The Elwha Report Appendices E Through M... Restoration of the Elwha River Ecosystem & Native Anadromous Fisheries... U.S. Department of the Interioir... January 1994

470 Pages·35.7 MB·English

by  Department of the Interior

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The Ehvbalianay
Appendices E
Through M
Restoration
Of the
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kcosystem
& Native
twadromous
A Report Submitted
Pursuant To | |
Public Law 102-495 Fisheries
Restoration of the Elwha River
Ecosystem and Native Anadromous Fisheries
A Report Submitted Pursuant to
Public Law 102-495
January 1994
Appendices E Through M
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Bureau of Reclamation
Bureau of Indian Affairs
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Marine Fisheries Service
C) orinted on rec voted pape:
APPENDIX E
RESPONSIBILITIES AND LIABILITIES
2,
APPENDIX E
RESPONSIBILITIES AND LIABILITIES
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
The ———y discusses the interim operation of the Glines
Canyon and Elwha Projects from the time of acquisition by the
Federal Government until the dams are removed. If the Department
of the Interior and/or National Park Service acquire
responsibility for the inspection, operation, maintenance,
repair, or disposa! of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams, it would
be done in accordance with the Department of the Interior
Departmental Manual Part 753, Dam Safety Program and National
Park Service Management Guideline, NPS-40, Dams and rtenant
Works; Maintenance, ration, and Safety. Two operation
options, with and without power generation, are described.
A. Option I - ration for Power Production. This option
involves the continued _— of the hydroelectric plants to
the extent feasible, with the exception that no major maintenance
would be undertaken. If a catastrophic failure occurred, the
affected machine would be shut down permanently. Day-to-day
maintenance, inspection, and lubrication in the plant, as well as
1 yey periodic inspections such as for pressure tanks and
lifting devices, would continue. Maintenance and inspection
records for equipment such as the interior of the = and
the surge tank would be reviewed, but such inspections would
probably be discontinued for the remaining life of the plants due
to the cost required by the confined space entry requirements.
This would put a limit on how long the plants could continue to
run safely before they would have to be shut down, or the
penstocks inspected and probably repaired.
With the above in mina, the Elwha Dam powerhouse structure, while
old, is in reasonably good condition. It contains a single
horizontal station service machine, two circa 1914 horizontal
shaft machines, and two newer vertical shaft machines. The large
machines are of the Francis type. The equipment appears to have
been well maintained.
The Glines Canyon powerhouse also appears to be in good condition
and normally runs unattended. It contains a single station
service machine, and a single production machine. The station
service is a horizontal-shaft turbine and generator and the large
machine is a vertical shaft Francis-type.
Sr ge of both plants in the future would remain the same,
with routine maintenance performed on the day shift, seven days a
week, including lubrication, inspection, and minor adjustments.
All but minor repairs and maintenance would be accomplished with
contract forces. Major repairs would be evaluated on the basis
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of economics prior to oot the work, based on the then projected
remaining life of the facility. The levels of the reservoirs
would be maintained at the normal water surface, except during
months when flow augmentation could occur.
It is assumed that the facilities’ National Historical status and
the short remaining Life would preclude changes to bring the
lants into compliance with OSHA requirements. The asbestos
ocated on electrical equipment would be left in place and
labelled as asbestos. Noise levels would continue to be — in
the plants. Oil spill prevention and control measures would be
reviewed but p ly not modified extensively.
It is also assumed that all ipment has a useful life that
equals or exceeds the time which would be required to run. No
ipment replacement, except as Sam ring noted, is
identified. All small tools, machine tools, specialized tools,
vehicles, and spares, which are now in the plant, or which are
normally part of the a | operation of a hydroelectric
po power transmission line, are assumed to exist and to
the property of the government.
The (nonpotable) domestic water system at Elwha Dam would have to
be maintained for fire and sanitary needs. At Glines Canyon Dam,
the domestic water system would also have to be maintained.
However, the pipeline should operate without major maintenance
for the remaining life of the project. Meintenance
responsibilities for the roads to each project must be
identified. The road to the Glines Canyon powerhouse would
require periodic grading and the addition of some gravel
material. The physical plant structures at both projects are
assumed to be a ney for the remaining life of the project,
including the roofing system which would need normal upkeep.
A staff of nine operators is eye By and would remain
essentially the same during the interim period. Major repairs or
maintenance, if required, would be by contract. The Glines
Canyon powerhouse would be visited daily for inspection and minor
maintenance by personnel based at Elwha Dam. Operating costs
would remain essentially the same as experienced by the current
owner, except that replacements and some maintenance could be
reduced. It would probably be necessary to continue maintenance
welding for cavitation repair, also by contract.
Both dams would be included in the Bureau of Reclamation’s post-
earthquake inspection system, the cost of which is nominal. The
Earthquake Protection Plans would be periodically reviewed, but
no major revisions are anticipated. No Standard Operating
Procedures would be prepared to supplement the plant procedures
now in place.
B. Option II - Decommissioning Powerplants. Decommissioning of
the powerhouses is reasonably straight forward. However, this is
not a plan to "“moth-ball” the ay The electrical and
mechanical equipment would begin to deteriorate immediately upon
shutdown, a process which would continue and, in some cases,
sesotenete |w ith time. Once decommissioned, the plants cannot be
restarted without extensive electrical and mechanical rebuilding.
Therefore, salvage or disposal should begin immediately to reduce
costs and liabilities.
The rotating equipment, except for the sump pumps and any other
necessa oS would be permanently de-energized and the
lubricating oi Large oil sumps and tanks would be
flushed to assure removal of most of the oil. Oil stored in
drums in the plants would be removed. The vertical shaft units
would be jacked and blocked since the jacking systems (if any)
would have to be drained of oil as would the governors. Grease
could be left in bearings, such as on the cranes, but any
automatic greasing systems would be disconnected, bulk grease
containers removed, and the lines purged where possible.
The head gates would be lowered. If there are no penstock and
scrollcase drains, the vertical unit butterfly valves would be
closed to within a few degrees of sealing and blocked into
position, and the wicket gates closed to below 5% and the gate
stops run in. This would allow headgate leakage to drain, but
would control an accidental headgate opening or failure. If
there are drains, the butterfly valve and wicket gates would be
closed and the drains opened.
At Elwha Dam, the head gates are operated by watert y ae with
pump assist. After the gates are down, the p
disconnected and drained of oil. The water cylinders would be
valved off and valve handles removed, or the pipes to them
removed to prevent unauthorized raising of the head gates.
Access to the cylinder blockouts would be locked, although
welding the cylinder rods is also possible. Penstock fill gates
at Elwha would be closed and welded to prevent leakage. Some of
the head gates need repair and could need to be painted. All
gate cylinder operating pumps and piping of water would be
drained, and heat to the pump house would be discontinued. The
trashracks could be left in place.
The head gate at Glines Canyon Dam would be lowered and the power
disconnected. The wire rope would deteriorate from prolonged
immersion so probably could not be used to raise the gate safely
in the future. All oil would be drained as described for the
powerhouse. The trash rack structure would be drained of oil and
disconnected from power as described above.
All electrical equipment in the powerplants would be de-energized
and disconnected from the power source except the heating,
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lighting, control and instrumentation equipment for the dam,
river and lake operations, and sump pumps. Existing substations
and transmission lines would also de-energized and
disconnected from the power source. Oil] in all electrical
equipment would be removed and disposed of to prevent a spill.
Any needed power would be obtained from the local utility. If
any portions of the equipment in the plants are to be preserved
for historic purposes, electric space heaters could be required,
along with the continued operation of the ventilation system for
moisture control.
At Elwha Dam, the nonpotable domestic water pretes would be left
in operation to supply the toilets and possibly the fire system.
Space heaters would be installed (or left in service) in the
Elwha Dam control room, as this is assumed to be the office area
for the maintenance crew of the decommissioned plant (the only
toilet facility in the area is in the powerhouse). The control
room is also where the remote gate control communications and
most instrumentation are located. Maintenance of the remote gate
controls is included under operation of the dam. At Glines
Canyon Dam, the nonpotable domestic water system to the crew
cabin provides fire protection to the plant and should be left in
operation. Both water systems could require periodic flushing.
Generally, inspections would be required to ensure proper
operations of the dams and related facilities and because of
liabilities. Both the Elwha and Glines Canyon powerhouses would
be routinely visited as part of the inspection of the respective
dam complexes. Daily visits might not be required, but they were
used as the basis for the cost estimates below. Items to be
inspected would include plant sump levels, signs of vandalism,
increased headgate leakage, operation of the night security
lighting, and any instrumentation that would have to be left in
service to monitor the pool or the river. The general physical
condition of the facility would be assessed periodically, perhaps
quarterly. The trashracks are inside the log boom so would not
need attention for debris accumulation.
The only frequent maintenance that would be required is adding
oil to sump pump bearings and testing the pump controls. An
annual inspection of the pump, motor, controls, and electrical
system would be done, requiring about one day annually for each
powerplant. Another day each would be allowed annually to
maintain the instrumentation. At Elwha Dam, the battery system
has been assumed to remain active since this is the power source
of last resort for the spillway gates. At Glines Canyon, no work
would be required on the access road under this option since it
can be allowed to deteriorate to a greater degree.
Annual maintenance would be required on equipment that is still
in operation such as sump pumps, gates, and control and
instrumentation equipment. Minor maintenance of the facilities
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such as care of grounds, minor painting, grass cutting, and
cleanup, would continue. Minor non-periodic maintenance would be
required on the facilities such as repair to roofs and repair of
sump pumps.
It is assumed the overhead travelling cranes could be used during
the decommissioning work, even though they have not had the
required load tests. This is based on the further assumption
that the loads to be handled are small (500 pounds) compared to
the cranes’ estimated capacity.
The gates and motors to operate spillway gates would have to be
maintained and repaired/replaced on an as needed basis.
Secondary items such as gate seals could go without replacement,
if the operation was short-term. Major maintenance such as
repair/replacement of gate motors would be contracted.
The reservoirs could be operated at one of two levels. One level
would be at the normal water surface elevation as operated in the
past. The spillway gates could be adjusted periodically to
control runoff and maintain this elevation. Some flow
augmentation would be possible during dry months. A second
operational level would be at the spillway crest elevation about
20 feet lower than the present operation. Under this scenario,
the spillway gates would be opened wide over a period of time, to
drain the reservoir down to the new level, and left wide open.
This would require less attendance as no gate adjustments would
be necessary. Flows would be uncontrolled (run-of-the-river)
with no flow augmentation during dry months. The possibility of
atmospheric gas supersaturation resulting from the increased
spilling flow at Glines Canyon Dam and its effects on fish should
be evaluated.
c. Costs. Operation and maintenance (O&M) costs associated
with Option I would be expected to be similar to costs currently
incurred by the owner, and are expected to be between $1,200,000
and $1,400,000 annually. The energy produced at the facilities
under this option could be sold to defer costs during the interim
period. O&M costs associated with Option II would range from
$500,000 to $600,000 annually. Costs for decommissioning of the
powerplants, substations, and switchyards would be about
$500,000.
D. Conclusions. Due to the flexibility of present operations
(Option I), the condition of the powerplants, and the costs of
decommissioning, the facilities could be operated as they are
today. The powerplants are in good shape for facilities of this
age and should be capable of running for a period of 5 to 10
years with only minor maintenance once they are acquired by the
government. Operation by contract rather than by the government
appears desirable due to the short remaining life of the project
and the learning curve required to become familiar with the
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existing equipment. Although there are operating procedures
available, it is not known how complete they are. Due to the age
of the equipment, there are certain to be operational and safety
related features that may or may not be documented. Contracting
the current plant owners for operation ensures that the staff
feels an “ownership” in the plant with the attendant continuity
in operation and maintenance.
If the decision is made to decommission, a detailed plan and cost
estimate is necessary. The plan should include the salvage of
the powerplant, switchyard, and transmission equipment which
could offset some of the decommissioning costs. Salvage
contracts would have to be awarded as soon as practical to
maximize the value of the salvaged equipment and to minimize
liability. The reduced liability associated with the immediate
removal of oil from the electrical and mechanical equipment must
be balanced against the equipment’s lower salvage value due to
moisture and corrosion. Removal plans and salvage contracting
must take into account this tradeoff.
APPENDIX F
DAM REMOVAL AND SEDIMENT MANAGEMENT