KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Authority is asking for public comment on alternatives for how it will manage vegetation along its 16,000 miles of transmission line to continue to ensure public safety and reliable electric power.

TVA has prepared a draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement that outlines four alternatives for guiding vegetation management in its transmission rights-of-way.

The draft EIS can be viewed online at TVA’s website. The public comment period extends from Aug. 13 through Sept. 24, 2018.

Seven public open house meetings have been scheduled across the Valley to allow TVA team members to better explain the four alternatives being considered. Each meeting will be held from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. local time in these locations:

• Aug. 28 — TVA Office Complex, Ross Landing Room, 1101 Market St., Chattanooga, Tenn.
• Sept .4 — TVA Customer Service Center, 6045 Russellville Rd., Bowling Green, Ky.
• Sept. 5 — One Century Plaza, Conference Center, 26 Century Blvd., Nashville, Tenn.
• Sept. 6 — TVA Knoxville Office Complex, Auditorium, 400 W. Summit Hill Dr., Knoxville, Tenn.
• Sept. 11 — Downtown Public Library, 915 Monroe St., SW, Huntsville, Ala.
• Sept. 12 — TVA Customer Service Center, Auditorium, 3197 Brooks Rd., Tupelo, Miss.
• Sept. 13 — Memphis Light, Gas & Water Training Facility, 4949 Raleigh LaGrange Rd., Memphis, Tenn.

Comments on the plan can be submitted in writing to Anita E. Masters, NEPA Compliance Project Manager, 1101 Market Street, BR 4A, Chattanooga, TN 37402 or [email protected]; online at the link provided below, or in person at one of seven open house meetings, but must be received by the end of the comment period, Sept. 24, 2018. Please note that any comments received, including names and addresses, will become part of the project administrative record and will be available for public inspection.

Additional details on the draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement process, public comment submittal and the scheduled public open house meetings can be found at https://www.tva.com/environment/environmental-stewardship/environmental-reviews.

For more information about TVA and its 85-year mission of service to the Tennessee Valley, click here.