Oyster Creek
takes every precaution to ensure its operations are in compliance
with local, state and federal regulations. Operators and
environmental experts at Oyster Creek Generating Station
work with local aquariums, fisheries experts and state agencies
to minimize environmental impacts that could occur when
the plant shuts down for maintenance outages. Because of
potential environmental impacts, the station does not plan
outages during cold weather months.
Unplanned shutdowns, however, are sometimes necessary to
repair equipment or perform other emergent activities. When
an outage is required, the station works closely with regulatory
agencies to insure compliance with environmental permits
and other regulations. One example of Oyster Creek's efforts
to reduce its environmental impact was during an unscheduled
outage in January 2006.
Oyster Creek conducted work on two of the station's five
reactor recirculation pumps, which continuously pump cooling
water through the reactor. In the colder months, some migratory
fish are attracted to the discharge canal because it is
warmer than the bay. When the plant is shuts down at that
time of year, water temperatures in the canal can decrease
and impact sensitive fish.
The station implemented several mitigation actions, including:
- Reduced power slowly to control the rate of temperature
reduction in the discharge canal to approximately one
degree per hour.
- Created a safe haven in the discharge canal for the
remaining fish by placing a special boom and net in the
discharge canal to retain warmer water and maintain an
appropriate temperature by heating the pool with water
from an alternate source.
- Removed cold-sensitive fish from the discharge through
permitted fishing and netting.
Personnel monitored the discharge canal during and after
the shutdown for any impacts. The station maintained close
communications with state and federal regulators throughout
the process.
Special netting and a heater were used to
protect cold-sensitive fish used to mitigate against environmental
impacts during Oyster Creek's work on two pumps in January
2006.
While Oyster Creek carefully conducts its operations to
ensure work is done in the most environmentally sensitive
manner, there was a case in September 2002 when Oyster Creek
inadvertently discharged hot water into the creek. This
discharge caused the death of some 5,800 fish, crabs and
eels.
Oyster Creek quickly investigated the incident and determined
that a transformer that powers pumps for the plant's cooling
water system had been turned off for maintenance.
The plant took full responsibility for the error and apologized.
Additionally, in 2004 AmerGen reached a $1 million settlement
with the State of New Jersey. Almost $500,000 of the settlement
assisted the Natural Resources Education Foundation, an
environmental education program, in neighboring Waretown,
and the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program.
According to Bud Swenson, Oyster Creek vice president at
the time of the incident, said it was a powerful lesson
learned for the plant and its personnel. A comprehensive
series of corrective actions was quickly initiated. It included
revisions in both policies and procedures and management
training in the performance of water discharge activities.
"We learned from this event," Swenson said. "Our goal is
to continually improve our overall operational and environmental
performance with a focus on being a strong environmental
steward."
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