Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Aquatic impacts from operation of three midwestern nuclear power stations: Cooper Nuclear Station environmental appraisal report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5285082
Cooper Nuclear Station is located on the Nebraska side of the Missouri River in Nemaha County. The station utilizes a boiling water reactor and steam turbine generator to produce 778 MW (net) of electrical power. The cooling system is a once-through design that withdraws water from, and discharges to, the Missouri River. No significant adverse impacts to the biota of the Missouri River from the Cooper Nuclear Station discharge were detected. Localized effects in the vicinity of the discharge have been observed. These include changes in the diversity and productivity of phytoplankton, periphyton, and benthic invertebrates at certain times of the year. The station appears to entrain large numbers of catostomid larvae, but this loss is not reflected in the available commercial fisheries statistics. Large numbers of gizzard shad and freshwater drum are impinged annually by Cooper Nuclear Station, but neither of these species seem to be adversely affected. Bigmouth buffalo populations could potentially suffer losses, but as was the case with the other catostomids, commercial catches of bigmouth buffalo did not seem to be affected by station operation.
Research Organization:
Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., Gainesville, FL (USA)
OSTI ID:
5285082
Report Number(s):
NUREG/CR-2337-V2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English