CSA N288.9:24

Preface This is the second edition of CSA N288.9, Guideline for design of fish impingement and entrainment programs at nuclear facilities. It supersedes the previous edition published in 2018. Changes to this edition include the following: • further harmonization with the CSA N288 suite of Standards; • inclusion of additional guidance on sampling methodologies, data analysis, and interpretation; • inclusion of guidance regarding interfacing with Indigenous communities, and the application of Indigenous Knowledge; • addition of a new Annex K, which gives an example table of contents for data management; • removal of administrative provisions (e.g., the term "Class 1"); and • addition of clause titles and descriptive text to figures to improve accessibility. This Guideline aims to provide guidance for the design and implementation of fish impingement and entrainment (I&E) monitoring and assessment programs in accordance with best practices in Canada and internationally. This Guideline is part of the CSA N288 series of Standards on Environmental Management: • CSA N288.0, Environmental management of nuclear facilities: Common requirements of the CSA N288 series of Standards • CSA N288.1, Guidelines for modelling radionuclide environmental transport, fate, and exposure associated with the normal operation of nuclear facilities • CSA N288.2, Guidelines for calculating the radiological consequences to the public of a release of airborne radioactive material for nuclear reactor accident • CSA N288.3.4, Performance testing of nuclear air-cleaning systems at nuclear facilities • CSA N288.4, Environmental monitoring programs at nuclear facilities and uranium mines and mills • CSA N288.5, Effluent and emissions monitoring programs at nuclear facilities • CSA N288.6, Environmental risk assessments at nuclear facilities and uranium mines and mills • CSA N288.7, Groundwater protection and monitoring programs for nuclear facilities and uranium mines and mills • CSA N288.8, Establishing and implementing action levels for releases to the environment from nuclear facilities This Guideline provides more detailed guidance on the I&E monitoring requirements set out in the CSA N288 suite. The CSA N-Series Standards provide an interlinked set of requirements for the management of nuclear facilities and activities. CSA N286 provides overall direction to management to develop and implement sound management practices and controls, while the other CSA Group Nuclear Standards provide technical requirements and guidance that support the management system. This Guideline works in harmony with the CSA N286 and does not duplicate the generic requirements of CSA N286; however, it might provide more specific direction for those requirements. Users of this Guideline are reminded that additional and site-specific requirements and guidance might be specified by federal, provincial/territorial, or municipal authorities. This Guideline should not be considered a replacement for the requirements contained in any • applicable federal/territorial or provincial statute; or • regulation, licence, or permit issued pursuant to an applicable statute. This Guideline was prepared by the Subcommittee on Guidance for Fish Impingement and Entrainment Programs at Nuclear Facilities under the jurisdiction of the Technical Committee on Environmental Management for Nuclear Facilities and the Strategic Steering Committee on Nuclear Standards, and has been formally approved by the Technical Committee. Scope 1.1 Facilities 1.1.1 Types of facilities This Guideline addresses the I&E monitoring and assessment programs for nuclear facilities. Notes: 1) In this Guideline, any type of nuclear facility is included in the term "nuclear facilities". 2) I&E monitoring and assessment programs might not be appropriate for all nuclear facilities. This Guideline is intended primarily for high-water users and facilities where species at risk might be present, and the applicability of this Guideline would be determined by the user in conjunction with the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). 3) Nuclear facilities include cooling and process types of facilities. The technique to be used for I&E can vary among these types of facilities. Figure 1 illustrates how a potential user might determine the applicability of this Guideline, depending on whether the facility has a cooling water intake structure (CWIS) or process water intake structure (PWIS). 4) AHJ direction on application for I&E can vary and might depend on the facility’s type of cooling, the presence of species at risk, and the type of mitigation in place at the screen. 5) Drinking water intake structures are commonly beyond the scope of this Guideline. 6) This Guideline might not apply to temporary intake structures; applicability can be determined with the AHJ. 7) For facilities with extraction rates up to 150 L/s, I&E monitoring might not be needed if mitigation measures consistent with the DFO’s Interim code of practice: end-of-pipe fish protection screens for small water intakes in freshwater are used. Further detail is provided in Figure 1. 1.1.2 Facility lifecycle 1.1.2.1 Operations phase The I&E program is intended to be used during the operations phase and can function in other phases, as applicable. 1.1.2.2 Lifecycle phases Consideration of this Guideline, or components of this Guideline as applicable, can be included during the following phases of a facility lifecycle: a) construction; b) commissioning and other pre-operational tasks; c) operations (including outages and refurbishment); and d) decommissioning (including storage with surveillance). Notes: 1) The details of an I&E monitoring program might change over the lifecycle of the facility. 2) Because there are likely no fish impingement or entrainment issues during post-decommissioning, this Guideline is not applicable during post-decommissioning. 1.2 Operating conditions This Guideline is applicable during normal operations of a nuclear facility. Notes: 1) This Guideline is not applicable during accident or emergency scenarios, although some parts of this Guideline might be useful. In these cases, the user determines the applicability of the guidance. 2) Documentation of changes in operational conditions (e.g., outage or refurbishment periods when there is substantially less or no water intake) will help explain changes in I&E observed. 1.3 Methods of data analysis This Guideline provides guidance on methods of collecting and analyzing data relevant to I&E of fish. It does not provide guidance on the acceptability of the effects or on the mitigation of the effects. Notes: 1) Establishing how the data could be used in assessing significance of effects and what mitigation options might be available or already in place will improve the usefulness of the output of the I&E program. 2) The user of this Guideline is responsible for determining what data analysis and interpretation is necessary to confirm compliance with all statutes, regulations, licences, or permits that govern the operation of the nuclear facility. 1.4 Terminology In this Guideline, "should" is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; and "may" is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of this Guideline. This Guideline provides guidance only and there are no requirements indicated within the document.