Wisconsin Administrative Code › Department of Natural Resources › NR 100-199 - Environmental Protection - General › Chapter NR 111 - Cooling Water Intake Structures › Subchapter IV - New Units at Existing Facilities › Section NR 111.32 - Monitoring requirements

Current through June 24, 2024
The owner or operator of the facility shall complete all
					 of the following monitoring to demonstrate compliance with the requirements
					 specified in s. NR 111.31:
(1) The
				  owner or operator of the facility shall comply with any monitoring requirements
				  established by the department for impingement, impingement mortality, and
				  entrainment of the commercial, recreational, and forage base fish and shellfish
				  species identified in the source water baseline biological characterization
				  data required under s. NR 111.41(3). Monitoring methods used shall be
				  consistent with those used for the source water baseline biological
				  characterization. If the department establishes such monitoring requirements,
				  the frequency of monitoring and specific protocols shall be determined by the
				  department.
(2) The owner or
				  operator of the facility shall conduct flow and velocity monitoring daily that
				  is representative of the normal operating conditions of the date on which each
				  sample is taken. Flow monitoring shall include measuring cooling water
				  withdrawals, make-up water, and blowdown volume and shall be reported as a
				  daily total volume. Velocity shall be reported as a daily maximum velocity. The
				  department may require additional monitoring necessary to demonstrate
				  compliance with s. NR 111.31.
(3)
				  An owner or operator of the facility complying with the option II requirements
				  under s. NR 111.31(2) shall monitor to demonstrate achievement of reductions
				  commensurate with a closed-cycle recirculating system. The owner or operator of
				  the facility shall monitor entrainable organisms at a proximity to the intake
				  that is representative of the entrainable organisms in the absence of the
				  intake structure. The owner or operator of the facility shall also monitor the
				  latent entrainment mortality in front of the intake structure. Mortality after
				  passing the cooling water intake structure shall be counted as 100 percent
				  mortality unless the owner or operator of the facility has demonstrated to the
				  approval of the department that the mortality for each species is less than 100
				  percent. Monitoring shall be representative of the cooling water intake when
				  the structure is in operation. In addition, sufficient samples shall be
				  collected to allow for calculation of annual average entrainment levels of all
				  life stages of fish and shellfish. Specific monitoring protocols and frequency
				  of monitoring shall be determined by the department. The owner or operator of
				  the facility shall follow the monitoring frequencies identified by the
				  department for at least 2 years after the initial permit issuance. After that
				  time, the department may approve a request for less frequent monitoring in the
				  remaining years of the permit term and when a subsequent permit is reissued.
				  The monitoring shall measure the total count of entrainable organisms or
				  density of organisms, unless the department approves of a different metric for
				  such measurements. In addition, the owner or operator of the facility shall
				  monitor the actual flow withdrawn for each intake. The actual flow withdrawn
				  shall be measured at the same time as collection of the samples of entrainable
				  organisms. The department may require additional monitoring necessary to
				  demonstrate compliance with s. NR 111.31.
(4) The owner or operator of the facility
				  shall comply with any additional monitoring for impingement or entrainment at
				  the cooling water intake structure used by a new unit, including any of the
				  following:
(a) The department may require
				  additional monitoring if there are changes in operating conditions at the
				  facility or in the source waterbody that warrant a re-examination of the
				  operational conditions specified in s. NR 111.41(7).
(b) The department may require additional
				  monitoring for species not subject to the BTA requirements for impingement
				  mortality under s. NR 111.12. Such monitoring requirements shall be determined
				  by the department on a site-specific basis.