The Tennessee Valley Authority has completed a programmatic environmental impact statement to address the potential effects of systemwide vegetation management practices along its rights of way.
The final EIS identified TVA’s preferred alternative for the actively managed transmission ROW. This alternative provides the best balance between enhancing system reliability and safety, minimizing environmental impacts, and maintaining cost effectiveness, said officials.
Following an initial re-clearing of vegetation, the full extent of the ROW would be maintained in a meadow-like end state. Maintenance of the ground cover would occur automatically on a recurring cycle, but maintenance of trees would be conducted as needed based on assessments. Compatible trees and shrubs would be allowed in areas maintained actively by others, such as residential or agricultural lands.
The TVA power service area offers a diversity of vegetation which can interfere with electric power flow, pose safety issues for TVA and members of the public, or interfere with TVA’s ability to maintain its system. To ensure the safety of the public and help prevent disruptions by electrical outages on its transmission lines, TVA must keep vegetation away from the electric power facilities. TVA’s ROW vegetation management program provides direction for managing vegetation along the more than 16,000 miles of TVA transmission rights of way.
The Final Environmental Impact Statement is available on the TVA website or from TVA National Environmental Policy Act, 1101 Market Street, BR 4A, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37402. The contact person is Anita Masters who can be reached at 751-8697 or email at aemasters@tva.gov.