Indian Point: Frozen-fish tests get chilly reception

• Indian Point owner Entergy must come up with a plan to monitor sturgeon in the Hudson River.
• Both Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon are listed as endangered.
• Entergy proposed using frozen white sturgeon as a stand-in to develop the plan.
• Federal fisheries officials rejected the idea.

Frozen fish shouldn't be on the menu at Indian Point when it comes to serving up a plan to monitor how the nuclear power plant affects endangered sturgeon in the Hudson River, according to federal regulators.

In a letter last month to plant owner Entergy, the National Marine Fisheries Service frowned upon the company's proposal to lash frozen white sturgeon to the plant's Hudson River water intakes.

The agency's comments are the latest in a give-and-take about Entergy implementing a federally required plan to watch over Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon.

Their discussion started more than a year ago.

Entergy may be trying to understand how long sturgeon might stay pinned by suction to the end of an intake pipe, the service said, but frozen fish will likely decay differently than fresh fish.

Also, tying them to the grates meant to keep out debris wouldn't reflect the behavior of unrestrained fish.

"The proposed study with frozen white sturgeon appears to be unnecessary and inappropriate to further the goals of the monitoring program. Additionally, any introduction of non-native species (even dead) into the river would need to be supported by documentation demonstrating that the individuals were disease-free and would not pose any risk to native species in the river," agency regional administrator John Bullard wrote.

Indian Point sucks in billions of gallons of river water each day for cooling, along with fish eggs, fish larvae and older fish. Some get discharged back into the Hudson; others die trapped on intake screens or within the cooling system.

Entergy and the state are currently debating the company's use of Hudson River water.

Entergy would focus underwater cameras on a tied-down, thawed sturgeon and note its condition daily for a week, according to its proposal.

Observations would continue for up to three weeks depending on the fish's condition and the information would help determine the scheduling for future, routine monitoring.

Entergy planned to buy up to 3-feet-long white sturgeon from a commercial caviar hatchery.

Company spokesman Jerry Nappi said Indian Point officials will meet with fisheries officials.

"We have accepted NMFS's comments and are pursuing several different options," Nappi said.

Maggie Mooney-Seus, a NMFS spokeswoman, said the agency is "working closely with the company to complete the monitoring plan as quickly as possible" but there is no deadline.

In his letter, Bullard suggests just using the underwater cameras to watch the area and see how native sturgeon may react.

In January 2013, the service said the continued operation of the Buchanan nuclear power plant would "adversely affect" but not likely harm the continued existence of sturgeon in the Hudson River.

Phillip Musegaas, an attorney with the environmental group Riverkeeper, termed the frozen-sturgeon idea "scientifically unsound and grotesque."

"Riverkeeper urges the NMFS to hold Entergy accountable for its ongoing intransigence, and require immediate compliance with federal requirements or face shutdown of the reactors," he said.