[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 12, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1940-1941]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-579]


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TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY


Environmental Impact Statement on Flood Remediation at Nolichucky 
Reservoir, Greene County, Tennessee

AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: This notice is provided in accordance with the Council on 
Environmental Quality's regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 to 1508) and 
TVA's procedures implementing the National Environmental Policy Act. 
Recent studies suggest that the build-up of sand and silt at the 
Nolichucky Dam and Reservoir causes flood levels that impact non-
federal lands and property in Greene County, Tennessee. The Tennessee 
Valley Authority (TVA) will prepare an environmental impact statement 
(EIS) that assesses the impacts of alternative ways to resolve the 
flooding impacts of sediment build-up. TVA wants to use the EIS process 
to make sure everyone understands what the present flood situation is, 
how it came to be that way, and has an opportunity to comment on what 
should be done to address the flooding impacts. Public comments are 
invited concerning both the scope of the issues and the alternatives 
that should be addressed in the EIS.

DATES: Comments on the scope of the issues and alternatives to be 
addressed in the EIS must be postmarked or e-mailed no later than 
February 21, 2000, to ensure consideration.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Linda B. Oxendine, 
Environmental Policy and Planning, Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West 
Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902-1499. Comments may be e-
mailed to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan B. Fuhr, Manager, Cherokee/
Douglas Watershed Team at (865) 632-3266 or John J. Jenkinson, 
Nolichucky Project EIS Coordinator (865) 632-1513.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Nolichucky Dam and Reservoir were built in 1913 at kilometer 73.6 
(mile 46) on the Nolichucky River, 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) south of 
Greeneville in Greene County, Tennessee. The drainage area above the 
dam covers about 3,100 square kilometers (1,183 square miles) and 
includes areas within Greene, Washington, and Unicoi counties in 
eastern Tennessee, and Yancey, Mitchell, and Avery counties in western 
North Carolina. The reservoir, known as Davy Crockett Lake, extends 
upstream about 9.6 kilometers (6 miles) from the dam and has a surface 
area of about 254 hectares (635 acres). Downstream from the dam, the 
Nolichucky River flows through Greene, Cocke, Hamblen and Jefferson 
counties before joining the French Broad River in Douglas Reservoir.
    When TVA bought the project in 1945 as a power production facility, 
sand and silt from past mining upstream in North Carolina already had 
begun to fill in the reservoir. Even though erosion control measures in 
the watershed were started as early as the 1950s, so much sand and silt 
had built up in the reservoir by the 1970s that TVA decided to stop 
producing power at Nolichucky Dam. Since 1972, TVA, the Tennessee 
Wildlife Resources Agency, and a variety of cooperating organizations 
have managed the reservoir for wildlife viewing and environmental 
education.
    Recently, in response to letters and questions from local property 
owners, TVA began studying the geographic extent to which areas would 
be affected during flood events. The results of this preliminary study 
suggest that the build-up of sand and silt in the reservoir causes 
higher flood levels than were present when TVA bought the Nolichucky 
facilities.

Proposed Issues To Be Addressed

    The EIS will describe the existing environmental, cultural, and 
socioeconomic resources in the project vicinity, including the 
reservoir and adjacent non-federal property and facilities located 
within the present 100-year flood elevation. TVA's evaluation of 
environmental impacts to these resources will include the present and 
potential effects of sediment accumulations in the reservoir on flood 
elevations in the area; how the human population would be affected; 
recreational use of the reservoir; terrestrial and aquatic life, 
including endangered and threatened species; and historic and 
archaeological resources.

Alternatives

    TVA will evaluate a reasonable range of alternatives in the EIS. At 
this time, those alternatives are likely to include removal of some or 
all of the existing sediment in the reservoir, pertinent modifications 
to the dam structure, various combinations of sediment removal and dam 
modifications, and no action. TVA will use the results of evaluating 
the potential impacts of specific alternatives on the environmental, 
cultural, and socioeconomic resources, together with engineering and 
economic considerations, to select a preferred alternative.

Scoping Process

    Scoping, which is integral to the EIS process, is a procedure that 
solicits public input to ensure that: (1) all pertinent issues are 
identified early and properly studied; (2) issues of little 
significance do not consume substantial time and effort; (3) the draft 
EIS is thorough and balanced; and (4) delays caused by an inadequate 
EIS are avoided. TVA's NEPA procedures require that the scoping process 
commence soon after a decision is made to prepare an EIS in order to 
provide an early and open process for determining the scope and for 
identifying the significant issues related to a proposed action. The 
scope of issues to be addressed in this draft EIS will be determined, 
in part, from written comments submitted by mail or e-mail, and 
comments presented orally or in writing at public meetings. The 
preliminary identification of reasonable alternatives and environmental 
issues in this notice is not meant to be exhaustive or final.
    The scoping process for this project will include specific 
opportunities for both public and interagency input. TVA is 
distributing an information package to affected landowners and other 
interested stakeholders and is offering them the opportunity to provide 
comments. TVA will hold public and interagency scoping meetings in the 
project area. A public scoping meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 
January 20, 2000, at 7:00 p.m. at the Greenville High School in 
Greenville, Tennessee. The public is invited to submit written or e-
mail comments on the scope of this EIS no later than February 21, 2000.
    An interagency scoping meeting will be held the same day at 1:00 
p.m. at a convenient location in the project area. The agencies to be 
included in the interagency scoping are the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish

[[Page 1941]]

and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, the Eastern Band of Cherokee 
Indians and Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, the Tennessee Department of 
Environmental and Conservation, North Carolina Department of 
Environment and Natural Resources, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, 
The Tennessee State Historic Preservation Officer, Greene County, the 
town of Greeneville, and other agencies, as appropriate.
    TVA will develop and maintain a mailing list to identify the 
agencies, organizations, and individuals or groups identified as 
interested parties who have requested to be included in the process. 
TVA will also maintain a public reference file at the Cherokee/Douglas 
Watershed Team Office, 2611 Andrew Johnson Highway, Morristown, 
Tennessee, which will include copies of all written correspondence, 
documents, meeting notices, agendas and summaries, etc.
    After consideration of the scoping comments, TVA will develop the 
sets of environmental issues and alternatives to be addressed in the 
EIS. Once the evaluation of these issues and analysis of the 
environmental consequences of each alternative is completed, TVA will 
issue a draft EIS for public review and comment. A Notice of 
Availability of the draft EIS will be published by the Environmental 
Protection Agency in the Federal Register. TVA will solicit written 
comments on the draft EIS and hold at least one public information 
meeting to receive comments on the draft EIS.
    TVA is interested in receiving comments on the scope of issues and 
alternatives that should be addressed in the EIS. Written comments on 
the scope of the issues and alternatives to be addressed in this EIS 
should be mailed on or before February 21, 2000. TVA anticipates 
completing the draft EIS early in 2001.

    Dated: January 5, 2000.
Kathryn J. Jackson,
Executive Vice President, River System Operations & Environment.
[FR Doc. 00-579 Filed 1-11-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8120-08-P