Chapter NR 111

NR 111.41(19)(b)1. 1. A description of the proposed or implemented technologies to be evaluated in the study.

NR 111.41(19)(b)2. 2. A list and description of any historical studies characterizing the physical and biological conditions in the vicinity of the proposed or actual intakes and their relevancy to the proposed study. If the owner or operator proposes to rely on existing source waterbody data, the data shall be no more than 5 years old, the owner or operator of the facility shall demonstrate that the existing data are sufficient to develop a scientifically valid estimate of potential impingement and entrainment impacts, and the owner or operator of the facility shall provide documentation showing that the data were collected using appropriate quality assurance or quality control procedures.

NR 111.41(19)(b)3. 3. Documentation of any public participation or consultation with federal or state agencies undertaken in developing the plan.

NR 111.41(19)(b)4. 4. A sampling plan for data that will be collected using actual field studies in the source waterbody, including all of the following:

NR 111.41(19)(b)4.a. a. A description of all methods and quality assurance procedures that will be used for sampling and data analysis. The sampling and data analysis methods proposed shall be appropriate for a quantitative survey and based on consideration of methods used in other studies performed in the source waterbody.

NR 111.41(19)(b)4.b. b. A description of the study area, including the hydraulic zone of influence of the cooling water intake structure and at least 100 meters beyond.

NR 111.41(19)(b)4.c. c. Taxonomic identification of the sampled or evaluated biological assemblages, including all life stages of fish and shellfish.

NR 111.41(19)(c) (c) Submit documentation of the results of the study to the department. Documentation of the results of the study shall include all of the following:

NR 111.41(19)(c)1. 1. A source water biological study. The source water biological study shall include all of the following:

NR 111.41(19)(c)1.a. a. A taxonomic identification and characterization of aquatic biological resources, including a summary of historical and contemporary aquatic biological resources; determination and description of the target populations of concern; the species of fish and shellfish and all life stages that are most susceptible to impingement and entrainment; and a description of the abundance and a temporal and spatial characterization of the target populations based on the collection of multiple years of data to capture the seasonal and daily activities, such as spawning, feeding, and water column migration, of all life stages of fish and shellfish found in the vicinity of the cooling water intake structure.

NR 111.41(19)(c)1.b. b. An identification of all threatened or endangered species that may be susceptible to impingement and entrainment by the cooling water intake structure.

NR 111.41(19)(c)1.c. c. A description of additional chemical, water quality, and other anthropogenic stresses on the source waterbody.

NR 111.41(19)(c)2. 2. An evaluation of potential cooling water intake structure effects. This evaluation shall include all of the following:

NR 111.41(19)(c)2.a. a. Calculations of the reduction in impingement mortality and entrainment of all life stages of fish and shellfish that would need to be achieved by the selected technologies to meet requirements under track II. To do this, the owner or operator of the facility shall determine the reduction in impingement mortality and entrainment that would be achieved by implementing the requirements specified in s. NR 111.21 (2) (a) 1. and 2. of track I.

NR 111.41(19)(c)2.b. b. An engineering estimate of efficacy for the proposed or implemented technologies used to minimize impingement mortality and entrainment of all life stages of fish and shellfish and maximize survival of impinged life stages of fish and shellfish. The owner or operator of the facility shall demonstrate that the technologies reduce impingement mortality and entrainment of all life stages of fish and shellfish to a level comparable to that which the owner or operator would achieve through implementation of the requirements specified in s. NR 111.21 (2) (a) 1. and 2. of track I. The efficacy projection shall include a site-specific evaluation of technology suitability for reducing impingement mortality and entrainment based on the results of the source water biological study specified in subd. 1. Efficacy estimates may be determined based on case studies that have been conducted in the vicinity of the cooling water intake structure, or site-specific technology prototype studies.

NR 111.41(19)(c)3. 3. A verification monitoring plan. The owner or operator of the facility shall include in the study a plan to conduct, at a minimum, 2 years of monitoring to verify the full-scale performance of the proposed or implemented technologies and operational measures. The verification study shall begin at the start of operations of the cooling water intake structure and continue for a sufficient period of time to demonstrate that the facility is reducing the level of impingement and entrainment to the level documented in subd. 2. The plan shall describe the frequency of monitoring and the parameters to be monitored. The department will use the verification monitoring to confirm that the owner or operator is meeting the level of impingement mortality and entrainment reduction required in s. NR 111.21 (2) (b) and that the operation of the technology has been optimized.

NR 111.41 History History: CR 19-105: cr. Register May 2020 No. 773, eff. 6-1-20; correction in (5) (intro.) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register May 2020 No. 773.

NR 111.42 NR 111.42 General application process provisions.

NR 111.42(1) (1) Subsequent applications.

NR 111.42(1)(a) (a) Reduced information.

NR 111.42(1)(a)1. 1. An owner or operator of the facility may request to reduce the information required to be submitted under s. NR 111.40 if the criteria in subd. 2. a. or b. are satisfied. In order to request a waiver of required application materials, the owner or operator of the facility shall submit a request to the department at least 2 years and 6 months prior to the expiration of its WPDES permit. The owner or operator of the facility’s request shall identify each application material that it determines has not substantially changed since the previous permit application and the basis for the determination. The department has the discretion to accept or reject any part of the request.

NR 111.42(1)(a)2. 2. An owner or operator of the facility may make a request under subd. 1. if any of the following applies:

NR 111.42(1)(a)2.a. a. Conditions at the facility and in the waterbody remain substantially unchanged since the previous application, and the relevant previously submitted information remains representative of current source water, intake structure, cooling water system, and operating conditions. A request for a waiver under such conditions may only be granted after the initial submission of the application materials required under s. NR 111.41.

NR 111.42(1)(a)2.b. b. The intake is located in a manmade lake or reservoir and the fisheries are stocked and managed by a state or federal natural resources agency or the equivalent. If the manmade lake or reservoir contains threatened or endangered species or is a federally designated critical habitat, the request for the waiver may not be granted.

NR 111.42(1)(b) (b) Newly listed species and new federally designated critical habitat. Any habitat designated as critical or species listed as federally threatened or endangered after issuance of a WPDES permit whose range of habitat or federally designated critical habitat includes waters where a facility intake is located and could be impacted by the intake structure constitutes potential for a substantial change that shall be addressed by the owner or operator of the facility in subsequent permit applications, unless the facility received an exemption under 16 USC 1536 (o) or a permit or authorization under s. 29.604 (6m) or (6r), Stats., or a permit under 16 USC 1539 (a) or there is no reasonable expectation of take.

NR 111.42(2) (2) Additional information. The department has the discretion to request additional information to supplement the permit application, including making a request to inspect the facility, including any additional information from the facility recommended by the U.S. fish and wildlife service upon their review of the permit application under s. NR 111.16 (3).

NR 111.42(3) (3) Permit application records. To document compliance with the requirements under this section, the owner or operator of the facility shall keep records of all submissions that are part of its permit application until the subsequent permit is issued. If the department approves a request for reduced permit application studies under sub. (1) (a) or s. NR 111.11 (2) (c) 2., the owner or operator of the facility shall keep records of all submissions that are part of the previous permit application until the subsequent permit is issued.

NR 111.42(4) (4) Certification. The owner or operator of the facility shall certify that its permit application is true, accurate, and complete.

NR 111.42(5) (5) Application review. The department shall review the materials submitted by the owner or operator of a facility under s. NR 111.41 for completeness at the time of initial permit application and any application for a subsequent permit. The department may also consider previously submitted data and performance reviews in its review.

NR 111.42 History History: CR 19-105: cr. Register May 2020 No. 773, eff. 6-1-20.