Final Environmental Impact Statement-Rutherford-Williamson-Davidson Power Supply Improvement Project, 35718-35721 [E8-14146]

Agencies

• Tennessee Valley Authority

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 122 (Tuesday, June 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35718-35721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14146]


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TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY


Final Environmental Impact Statement--Rutherford-Williamson-
Davidson Power Supply Improvement Project

AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

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 implement the preferred alternative identified in 
its Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Rutherford-Williamson-
Davidson Power Supply Improvement Project.
    In implementing Alternative 2, TVA has decided to construct and 
operate the new 500-kV Rutherford Substation, the 27-mile 500-kV 
transmission line between TVAs 500-kV Maury Substation and the new 
Rutherford Substation, the new 9-mile 161-kV transmission line between 
the new Rutherford Substation and Middle Tennessee Electric Membership 
Corporations (MTEMC) Almaville Substation, and the new 15-mile 161-kV 
transmission line between the new Rutherford Substation and MTEMCs 
Christiana Substation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anita E. Masters, Senior NEPA 
Specialist, Environmental Stewardship and Policy, Tennessee Valley 
Authority, 1101 Market Street, LP 5U, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402; 
telephone (423) 751-8697 or e-mail aemasters@tva.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: TVA owns and operates a system of 
transmission lines that move electricity throughout the TVA service 
area, which comprises most of Tennessee and portions of six adjacent 
states, and to adjacent utilities. The electrical load growth in 
Rutherford, Williamson, and Maury Counties, Tennessee, will exceed the 
capacity of the three 500-kV substations and several of the 161-kV 
transmission lines serving the area by 2010. Unless action is taken to 
address this problem, TVAs ability to continue to provide reliable 
electric service will be degraded and disrupted more frequently and for 
longer periods. Therefore, TVA needs to increase transmission capacity 
in this area.
    TVA published a Notice of Intent to prepare this EIS in the Federal 
Register on July 1, 2005. A public scoping meeting was held in July 
2005 and attended by about 25 people. Written scoping comments were 
received from two federal agencies, five state agencies, and several 
individuals. The Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS was published 
in the Federal Register on October 5, 2007. TVA held a public meeting 
on the Draft EIS in October 2007 and accepted comments through mid-
November. During the development of the EIS, TVA also accepted comments 
received during an open house held in April 2006 to review potential 
substation sites and transmission line routes. Comments on the Draft 
EIS were received from about 22 members of the public and agencies. 
Appendix B of the Final EIS contains comments TVA received on the Draft 
EIS and responses to those comments. The Notice of Availability for the 
Final EIS was published in the Federal Register on April 18, 2008.

Alternatives Considered

    TVA uses a detailed, comprehensive siting process when it plans its 
transmission line projects. This is an iterative process that takes 
into account important environmental and cultural resource features 
that become constraints on locating proposed lines. Concerns of 
potentially affected landowners are also actively addressed during this 
process to reduce or avoid landowner impacts. Broad study corridors are 
initially defined and potential line routes are subsequently located 
within the study corridors. Because transmission line right-of-ways 
(ROWs) are much narrower than the study corridors, important features 
that are associated with specific corridors can often be avoided when 
final line routes are selected. Potential environmental impacts are 
considered and addressed throughout this siting process with the 
objective of formulating alternative line routes, including a preferred 
route, that meet the purpose and need for the proposed action while 
avoiding or reducing potential impacts. The identified preferred route 
is then subjected to additional study and analyses. TVA uses a similar 
process in identifying substation sites.
    TVA initially identified four solutions (possible alternatives) to 
meet the project need. These consisted of: (1) Construct and operate a 
new 500-kV substation in southwest Rutherford County, and construct and 
operate 25-30 miles of 500-kV transmission line on vacant, TVA-owned 
ROW, and about 24 miles of new 161-kV transmission lines in Rutherford, 
Maury, and Williamson Counties; (2) construct and operate a new 500-kV 
substation in northeast Williamson County near Brentwood and upgrade 
about 126 miles of existing 161-kV transmission lines in Davidson, 
Rutherford, Williamson, Sumner, Coffee, Franklin, and Bedford Counties; 
(3) expand TVAs Pinhook 500-kV Substation in southeast Davidson County 
and upgrade about 134 miles of existing 161-kV transmission lines in 
Davidson, Rutherford, Williamson, Sumner, Wilson, Franklin, and Bedford 
Counties; and (4) rely on load management and conservation by achieving 
a reduction in current peak loads by at least 800 megawatts.
    Further evaluation of these four potential solutions concluded that 
only the first would be able to meet the project need. The other two 
construction solutions had higher overall costs, engineering problems, 
and problems meeting the 2010 in-service date because of the limited 
times when the existing transmission lines could be taken out of 
service for upgrading. Although TVA has recently committed to achieving 
a system-wide reduction in peak demand growth of 1,400 MW by 2012, the 
amount of load reduction achievable in the project area by 2010 is not 
sufficient for the load management/conservation solution to meet the 
purpose and need.
    TVA subsequently addressed two alternatives in further detail in 
the EIS.
    Under Alternative 1, the No Action Alternative, TVA would not 
address the forecast high-voltage transmission capacity problem by 
implementing any of the potential solutions identified above. This 
would make existing electrical supplies unstable and increase 
likelihood of both planned and

[[Page 35719]]

unplanned power outages (brownouts/blackouts) in the Middle Tennessee 
area as the demand continued to grow.
    Under Alternative 2, TVA would construct and operate a new 500-kV 
substation in southwest Rutherford County and associated 500-kV and 
161-kV transmission lines. The preferred locations for these facilities 
were determined through a rigorous siting process, which included 
evaluations of natural and cultural features, land use, engineering 
attributes, and cost. The substation would be located on Coleman Hill 
Road, about 4 miles east of U.S. Alternate Highway 31/41. A 27-mile 
500-kV transmission line would be built on vacant, TVA-owned ROW 
between TVAs existing Maury 500-kV Substation and the proposed new 
substation. A 9-mile 161-kV transmission line would connect the new 
substation to MTEMCs existing Almaville 161-kV Substation; 6 miles of 
this line would be on vacant TVA-owned ROW, and the remainder would be 
on new ROW. A 15-mile 161-kV transmission line on new ROW would connect 
the new substation to MTEMCs existing Christiana 161-kV Substation.
    The proposed substation would occupy a 53-acre site and about 40 
acres of it would be cleared and graded. Major substation components 
include 500-161-kV transformers, circuit breakers, connecting bus work, 
supporting steel superstructure, ground wire towers, microwave 
communication tower, spill retention basins and retention pond or tank, 
switch house, and equipment storage building, enclosed by a security 
fence. The proposed 500-kV transmission line would use self-supporting 
galvanized, laced steel structures about 85 to 125 feet tall. The 
average distance between structures would be about 1000 feet. The 
electrical conductors would consist of three sets of three cables 
suspended beneath the structure cross-arms by insulators. The proposed 
161-kV transmission lines would use either single or double steel-pole 
structures 80 to 110 feet tall and three single-cable conductors 
suspended beneath cross-arms by insulators.
    Most of the ROW for the 500-kV transmission line would be 175 feet 
wide; about two miles of the ROW near the proposed substation would be 
425 feet wide to accommodate parallel lower voltage lines. For ROW it 
does not already own, TVA would purchase easements from landowners. 
Because of the need to maintain adequate clearance between tall 
vegetation and the transmission line conductors, as well as to provide 
access for construction equipment, most trees and shrubs would 
initially be removed from the entire width of the ROW. Trees outside of 
the ROW which are tall enough to pass within 10 feet of a conductor if 
they fell towards the line would also be removed. Following line 
construction, the ROW would be revegetated with low-growing plants. The 
ROW can be used by the landowner for many purposes that do not 
interfere with the maintenance and operation of the line. TVA would 
periodically inspect and conduct maintenance activities on the 
completed line. The major maintenance activity is vegetation 
management, conducted to maintain adequate clearance around the 
conductors. This would consist of both felling tall trees adjacent to 
the ROW and control of vegetation within the ROW. Management of 
vegetation within the ROW would use an integrated vegetation management 
approach based primarily on mechanical mowing and herbicide 
application.

Comments on the Final EIS

    TVA received comments on the Final EIS from two State and two 
Federal Government agencies. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
requested a comparison of the number of stream crossings potentially 
affected by the various alternative solutions. Although TVA did not 
conduct detailed field surveys of the Pinhook and Brentwood alternative 
solutions and thus cannot compare the number of potentially affected 
stream crossings with the same accuracy available for the Rutherford 
solution, the Pinhook and Brentwood solutions would potentially affect 
more stream crossings because they both involve over twice the length 
of transmission lines. The potential impacts to individual stream 
crossings under the Pinhook and Brentwood solutions, however, would 
likely be less because the transmission lines and most of the potential 
access roads already exist and there would be little to no clearing of 
new ROWs.
    EPA commented on the discussion of potential impacts to wetlands in 
the Final EIS and noted that conversion of forested wetlands is 
impactful given the loss of forest habitat and fragmentation of 
contiguous habitat. TVA agrees with this and notes that the 2.3 acres 
of forested wetlands that would be converted to scrub-shrub wetlands 
under the selected alternative occur is several disjunct tracts 
associated with previously fragmented forests.
    EPA requested additional information on the anticipated relocation 
and proximity of homes, schools, and churches to the proposed 
transmission lines, as well as the potential environmental justice 
impacts. Two mobile homes and one occupied house occur entirely within 
the TVA-owned ROW to be used for the 500-kV line, and a vacant brick 
house is partially within this ROW. All of these buildings would be 
relocated. Two fairly new brick houses slightly extend onto this ROW; 
TVA has determined that they would not have to be removed and will 
likely issue their owners a permit for the occupancy of the ROW and add 
an associated covenant to their deeds. One vacant house in a state of 
disrepair is on one of the 161-kV FOWs and would be removed. No 
occupied buildings are on or in the immediate vicinity of the 
substation site. Six churches occur near the route of the 500-kV line; 
their closest and average distances from the ROW are 500 and 2,500 
feet, respectively. The closest school to any of the facilities is an 
elementary school 3,000 feet from a 161-kV line. The closest churches 
are 400 and 1,200 feet from a 161-kV line. Relative to the three 
project area counties, the proportions of the overall population of the 
12 adjacent surrounding counties classified as minority or below the 
poverty level vary greatly and are, on average, higher.
    EPA requested spot monitoring of electromagnetic fields (EMF) in 
the vicinity of nearby residences. TVA does not intend to conduct EMF 
monitoring; TVA will, however, measure EMF field strength if requested 
to do so by adjacent property owners. Based on the design of the 500-kV 
transmission line and EMF measurements at other similar lines, TVA 
expects the EMF field strength under the maximum design electrical load 
at the edge of the 500-kV ROW to be significantly less than the Florida 
standards of 150 milligauss for lines 230-kV or less and 200 milligauss 
for lines 500-kV lines or more cited in the Final EIS.
    The Department of the Interior (DOI), Office of Environmental 
Policy and Compliance resubmitted the comments it had sent on the Draft 
EIS and which TVA had inadvertently failed to address in the Final EIS. 
DOI requested supporting references for many statements of fact and 
field survey descriptions. DOI also requested more specific information 
on the implementation of best management practices(BMPs). Some of this 
detailed implementation information is listed in Appendices H and J of 
the Final EIS, which describe the streamside management zone to be 
established along each watercourse. Additional BMP implementation 
details are listed in the stormwater pollution prevention plans for the 
various project components. TVAs BMP manual, cited as Muncy (1999) in 
the Final EIS, is

[[Page 35720]]

available on the TVA Web site, www.tva.com.

Decision

    TVA has decided to implement the preferred alternative identified 
in the Final EIS, Alternative 2. Of the two alternatives evaluated in 
the Final EIS, Alternative 1--No Action and Alternative 2, only 
Alternative 2 would meet the purpose and need. TVA used an iterative 
process to define Alternative 2; this process first considered other 
potential solutions and then considered various potential alternative 
substation locations and transmission line routes for the preferred 
alternative. The substation location and transmission line routes were 
identified as part of Alternative 2 after being evaluated for 
engineering and construction, ecological, cultural, line length, and 
land use criteria. The substation site and transmission line routes 
were then further modified to minimize effects on individual landowners 
as well as effects on natural and cultural resources. This effort 
continued TVAs consideration of potential environmental impacts that 
occurred during the consideration of other possible solutions 
(alternatives) to the purpose and need here.
    The Tennessee State Historic Preservation Officer has concurred 
with TVAs determination that Alternative 2, with the implementation of 
mitigation measures described in a Memorandum of Agreement and other 
measures listed in the Final EIS, would not adversely affect any 
archaeological or historic sites eligible for or listed in the National 
Register of Historic Places. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has 
concurred with TVAs determination that Alternative 2, with the 
implementation of mitigation measures listed in the Final EIS, would 
not adversely affect species listed under the Endangered Species Act or 
adversely modify designated critical habitat.

Environmentally Preferred Alternative

    Alternative 1 No Action is the environmentally preferred 
alternative because the impacts associated with constructing and 
operating the substation and associated transmission lines would not 
occur. This alternative, however, would result in the risk of the loss 
of electrical service to a large area of Middle Tennessee with a total 
load of over 4000 megawatts and is considered unreasonable. The loss of 
this electrical service would result in social and economic impacts.
    Alternative 2 has been designed to minimize environmental impacts 
as much as is feasible. While some or all of the other three potential 
solutions analyzed early in the development of this project could have 
resulted in less environmental impacts than Alternative 2, none of 
these solutions would have met the purpose and need and thus they were 
not considered reasonable alternatives.

Environmental Commitments

    For the reasons discussed in the Final EIS and summarized here, TVA 
is committing to the following measures to avoid, reduce, or mitigate 
the potential environmental impacts associated with these actions:
     No herbicides with groundwater protection warnings will be 
used in the sections of the Maury Transmission Line between Double 
Branch and Double Branch Road, Greens Mill Road and Cornstock Road, and 
Cross Keys Flat to Boon Creek. No fertilizers will be used in the 
groundwater source protection zone from Windrow Road to the end of the 
Maury Transmission Line study area, and neither herbicides nor 
fertilizers will be used in the section of the Maury Transmission Line 
from Windrow Road to Arno-Allisona Road.
     No herbicides with groundwater protection warnings and no 
fertilizers will be used in the sections of the Almaville Transmission 
Line from where the ROW intersects the existing Murfreesboro-East 
Franklin Transmission Line north to where the Almaville Transmission 
Line turns to the west.
     No herbicides with groundwater protection warnings and no 
fertilizers will be used in the section of the Christiana Transmission 
Line within 500 feet of the entrance to Nanna Cave.
     Should groundwater conduits be discovered within the TVA 
transmission line ROW at a later date that affect the stream at Snail 
Shell Cave or Nanna Cave, TVA will modify its construction and 
maintenance procedures to eliminate herbicide use in the conduit areas.
     Globally rare glade habitat areas will be marked on the 
transmission line and access road engineering design specification 
drawings that will be used during the design, construction, and 
maintenance activities along the transmission line.
     During the construction and maintenance of the 
transmission lines, TVA will avoid the areas associated with the 
globally rare glade habitats. Unless there is no practical alternative, 
structure placement and access roads will be designed strategically to 
avoid these areas. The glade areas will be fenced during construction 
to ensure further avoidance.
     Vegetation management in globally rare glade habitats will 
be accomplished through mechanical clearing and no herbicides will be 
used in these areas.
     No herbicide spraying or mechanical clearing will occur 
within a 500-foot radius of the entrance to Nanna Cave during the 
construction and maintenance of the transmission lines to avoid impacts 
caused by pollution from chemicals and sedimentation from disturbed 
soil. This area will be hand cleared only (chainsaws may be used, but 
not heavy equipment). All vehicles and heavy equipment will be 
restricted from the area unless confined to existing access roads. If 
the placement of a pole in this buffer or in the area of this route 
crossing a subterranean section of the Snail Shell Cave System was 
unavoidable, no blasting will be used during its installation.
     To minimize potential impacts to aquatic habitats and 
aquatic life, including federally or state-listed species, BMPs as 
outlined in Muncy (1999) will be applied to all construction and 
maintenance activities. Additionally, all intermittent and perennial 
streams were assigned a Category A protection level (Final EIS Appendix 
J) and will be provided additional protective measures as defined in 
Final EIS Appendix H and Muncy (1999).
     Areas with state-listed plant species will be included in 
the transmission line and access road engineering design specification 
drawings used during the design, construction, and maintenance of the 
transmission line. During construction and maintenance, TVA will avoid 
the areas occupied by the state-listed plants. Unless there is no 
practical alternative, structures will be placed to avoid impacting 
these areas. Additionally, unless there is no practical alternative, 
access roads and the associated vehicle traffic will be excluded from 
these areas. These areas will be fenced during construction. Vegetation 
management in these areas will be accomplished through mechanical 
clearing, and no herbicides will be applied in them.
     The location of the toothache tree population along the 
Maury Transmission Line ROW will be included on the engineering design 
specification drawings for use during the design, construction, and 
maintenance of the transmission line. TVA will clear the ROW between 
November and March when the plant is dormant; shear-clearing 
(bulldozing) methods will not be used. Vegetation management in the 
area will be accomplished by mechanical clearing

[[Page 35721]]

(e.g., mowing). Herbicides will not be used in this area.
     The location of the Alabama snow-wreath population will be 
included on the engineering design specification drawings for use 
during the design, construction, and maintenance of the transmission 
line. All construction occurring within 200 feet of the Alabama snow-
wreath population will be strictly confined to areas within the 
Christiana Transmission Line ROW. In addition, fencing will be erected 
along the edge of the ROW during construction to ensure impacts to 
Alabama snow-wreath are avoided. Vegetation management within 200 feet 
of the snow-wreath population will be accomplished by mechanical 
clearing, and herbicides will not be used in this area.
     The location of Pynes ground-plum will be marked on the 
engineering design specification drawings for use during the design, 
construction, and maintenance of the transmission line. Vehicles, 
construction equipment, and unnecessary personnel will strictly be 
prohibited from disturbing the population. This will be accomplished by 
explicitly instructing construction crews to remain on the Christiana 
Transmission Line ROW in the immediate vicinity of the population and 
to avoid any activity in this area (felling trees, grading, 
inadvertently accessing the site with vehicles, etc.) that will alter 
the habitat. In addition, fencing will be erected along the edge of the 
ROW during construction to ensure impacts to Pynes ground-plum are 
avoided. Vegetation management within 500 feet of the ground-plum 
population will be accomplished by mechanical clearing; herbicides will 
not be used in this area.
     Prior to the transmission line construction clearing, TVA 
will contract with the state of Tennessee to treat all tree-of-heaven 
within the proposed Almaville Transmission Line ROW to reduce the risk 
of spreading within the designated critical habitat. This will be 
accomplished by using a basal bark application of Garlon 4 herbicide 
before trees are cleared from the proposed ROW. The tank mixture will 
consist of a 20 percent Garlon 4/80 percent carrier solution of 
specially formulated vegetable oil. Using a backpack sprayer, herbicide 
will be applied to the trunk of each tree-of-heaven stem from ground 
level to 18 inches high. All areas of the trunk in this band will be 
thoroughly wetted with herbicide.
     Timber harvesting for ROW clearing in six areas of 
moderately suitable habitat for the Indiana bat will take place between 
October 15 and March 31.
     To minimize potential impacts to the gray bat, a 500-foot-
radius buffer at the entrance to Nanna Cave and standard BMPs at all 
stream crossings (Muncy 1999) will be implemented during the 
construction and maintenance of the transmission lines.
     Access roads that contain habitat for federally and state-
listed species will be resurveyed during the growing season prior to 
use for any ROW construction or clearing. Should an occurrence(s) be 
found within the area encompassing any of the access roads as proposed, 
the occurrence(s) will be avoided by either rerouting the access road 
or not using that particular access road. Any new roads that will be 
considered as alternatives will also be surveyed before their use.
     In order to avoid adverse effects to archaeological site 
40WM35, TVA will not place transmission line structures within the site 
or cause other ground disturbance of the site. If impacts to the site 
cannot be avoided in this manner, TVA will conduct further Phase II 
archaeological testing to identify locations for structure placement 
that will not adversely affect the site.
     Archaeological sites 40RD280 and 40RD281 will be avoided 
by the rerouting of a section of the Christiana Transmission Line.
     TVA will implement the treatment measures necessary to 
mitigate adverse effects on two historic sites, the William Allison 
house and the Smithson-McCall farm. As described in a Memorandum of 
Agreement developed between TVA, the Tennessee State Historical 
Preservation Officer, and other interested parties (Appendix B-1), 
these measures include minimizing the number and height of the 
structures within the line-of-site and the use, where possible, of 
vegetative screening measures at the landowners request.

    Dated: June 5, 2008.
Jacinda B. Woodword,
Interim Vice President, Electric System Projects.
[FR Doc. E8-14146 Filed 6-23-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8120-08-P