[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 27, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59296-59297]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29490]


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TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY


Environmental Impact Statement for 500-kV Transmission Line in 
Middle Tennessee

AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) will prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) addressing the proposed 
construction and operation of a new 500-kV transmission system in 
northern Middle Tennessee. This 500-kV transmission line would be 
located within a study area extending from near Cumberland City 
northeast to Clarksville and southeast to near Nashville, and including 
parts of seven counties in Tennessee. The EIS will evaluate the 
potential environmental impacts of the construction, operation, and 
maintenance of the line. TVA will use the EIS process to obtain public 
involvement on this proposal. Public comment is invited concerning both 
the scope of the EIS and environmental issues that should be addressed 
as a part of this EIS.

DATES: Comments on the scope and environmental issues for the EIS must 
be postmarked or e-mailed no later than December 31, 2001 to ensure 
consideration. Late comments will receive every consideration possible.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Charles P. Nicholson, 
NEPA Specialist, Environmental Policy and Planning, Tennessee Valley 
Authority, mail stop WT 8C, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, 
Tennessee 37902-1499. Comments may be e-mailed to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hugh S. Barger, Transmission/Power 
Supply, Tennessee Valley Authority, mail stop MR 4G-C, 1101 Market 
Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402-2801. Telephone (423) 751-3131. E-
mail may be sent to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Electric loads in the Nashville and surrounding areas of Middle 
Tennessee have grown steadily in the recent past and are projected to 
continue to grow. In addition, new electrical generation is being 
connected to the TVA system, particularly in the western portion of the 
TVA service area. These two factors have combined to create two 
potentially serious problems: transmission system overloading and 
damage to electrical generating units.
    TVA has studied this problem and has tentatively concluded that the 
best method of remedying these problems is the construction of a new 
500-kV transmission line that would allow the additional movement of 
large quantities of power from the western part of its system to the 
Middle Tennessee area.

Project Description

    The project would involve the construction of a new 500-kV 
transmission line from TVA's Cumberland Fossil Plant to one of two 
locations; either TVA's Montgomery, TN 500-kV substation located 
northeast of Clarksville, or TVA's Davidson, TN 500-kV substation 
located southwest of Nashville. The line would likely be built using 
self-supporting, laced steel towers on right-of-way 175 feet in width. 
A line to the Montgomery substation would be around 30 miles long, and 
a line to the Davidson substation would be around 45 miles long. 
Neither detailed routing studies nor line design studies have yet been 
conducted. The line structure type, right-of-way characteristics, and 
line length remain to be determined and could change when additional 
information is gathered.
    Line construction would require removal of trees within the line 
right-of-way as well as any other nearby tall trees which would 
endanger the safe operation of the line. Construction of the support 
structures would require the excavation of foundations for each of the 
tower legs. Cranes and other heavy equipment would be needed to 
construct the towers and pull the electrical conductor into place. 
After construction, the land disturbed would be restored and the right-
of-way would be periodically maintained to prevent the growth of tall 
vegetation which would endanger the line. The EIS will provide a 
detailed description of these activities, as well as applicable and 
appropriate environmental protection measures.
    After the completion of scoping, TVA will begin its detailed line 
routing studies using maps, aerial photography and other relevant data. 
When the studies have progressed sufficiently, potentially affected 
landowners will be contacted directly, and additional field surveys 
will be conducted.

Proposed Issues To Be Addressed

    The EIS will describe the existing environmental and socioeconomic 
resources within the area that would be affected by construction and 
operation of a transmission line. TVA's evaluation of environmental 
impacts to these resources will include, but not necessarily be limited 
to, the potential impacts on water quality, aquatic and terrestrial 
ecology, endangered and threatened species, wetlands, aesthetics and 
visual resources, land use, historic and archaeological resources, and 
socioeconomic resources.

Alternatives

    The results of evaluating the potential environmental impacts and 
other important issues identified in the scoping process, as well as, 
engineering and economic considerations will be used by TVA in 
selecting a preferred alternative. At this time, the range of 
alternatives TVA has identified for detailed evaluation include no 
action and construction and operation of a 500-kV transmission line 
from Cumberland Fossil Plant to one of two possible sites.

Scoping Process

    Scoping, which is integral to the NEPA process, is a procedure that 
solicits public input to the EIS process to ensure that: (1) 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 has been reached 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 alternatives and issues to be addressed in the 
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 in this notice of 
reasonable alternatives and environmental issues is not meant to be 
exhaustive or final.
    The scoping process will include both interagency and public 
scoping. The public is invited to submit written comments or e-mail 
comments on the scope of this EIS no later than the date given under 
the DATES section of this notice.
    TVA will conduct two public scoping meetings within the project 
study area. The first meeting will be held at the Tennsco Community 
Center, 115 Tennsco Drive in Dickson, Tennessee on November 28, 2001 
and the second will be held at the Burt-Cobb Community Center, 1011 
Franklin Street in

[[Page 59297]]

Clarksville, Tennessee on November 29, 2001. These informal meetings 
will begin at 1 p.m. and end at 7 p.m. At each meeting, TVA management 
and project staff will present overviews of the EIS process and the 
proposed transmission line project, answer questions, and solicit 
comments on the issues that the public would like addressed in the EIS. 
These meetings will be publicized through notices in local newspapers, 
by TVA press releases, on the TVA Web site at http://www.tva.gov/environment/calendar.htm and in letters to local elected officials 
preceding the public meetings.
    The agencies to be included in the interagency scoping are U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army--Fort Campbell, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, 
the Tennessee State Historic Preservation Officer and other federal, 
state, and local agencies, as appropriate. After consideration of the 
scoping comments, TVA will further identify alternatives and 
environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS. Following analysis of 
the environmental consequences of each alternative, TVA will prepare a 
draft EIS for public review and comment. 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 information about possible public meetings to comment on the 
draft EIS will be announced. TVA expects to release a draft EIS by late 
summer, 2002 and a final EIS by June 2003.

    Dated: November 20, 2001.
Kathryn J. Jackson,
Executive Vice President, River System Operations & Environment.
[FR Doc. 01-29490 Filed 11-26-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8120-08-P