[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 127 (Monday, July 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34975-34976]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16550]


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TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY


Public Meeting To Receive Comments on the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement for Addition of Electric Generation Baseload Capacity 
in Franklin County, TN

AGENCIES: Tennessee Valley Authority and U.S. Air Force.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) with the U.S. Air Force 
will hold a public meeting to receive comments on the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) titled, ``Addition of Electric 
Generation Baseload Capacity in Franklin County, Tennessee.'' The 
meeting will be held on July 10, 2001, at the University of Tennessee 
Space Institute Auditorium near Tullahoma, Tennessee. Registration for 
the meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. Central Time and the meeting will 
begin at 6 p.m. Central Time. TVA staff will be available to answer 
questions concerning the environmental review process, the project 
schedule and other details of the proposed power plant. The public will 
then have an opportunity to provide oral or written comments on the 
DEIS. Comments may be submitted on comment cards available at the 
meeting, or subsequently mailed by the date indicated to the address 
provided below. Comments will also be accepted by mail or e-mail at the 
addresses listed below.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 10 at 6 p.m. Central 
Time. Registration for the meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. Central 
Time. Comments on the DEIS must be postmarked or e-mailed no later than 
July 30, 2001, to ensure consideration. Late comments will receive 
every consideration possible.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Auditorium of the University 
of Tennessee Space Institute, 411 B. H. Goethert Parkway, Tullahoma, 
Tennessee. Written comments should be sent to Bruce L. Yeager, Senior 
Specialist, National Environmental Policy Act, Tennessee Valley 
Authority, Mail Stop WT 8C, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, 
Tennessee 37902-1499. Comments may also be e-mailed to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bruce L. Yeager, Senior Specialist, 
National Environmental Policy Act, Tennessee Valley Authority, Mail 
Stop WT 8C, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902-
1499.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Project Description

    In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 
regulations specified in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, 
parts 1500-1508, and implementing procedures of the TVA and U.S. Air 
Force, TVA as lead agency, and the U.S. Air Force as a cooperating 
agency, have prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement on TVA's 
proposal to construct a natural gas-fired combined cycle power plant in 
Franklin County, Tennessee. TVA and the U.S. Air Force are using the 
EIS process and meetings, such as that currently announced, to obtain 
public involvement on this proposal. Public comment is invited 
concerning the alternatives and environmental issues addressed as a 
part of this DEIS.
    This DEIS tiers from TVA's Energy Vision 2020: An Integrated 
Resource Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. 
Energy Vision 2020 was completed in December 1995 and a Record of 
Decision issued on February 28, 1996 (61 FR 7572). Energy Vision 2020 
analyzed a full range of supply-side and demand-side options to meet 
customer energy needs for the period 1995 to 2020. These options were 
ranked using several criteria including environmental performance. 
Favorable options were formulated into strategies. A group of options 
drawn from several effective strategies was chosen as TVA's preferred 
alternative. The supply-side options selected to meet peaking and 
baseload capacity needs through the 2005 period included: (1) Addition 
of simple cycle or combined cycle combustion turbines to TVA's 
generation system, (2) purchase of call options for peaking or baseload 
capacity, and (3) market purchases of peaking or baseload capacity. 
Because

[[Page 34976]]

Energy Vision 2020 identified and evaluated alternative supply-side and 
demand-side energy resources and technologies for meeting peak and 
baseload capacity needs, the present DEIS does not re-evaluate those 
alternatives. This DEIS focuses on the site-specific impacts of 
constructing and operating a combustion turbine combined cycle plant at 
one of the two candidate sites.
    A Notice of Intent for the EIS appeared in the Federal Register on 
March 14, 2001. A locally publicized public scoping meeting was held on 
March 8, 2001, at the same location as the presently announced meeting. 
This meeting was publicized through notices in local newspapers, by TVA 
press releases, and in meetings between TVA officials and local elected 
officials preceding the public meetings. The period for public scoping 
comments for the EIS closed April 16, 2001. A Notice of Availability of 
the DEIS was published in the Federal Register on June 15, 2001 and the 
DEIS has been circulated for comment to agencies, organizations and 
individuals previously requesting it. Copies of the DEIS have also been 
placed for public review in the Argie Cooper Public Library in 
Shelbyville, Tennessee; Franklin County Public Libraries in 
Fayetteville and Winchester, Tennessee; Moore County Public Library in 
Lynchburg, Tennessee; the Lannon Memorial Public Library in Tullahoma 
and the Manchester Public Library in Manchester, Tennessee.
    The proposed power plant would provide 510 megawatts (MWs) of 
intermediate baseload generating capacity as early as June 2003 at one 
of two sites. In addition to the No Action alternative, two alternative 
sites, located on the southwestern portion of Arnold Air Force base, 
are under consideration. Use of either of these sites would require 
approval by the U.S. Air Force. The proposed sites are currently 
undeveloped for industrial purposes and are either forested or in 
pasture. Under the preferred alternative (construct and operate the 
combined cycle plant at Site 4 in Franklin County, Tennessee), 
approximately 135 acres of land would be utilized, of which 65 acres 
would be disturbed during construction. Under the No Action Alternative 
TVA would not construct the plant at either of the sites. TVA would 
either undertake no new activities to meet anticipated demands by June 
2003 for baseload power, or would rely exclusively on options from the 
Energy Vision 2020 portfolio that do not involve construction and 
operation of new TVA fossil power capacity.
    Candidate sites were identified through a detailed screening 
process that considered: (1) TVA's transmission system capacity at the 
locale; (2) reliable and economical long-term supply of natural gas; 
(3) engineering suitability of the site; (4) compatibility with 
surrounding land use; and (5) environmental factors including wetlands, 
floodplains, water supply, water quality, air quality, and historic and 
archaeological resources.
    An installed plant would consist of two GE 7FA combustion turbine 
units, each configured with a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). 
Steam produced in the HRSGs would be sent to a GE D11 steam turbine. 
Electricity would be produced by both the combustion turbines and the 
steam turbine. Natural gas would be the sole fuel. To control nitrogen 
oxides ( NOX) emissions, turbines would employ dry low 
NOX burners and selective catalytic reduction systems. 
Excavation would be required to construct foundations for the turbine 
units, HRSGs, cooling towers, steam turbine, switchyard, and other 
components. A 500-kV transmission line would be constructed to the 
existing TVA Franklin Substation located nearby, and a transmission 
line would be constructed from the local distribution system to obtain 
construction/emergency power to the site. Water supply and wastewater 
discharge pipelines would be constructed to Woods Reservoir. Potable 
water would be obtained by tapping into a local supply line form Estill 
Springs. A short natural gas pipeline would be constructed to connect 
with pipelines owned by East Tennessee Natural Gas Company which pass a 
few miles to the south of the proposed sites. The local access road, 
Substation Road, would be upgraded from local major highways 
(Wattendorf Highway and Northshore Road) to the chosen site. Other 
appurtenances and ancillary equipment could include transformers, 
demineralized-water supply, parking areas, and support buildings, as 
well as upgrades to the main supply line of East Tennessee Natural Gas 
Company.
    The DEIS describes the existing environmental and socioeconomic 
resources at and in the vicinity of each candidate site that would be 
affected by construction and operation of a power plant. TVA's and the 
U.S. Air Force's evaluation of environmental impacts to these resources 
include the potential impacts on air quality, water quality of surface 
and groundwaters, floodplains and flood risk, aquatic and terrestrial 
ecology, endangered and threatened species, wetlands, aesthetics and 
visual resources, noise, safety and health, land use, seismology, 
recreation, historic and archaeological resources, and socioeconomic 
resources.
    After consideration of agency and public comments on the DEIS, 
including those received at the public meeting on July 10, 2001, TVA 
and the U.S. Air Force will prepare a Final EIS by September 2001.

    Dated: June 26, 2001.
Jon M. Loney,
Manager, NEPA Administration, Environmental Policy & Planning.
[FR Doc. 01-16550 Filed 6-29-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8120-08-U