[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 82 (Friday, April 27, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21189-21192]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10538]


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TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY


Addition of Electric Generation Peaking Capacity at Greenfield 
Sites, Mississippi

AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority.

ACTION: Issuance of Record of Decision.

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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. 
TVA has decided to adopt the preferred alternative identified in its 
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Addition of Electric 
Generation Peaking Capacity at Greenfield Sites, Mississippi.
    The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was made available 
to the public in March 2001. A Notice of Availability (NOA) of the 
Final EIS was published by the Environmental Protection Agency in the 
Federal Register on March 16, 2001. Under the preferred alternative, 
TVA has decided to construct a natural gas-fired simple cycle 
combustion turbine (CT) plant with up to 340 Megawatts (MW) of new 
peaking capacity at a site in Kemper County Mississippi as early as May 
2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bruce L. Yeager, Senior Specialist, 
National Environmental Policy Act, Environmental Policy and Planning, 
Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, mail stop WT 
8C, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902-1499; telephone (865) 632-8051 or e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:

Background

    In December 1995, TVA completed and published Energy Vision 2020--
Integrated Resource Plan/ Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. 
Energy Vision 2020 projected demands for electricity in the TVA power 
service area through 2020 and evaluated and recommended ways of meeting 
the projected increases. Energy Vision 2020 evaluated an array of power 
supply technologies, both supply-side and demand-side. A portfolio of 
options drawn from several effective strategies was chosen as TVA's 
preferred alternative. In this preferred alternative, three supply-side 
options were selected to meet peak capacity needs:
     Addition of CTs to TVA's generation system,
     Purchase of market peaking capacity, and
     Call alternatives on peaking capacity.
    The short-term action plan of Energy Vision 2020 identified a need 
for 3,000 MWs of baseload and peaking additions through the year 2002. 
Since Energy Vision 2020 was completed in 1995, TVA has continued to 
evaluate and select the best resource alternatives based on the latest 
proposals and TVA's forecast of power needs. TVA's projections show 
expected peak demands growing at 2.4% from 2000 to 2005 and beyond. The 
net capacity

[[Page 21190]]

resources needed to meet the growth in demand increases 2,000 MWs by 
2002, and 3,400 by year 2004. The addition of the combustion turbines 
proposed in this EIS is needed by TVA to meet the peaking capacity 
requirements from both a reliability and cost standpoint.
    Tiering from the Energy Vision 2020 EIS, this FEIS for Addition of 
Electric Generation Peaking Capacity at Greenfield Sites, Mississippi, 
presents a site-specific analysis of the impacts expected to result 
from the addition of new CTs to TVA's power system for meeting 
electricity needs during periods of high demand (peaking). In addition 
to peaking capacity requirements on the TVA system as a whole, 
increased demands on the TVA transmission system are creating a need 
for new transmission lines and/or other transmission system upgrades in 
the western end of the TVA system. Installation of the necessary new 
generating capacity in an area most beneficial to the transmission 
system would enable TVA to delay some transmission system improvements, 
thereby reducing costs and avoiding environmental impacts.

Errata

    On page 3 of the Executive Summary for the FEIS, under the heading 
``No Action Alternative,'' reference is made to ``anticipated demands 
by May 2001.'' This should read, ``anticipated demands by May 2002.''
    Table 4-1 of the FEIS erroneously states the diameter of stack 
number 4 to be 435 meters. It should read 4.5 meters.

Alternatives Considered

    The No Action alternative would result in TVA not constructing a 
combustion turbine generating plant at either of the alternative sites 
in Kemper County, Mississippi. Under this alternative, TVA could still 
add additional turbine units at its Lagoon Creek Combustion Turbine 
Plant (in addition to the units under construction) to build out that 
facility in accordance with its completed NEPA review and construction 
air permit. This approach, however, would not achieve the needed 
transmission system benefits offered by the Kemper County sites. TVA 
also could either undertake no new activities to meet anticipated 
demands by May 2002 for peaking power, or could rely exclusively on 
options from the Energy Vision 2020 portfolio that do not involve 
construction and operation of new TVA fossil capacity. However, there 
is an unacceptable risk that relying on those approaches alone would 
not allow TVA to meet future customer demands for low-cost, reliable 
power.
    Feasible action alternatives for meeting the stated purpose and 
need include the entire portfolio of actions recommended in Energy 
Vision 2020. These actions include various supply-side actions, 
customer service alternatives, and environmental control alternatives. 
TVA is currently using all of these Energy Vision 2020 recommended 
options, and managing their use in a way which provides optimum 
flexibility at the lowest cost. However TVA's generation (or avoidance 
of demand) is not sufficient to meet future peaking demands. The only 
action alternatives considered reasonable for detailed assessment in 
this EIS were the proposed construction and operation of combustion 
turbines at one of two sites in Kemper County, Mississippi.
    An extensive screening was performed of possible site, plant, power 
line, pipeline, and other project alternatives, using a number of 
technical, economic, and environmental criteria. The candidate sites 
were selected based primarily upon the following criteria: power 
transmission (system support, connection cost, and system losses); 
natural gas supply (pipeline availability, capacity and delivered fuel 
cost), air quality impacts (likelihood of the area being able to 
incorporate additional emissions); and water supply (surface or 
groundwater availability). At the conclusion of this effort, two 
alternatives sites were selected for detailed evaluation in the EIS. 
The EIS assessed the impacts of one plant configuration. Both sites are 
situated north of Highway 16 between DeKalb and Scooba near the 
Tennessee Gas Company natural gas pipeline.
    Potential routes for a new 161-kV transmission line from the DeKalb 
Substation to the sites, a water supply pipeline, backup power, and a 
natural gas pipeline for connecting with the Tennessee Gas pipeline 
(needed for the Hamilton Branch Site) were evaluated for potential 
impacts. In addition, one 28.3-mile section of the existing 161-kV 
transmission line from the DeKalb Substation to the Philadelphia 
Substation and one 44.4-mile section of the existing 161-kV 
transmission line from DeKalb Substation to the Weyerhaeuser Substation 
would require uprating to carry the increased load. Infrastructure 
requirements for the site alternatives are very similar, except that 
the Hamilton Branch Site would require a short natural gas pipeline 
segment to connect with the Tennessee Gas pipeline.

Decision

    TVA has decided to implement the preferred alternative which is to 
construct a natural gas-fired simple cycle combustion turbine plant 
with up to 340 Megawatts (MW) of new capacity at the Sucarnoochee Creek 
site in Kemper County, Mississippi. TVA will also build the associated 
transmission lines connecting to the TVA power distribution system, a 
power line for the facility construction and emergency power source, a 
connection to the Town of Dekalb water supply, a natural gas connection 
to the on-site Tennessee Gas Company supply line, and upgrade existing 
transmission lines from the Philadelphia substation to the Dekalb 
substation and from the Dekalb substation to the Weyerhaeuser 
substation to accommodate the increased loads.

Environmentally Preferred Alternative

    As discussed below under Environmental Consequences and 
Commitments, the environmentally preferred and TVA's preferred 
alternative is to construct and operate a combustion turbine electric 
generating plant at the Sucarnoochee Creek Site in Kemper County, 
Mississippi.

Environmental Consequences and Commitments

    No significant adverse environmental impacts were identified in the 
FEIS. As a simple-cycle combustion turbine, there are minimal water 
supply requirements and minimal wastewater discharges. For both the 
Sucarnoochee Creek and Hamilton Branch sites no wetlands would be 
impacted by site development, because all wetlands are outside the 
plant construction zone footprint. However, the ancillary transmission, 
water supply and gas pipeline corridors could affect up to 2.35 acres 
of wetlands for the Sucarnoochee Creek site and up to 7.27 acres of 
wetlands for the Hamilton Branch site.
    Except for five environmental criteria, the impacts of constructing 
and operating the proposed 340 MW peaking plant and its associated 
structures (e.g., transmission lines and pipelines) would be 
indistinguishable at the two alternative sites. The Hamilton Branch 
site has no historical properties present; slightly lower potential 
impacts on the nearest noise receptors; and no acres of prime farmland 
that would be permanently removed from production (as compared to 35 
acres for the Sucarnoochee Creek site). There are two historic 
properties at the Sucarnoochee site (impacts to these sites would be

[[Page 21191]]

avoided or mitigated as described below). The Hamilton Branch site 
could result in construction of substantial portions of the project 
within the 100-year floodplain, whereas, at the Sucarnoochee Creek 
site, no construction would take place within the 100- or 500-year 
floodplain. Because the Sucarnoochee Creek site can be developed 
without construction within the 100-year floodplain, it is clearly the 
preferred site from a floodplains/flood risk standpoint. Additionally, 
the Sucarnoochee Creek site affects about half as many currently 
forested acres as the Hamilton Branch site (65 acres) does. In the 
final analysis, these differences marginally support the Sucarnoochee 
Creek site as being the environmentally preferred alternative.
    Best Management Practices (BMPs) will be used to reduce erosion and 
runoff during construction, including site activities, construction of 
construction/emergency power line connections, natural gas pipeline 
connections, and water supply pipelines. These standard construction 
and best management practices (BMPs), including such measures as using 
temporary berms, strawbales or silt fences and reseeding and 
revegetating areas of soil disturbance, would be followed in project 
construction and operation to avoid or minimize potential environmental 
impacts to surface waters, aquatic ecology, terrestrial ecology, 
threatened or endangered species, land use/soils, floodplains, and 
transportation.
    Planned mitigation measures are assumed to be implemented as part 
of the actions proposed and provide the basis for the identification of 
environmental impacts. In other words, these additional measures are 
integrated into the action and will be conducted as part of the 
project. These measures are generally of two types:
     Components incorporated during project design and 
construction that would be part of operational activities of the plant, 
and
     Programs and environmental controls initiated to meet 
regulatory standards.
    In addition to BMPs discussed above, these measures which will be 
implemented, are identified under the following specific resource 
headings.

Air Resources

     Open construction areas and unpaved roads will be 
sprinkled with water to reduce fugitive dust emissions.
     When firing with natural gas, the plant will use best 
available control technology such as dry low NOX burners 
(DLN) to control NOX emissions. When firing with oil, water 
injection will be used as a NOX control measure.
     The plant will use best available control technology to 
minimize releases of other criteria air pollutants.
     When firing with oil, low sulfur fuel oil will be used.

Surface Water Resources

     Retention pond(s) will be used to manage/release site 
runoff.
     Construction of retention/settling pond(s) will be 
completed as early in the construction phase as feasibly possible.
     Oil/water separator(s) will be used to collect oil from 
oil using/storage areas.
     Areas disturbed by the initial phases of construction, 
such as equipment laydown areas and construction temporary parking, 
will be revegetated before beginning the second phase of construction, 
if applicable.

Groundwater Resources.

     If neighboring wells are adversely affected by aquifer 
drawdowns, TVA will modify the well to lower the pump intake, install a 
new well or provide a connection to public water supplies, if 
available.

Floodplains and Flood Risk

     If a site with a floodplain is selected, all flood 
damageable facilities and equipment will be elevated above or 
floodproofed to the 100-year flood elevation to ensure compliance with 
EO 11988.
     Transmission line right of ways will be revegetated to 
reduce erosion.

Aquatic Ecology

     Monitoring of aquatic life impacts will be conducted 
during periods of wet stream blasting.

Wetlands

     Existing roads, right or ways, and higher elevations, will 
be used when feasible, for movement of construction vehicles along 
proposed linear feature, such as pipelines.

Transportation

     Cobb Road, from its point of intersection with Highway 16 
to the plant entrance(s), will be widened, straightened and covered 
with additional base material. This will be tarred during construction 
to reduce dust generation and then paved with asphalt after completion 
of construction activities.
     Trucks will be required to meet all safety standards and 
road load limits.
     Heavy haulers will be required to assess all bridge 
crossings for potential capacity upgrades.
     When working near roadways during transmission 
construction, pipeline construction and road crossings, workers will 
adhere to guidelines in Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

Land Use/Soils

     Topsoil will be segregated and replaced in pipeline 
trenches to preserve fertility.

Visual Resources

     Exterior lighting will be turned off when not needed.
     All high-traffic on site roads will be paved to prevent 
dust generation.
     Along Cobb Road and the site perimeter, existing 
vegetation will be preserved and protected to the extent practicable.

Cultural Resources

     The historic properties identified on-site will be avoided 
by the project.
     Phase I/II archeological surveys of preferred 161-kV 
transmission, water supply and construction/emergency line routes have 
been conducted and no historic properties were found. Should historic 
properties be identified during construction, they will be avoided or 
subjected to a Phase II survey.
     Phase I/II archeological surveys will be conducted along 
existing transmission lines that will be upgraded in connection with 
the project.
     Mitigation of adverse effects will be conducted according 
to stipulations developed in consultation with the Mississippi State 
Historic Preservation Officer and of any MOAs prepared for the project.

Environmental Noise

     If blasting is conducted during construction of 
pipeline(s), blasting mats will be used to reduce and muffle noise 
created by the explosions.

Safety and Health

     Safety features used during construction and operation of 
pipelines will include 100% X-rays on natural gas pipe welds, x-ray 
records maintained in accordance with USDOT requirements, and at each 
end of the pipeline, shut-off valves, which close in the event of an 
abnormal operating condition, will be installed.

Seismology

     The earth quake hazard to ordinary buildings at the 
proposed project site will be adequately addressed through adherence to 
the seismic provisions of the Uniform Building Code.

[[Page 21192]]

    As discussed in the FEIS, TVA considered additional elective 
measures for implementation at either of the candidate sites. TVA 
considered these measures with regard to their necessity for avoidance 
or reduction of environmental impacts, cost effectiveness and long term 
benefit to TVA, its customers and the people of Kemper County, and has 
concluded that these elective measures are not needed. The other best 
management practices and mitigations to which the agency has committed 
above are adequate to control the potential for impacts. These elective 
measures TVA originally considered for surface water and visual 
resources included use of diversionary berms and/or graveled roadways 
to additionally reduce erosion from the construction site; 
implementation of ``night sky'' lighting techniques and limitation of 
exterior lighting; use of flat colors in the light to medium cool-gray 
range on large visible plant equipment; paving of roads to prevent dust 
generation; planting of evergreen vegetation where needed to complete 
visual screening along Cobb Road and site perimeter; and adjustment of 
the plant footprint and construction parking locations to maximize 
visual screening by existing tree cover.

    Dated: April 16, 2001.
Joseph R. Bynum,
Executive Vice President, Fossil Power Group.
[FR Doc. 01-10538 Filed 4-26-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8120-08-P