Environmental statements; availability, etc.: Greene County, TN; Nolichucky Dam and Reservoir; flood remediation,

[Federal Register: January 12, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 8)]

[Notices]

[Page 1940-1941]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr12ja00-112]

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY

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

AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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 lboxendine@tva.gov.

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 7:00p.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. 00-579Filed1-11-00; 8:45 am]

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