Cheatham County Generation Site EIS Scoping Report
• In- and/or out-of-Valley Wind • Energy Efficiency (EE) • Demand Response (DR) 4 Environmental Review Process
NEPA requires federal agencies to consider and study the potential environmental consequences of proposed actions. Actions, in this context, can include new and continuing activities that are conducted, financed, assisted, regulated, or approved by federal agencies, as well as new or revised plans, policies, or procedures. The NEPA review process is intended to help federal agencies understand a proposed action’s impacts and thereby ensure informed decision making (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 1500.1). NEPA also requires that federal agencies provide opportunities for public involvement in the decision-making process. TVA is initiating the preparation of an EIS to assess the environmental impacts of its proposed action. TVA is using the input from the public scoping period, summarized below, in developing the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS will be distributed to interested individuals; groups; and federal, state, and local agencies for their review and comment. TVA also will submit the Draft EIS to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), which will publish a notice of its availability in the Federal Register . Following the 45- day public comment period for the Draft EIS, TVA will respond to the comments received and incorporate any necessary changes into the Final EIS. TVA will make a final decision regarding the Proposed Action no earlier than 30 days after the Final EIS is published. The completed Final EIS will be placed on TVA’s website, and notices of its availability will be sent to those who received, or submitted comments on, the Draft EIS. TVA also will send the Final EIS to the USEPA, which will publish a notice of its availability in the Federal Register . TVA will then issue a Record of Decision, which will include (1) the decision; (2) the rationale for the decision; (3) alternatives that were considered; (4) the alternative that was considered environmentally preferable; and (5) associated mitigation measures, as well as monitoring and enforcement requirements. TVA expects to release the draft EIS in April late 2024. TVA anticipates issuing the Final EIS in September 2025 and a Record of Decision at least 30 days after the issuance of the Final EIS. In accordance with 18 CFR Section 1318.402(g)(8), site-specific studies associated with the construction of a CT plant interconnected with an approximately 400 MW-hour BESS and alternatives will be conducted by TVA specialists and contractors. Detailed studies and analysis of the proposed 8-mile pipeline associated with the Action Alternative would be conducted by a pipeline company and additional review will be undertaken by FERC in accordance with its own NEPA procedures while reviewing the pipeline company’s request for a certificate of public convenience and necessity. The pipeline impacts will be discussed in this EIS as a related action. 4.1 Applicable Federal Laws and Executive Orders 4.1.1 National Environmental Policy Act This EIS is being prepared by TVA in accordance with NEPA (42 U.S. Code §§ 4321 et seq.), regulations implementing NEPA analyses promulgated by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR Parts 1500
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