dr. John Tietjen, Chairman Concord,NH 03302 134 Palisade Avenue Leonia,NJ 07605 Mr. John Nelson NH Fish and Game Department Dr. W. Huntting Howell 37 Concord Road 12 James Farm Durham,NH 03824 Lee,NH 03824 Mr. Bruce Smith Dr. Saul Saila NH Fish and Game Department 317 Switch Road 225 Main Street Hope Valley, RI 02832 Durham,NH 03824 Dr. Bernard J. McAlice Mr. Frederick Gay Darling Marine Center NPDES Permit Coordinator University of Maine New Hampshire State Program Unit Clarks Cove Road Environmental Protection Agency Walpole, ME 04573 John F. Kennedy Building Boston,MA 02203 Dr. Robert Wilce Depanment of Biology Mr. Jack Paar 221 Merrill Science Center
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Environmental Protection Agency University of Massachusetts 60 Westview Street Amherst,MA 01003 Lexington, MA 02173
Dr. Rolland Schmitten, PhD National Marine Fisheries Service LIC-97102/NA-97214/Page 5 NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES Ms. Marcia Bowen Normandeau Associates,Inc.
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82 Main Street Yarmouth,ME 04096 Paul Geoghegan Normandeau Associates,Inc.
25 Nashua Road Bedford, NH 03110-5500 NEW ENGLAND AOUARIUM Mr. Greg Early New England Aquarium Resource and Rehabilitation Central Wharf Boston,MA 02910 O
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