82_FR_7926 82 FR 7913 - Environmental Impact Statement-Transmission System Vegetation Management Program

82 FR 7913 - Environmental Impact Statement-Transmission System Vegetation Management Program

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 13 (January 23, 2017)

Page Range7913-7915
FR Document2017-01448

The Tennessee Valley Authority (``TVA'') intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (``EIS'') to address the management of vegetation on its transmission system. In order to ensure that electric service to the public is not disrupted by outages on its transmission lines, TVA must control the vegetation on about 260,000 acres of the rights of way (``ROW'') for those lines. This EIS will programmatically consider the impacts of vegetation management activities on approximately 17,000 miles of transmission line.

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 13 (Monday, January 23, 2017)
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 13 (Monday, January 23, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7913-7915]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-01448]


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TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY


Environmental Impact Statement--Transmission System Vegetation 
Management Program

AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Tennessee Valley Authority (``TVA'') intends to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (``EIS'') to address the management of 
vegetation on its transmission system. In order to ensure that electric 
service to the public is not disrupted by outages on its transmission 
lines, TVA must control the vegetation on about 260,000 acres of the 
rights of way (``ROW'') for those lines. This EIS will programmatically 
consider the impacts of vegetation management activities on 
approximately 17,000 miles of transmission line.

DATES: Comments on the scope of the EIS must be received on or before 
March 20, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be sent to 
Anita E. Masters, Tennessee Valley Authority, 1101 Market Street, BR 
4A, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402. Comments also may be submitted online 
at tva.com/nepa or by email to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further nepa information, contact 
Anita Masters, 1101 Market Street BR 4A, Chattanooga, TN 37402, 
[email protected]. For information on current row maintenance 
practices, see TVA's Transmission Web page (https://www.tva.gov/Energy/Transmission-System/Right-of-Way-Maintenance).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is provided in accordance with 
the regulations promulgated by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 
CFR parts 1500 to 1508) and TVA's procedures implementing the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (https://www.tva.com/Environment/Environmental-Stewardship/Environmental-Reviews/NEPA-at-TVA.)

TVA Power System and ROW Maintenance

    TVA is a federal agency and instrumentality of the United States 
created by and existing pursuant to the TVA Act of 1933. Its broad 
mission is to foster the social and economic welfare of the people of 
the Tennessee Valley region and to promote the proper use and 
conservation of the region's natural resources. One component of this 
mission is the generation, transmission, and sale of reliable and 
affordable electric energy.
    TVA operates the nation's largest public power system, producing 
approximately four percent of all of the electricity in the nation. TVA 
provides electricity to most of Tennessee and parts of Virginia, North 
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky. Currently, it 
serves more than nine million people in this seven-state region. The 
TVA Act requires the TVA power system to be self-supporting and 
operated on a nonprofit basis and directs TVA to sell electricity at 
rates as low as are feasible. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, 
deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity.
    Most of the electricity is generated on the TVA system from 3 
nuclear plants, 8 coal-fired plants, 9 simple-cycle combustion turbine 
plants, 7 combined-cycle combustion turbine plants, 29 hydroelectric 
dams, a pumped-storage facility, a methane-gas cofiring facility, a 
diesel-fired facility, non-TVA owned facilities under power purchase 
agreements, and various small solar photovoltaic facilities. The 
electricity generated by these resources is transmitted along high-
voltage transmission lines to TVA business customers and local power 
companies. The local power companies then distribute the electricity to 
end users such as residents, business owners, and public entities like 
school systems and hospitals. Distribution lines are owned and operated 
by local power companies and are the power lines typically seen along 
streets in neighborhoods.
    TVA transmission lines are high-voltage (46-kilovolts or more, with 
161-kilovolt most common) and typically have three conductors (wires) 
suspended from large structures (towers or tall poles) in ROWs that are 
cleared of buildings and tall vegetation. In most cases, transmission 
line ROWs vary in width from about 75 feet to 200 feet, with the width 
increasing with the voltage of the line. Most of TVA's ROWs

[[Page 7914]]

are located on easements that TVA acquired from property owners who 
still can use easement areas in ways consistent with TVA's operation 
and maintenance of its transmission lines. These easements give TVA the 
legal right to manage vegetation within its ROWs as well as adjacent to 
the ROW if vegetation is tall enough to pass within ten feet of a 
conductor or strike a structure should it fall toward the transmission 
line.
    TVA manages its transmission system according to industry-wide 
standards established by the North American Electric Reliability 
Corporation (NERC). Those standards state that the TVA transmission 
system must be able to survive single-failure events while continuing 
to serve customer loads with adequate voltage and no overloaded 
facilities while maintaining adequate transmission line clearances as 
required by the National Electric Safety Code (NESC).
    In order to meet its goal of providing the public safe and reliable 
electricity, TVA must control the vegetation that would otherwise grow 
up on its ROWs. When trees or branches get too close to high-voltage 
transmission lines, electricity can arc through the air like a 
lightning bolt, seeking the nearest path to the ground, such as a tree. 
When this occurs, the electricity can cause a fault on the transmission 
line, severely damaging or destroying nearby property and structures 
(e.g., houses), and injuring nearby people. The cost and disruption to 
people's lives when this happens can be serious even if people are not 
injured from the arc or flash over itself. In August 2003, a single 
tree contacted a transmission line in Ohio and triggered cascading 
transmission line failures and blackouts from Ontario, Canada to the 
northeastern United States. Eleven people died as a result of these 
blackouts and the economic impact was estimated at $6 billion. As a 
result of the event, mandatory reliability standards were developed and 
implemented. These standards are monitored and enforced by NERC.
    TVA uses an integrated approach to vegetation management on its 
ROWs designed to encourage low-growing plant species and discourage 
tall-growing plant species. This includes the initial clearing of trees 
and other tall-growing vegetation from ROWs. Vegetation re-clearing 
along ROWs utilizes various management techniques including mechanical 
mowing (using tractor-mounted rotary mowers), tree removal by means of 
chain saws or other mechanized equipment, and non-restricted herbicides 
registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency when 
appropriate. TVA's approach to vegetation management historically has 
taken into account whether the vegetation is in the ``wire zone,'' the 
area directly under the transmission line and between the outermost 
conductors, or the ``border zone,'' the areas between the wire zone and 
the edge of the ROW, as well as whether vegetation outside the ROW is 
tall enough to pass within ten feet of a conductor or strike a 
structure should it fall toward the transmission line.
    The purpose of this EIS is to examine at a programmatic level the 
potential environmental impacts of vegetation management practices 
along the approximately 17,000 miles of TVA's transmission line within 
its seven-state power service area and alternative management 
approaches.

EIS Scope

    Scoping is a process that allows the public to comment on an 
agency's plans for an EIS. This includes identifying issues that should 
be studied and those that have little significance. The public's views 
on alternative actions that meet the stated purpose of the EIS are also 
helpful in preparing an EIS.
    TVA anticipates evaluating several alternative management 
approaches, but these could change as the NEPA EIS process progresses. 
As required by applicable regulations, one of those alternative 
approaches is the No Action Alternative, or no change to TVA's current 
management practices. TVA has evaluated growth rates, climate, 
conductor sag and sway to design a cyclical, preemptive vegetation 
management program that is currently practiced on TVA's transmission 
line system. TVA's current management practices target existing 
incompatible vegetation within the ROW as well as vegetation that will 
become incompatible in the future. Under the No Action Alternative, 
TVA's ROW management personnel have discretion to manage the risk 
associated with vegetation growth that otherwise would be cleared. This 
approach allows TVA's ROW management personnel to allow exceptions to 
having the entire width of the ROW cleared by TVA. This approach is 
subject to the availability of financial resources. Any ``danger'' tree 
adjacent to the ROW is cleared by TVA. Danger trees include any trees 
located beyond the cleared ROW, but that are tall enough to pass within 
ten feet of a conductor or strike a structure should it fall toward the 
transmission line. TVA would continue to maintain its ROWs consistent 
with this approach, or any different approach that may be mandated 
during development of the EIS.
    A second alternative approach is utilizing integrated vegetation 
management (IVM) practices with a wire zone/border zone approach, where 
TVA sets objectives, identifies compatible and incompatible vegetation. 
TVA would then consider action thresholds and evaluate, select and 
implement the most appropriate methods to achieve the established short 
and long-term objectives. This vegetation control method is based on 
considerations of environmental impact and anticipated effectiveness, 
safety, reliability, economics, site topography and other factors. This 
approach would be subject to the availability of financial resources. 
Any ``danger'' trees adjacent to the ROW would be cleared by TVA.
    A third alternative approach to be considered is a border-to-border 
(BTB) approach in which TVA would remove all vegetation except the low-
growing vegetation for the width of the easement on TVA ROWs (includes 
both the wire and border zones as well as danger trees outside the 
ROWs). This approach would be subject to the availability of financial 
resources. TVA ROWs would take on the appearance and characteristics of 
natural meadows, as well as promote inflorescence by keeping woody stem 
counts low.
    A number of natural resource impacts would be evaluated in the EIS. 
These include potential impacts on air quality, surface water, 
groundwater, aquatic ecology, vegetation, wildlife, threatened and 
endangered species, wetlands, forest resources, and natural areas and 
parks. In addition, TVA would evaluate socioeconomic impacts and 
impacts on archaeological and historic resources and aesthetics 
(visual, noise, and odors). Potential impacts from siting lines in 
floodplains occur when new lines are constructed and are usually 
addressed in the environmental reviews done for those lines. 
Accordingly, TVA does not plan to address floodplain impacts in this 
programmatic EIS unless circumstances warrant.
    These analyses will be conducted at a programmatic, transmission 
system-wide level. For new transmission lines, TVA considers the 
potential effects of the initial ROW clearing and of continuing site-
specific vegetation management. For ongoing vegetation management of 
transmission lines already on the TVA system, TVA considers potential 
site-specific impacts in its NEPA reviews of transmission sector 
analyses, including impacts on identified sensitive areas. TVA divides 
its entire transmission system into discrete ``sectors'' and conducts

[[Page 7915]]

environmental analyses within specific sectors slated for vegetation 
maintenance each year. TVA anticipates that these sector area analyses 
would continue in the future, tiering off of the programmatic EIS when 
it is completed.

Public Participation

    The public is invited to submit comments on the scope of this EIS 
no later than the date identified in the ``Dates'' section of this 
notice. After TVA prepares a draft of the EIS, TVA will release it for 
public comment. TVA anticipates holding public meetings at various 
locations throughout TVA's seven-state service area after release of 
the draft EIS. Meeting details will be posted on TVA's Web site at 
tva.gov/nepa.

    Dated: January 13, 2017.
M. Susan Smelley,
Director, Environmental Permitting & Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2017-01448 Filed 1-19-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8120-08-P



                                                                                Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 13 / Monday, January 23, 2017 / Notices                                              7913

                                                  Tollway and CP have presented related                      4. CP’s request for limited discovery               Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
                                                  issues that ultimately may be relevant to               is denied.                                             (https://www.tva.com/Environment/
                                                  future construction plans and activities                   5. The Tollway’s motion for leave to                Environmental-Stewardship/
                                                  for the EOWA Project. Therefore, it is                  file a surreply is granted.                            Environmental-Reviews/NEPA-at-TVA.)
                                                  appropriate to institute a proceeding to                   6. CP’s motion for leave to file a reply
                                                                                                          to the Tollway’s surreply is granted.                  TVA Power System and ROW
                                                  provide guidance on the issues raised by                                                                       Maintenance
                                                  both the Tollway and CP.                                   7. Notice of the Board’s action will be
                                                     The Board will establish a procedural                published in the Federal Register.                        TVA is a federal agency and
                                                  schedule for the filing of additional                      8. This decision is effective on its                instrumentality of the United States
                                                  pleadings. The Tollway’s petition will                  service date.                                          created by and existing pursuant to the
                                                  serve as its opening statement. CP’s                      Decided: January 17, 2017.                           TVA Act of 1933. Its broad mission is
                                                  substantive reply and comments from                       By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell,
                                                                                                                                                                 to foster the social and economic
                                                  other interested persons will be due by                 Director, Office of Proceedings.                       welfare of the people of the Tennessee
                                                  February 23, 2017. In its substantive                   Kenyatta Clay,
                                                                                                                                                                 Valley region and to promote the proper
                                                  reply, CP should provide an analysis                                                                           use and conservation of the region’s
                                                                                                          Clearance Clerk.
                                                  that details the impact of the proposed                                                                        natural resources. One component of
                                                                                                          [FR Doc. 2017–01379 Filed 1–19–17; 8:45 am]            this mission is the generation,
                                                  construction projects on its rail                       BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
                                                  operations. The Tollway and other                                                                              transmission, and sale of reliable and
                                                  interested parties may respond to CP’s                                                                         affordable electric energy.
                                                  reply only on the issue of the potential                                                                          TVA operates the nation’s largest
                                                                                                          TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY                             public power system, producing
                                                  crossing of the Bensenville Yard by
                                                  March 16, 2017.                                                                                                approximately four percent of all of the
                                                                                                          Environmental Impact Statement—                        electricity in the nation. TVA provides
                                                     CP also requests that the Board allow                Transmission System Vegetation                         electricity to most of Tennessee and
                                                  for limited discovery on the Tollway’s                  Management Program                                     parts of Virginia, North Carolina,
                                                  alternative alignment options, the
                                                                                                          AGENCY:   Tennessee Valley Authority.                  Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and
                                                  Tollway’s plans regarding the
                                                                                                                                                                 Kentucky. Currently, it serves more than
                                                  Bensenville Yard, and the basis of the                  ACTION:   Notice of intent.
                                                                                                                                                                 nine million people in this seven-state
                                                  Tollway’s expert opinions. CP’s request
                                                                                                          SUMMARY:     The Tennessee Valley                      region. The TVA Act requires the TVA
                                                  for discovery will be denied. The Board
                                                                                                          Authority (‘‘TVA’’) intends to prepare                 power system to be self-supporting and
                                                  often does not provide for discovery in
                                                                                                          an Environmental Impact Statement                      operated on a nonprofit basis and
                                                  declaratory order proceedings.3 Nor is it
                                                                                                          (‘‘EIS’’) to address the management of                 directs TVA to sell electricity at rates as
                                                  apparent that discovery is necessary                                                                           low as are feasible. TVA receives no
                                                  here. Alignment options for the tollway                 vegetation on its transmission system. In
                                                                                                          order to ensure that electric service to               taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all
                                                  were analyzed and discussed in the                                                                             of its revenues from sales of electricity.
                                                  Environmental Impact Statements for                     the public is not disrupted by outages
                                                                                                          on its transmission lines, TVA must                       Most of the electricity is generated on
                                                  the EOWA Project, which are publicly                                                                           the TVA system from 3 nuclear plants,
                                                  available and which CP cites in its                     control the vegetation on about 260,000
                                                                                                          acres of the rights of way (‘‘ROW’’) for               8 coal-fired plants, 9 simple-cycle
                                                  reply. (Tollway Surreply 4; CP Reply 8.)                                                                       combustion turbine plants, 7 combined-
                                                  These Environmental Impact Statements                   those lines. This EIS will
                                                                                                          programmatically consider the impacts                  cycle combustion turbine plants, 29
                                                  also provide information regarding the                                                                         hydroelectric dams, a pumped-storage
                                                  Tollway’s prospective plans for the                     of vegetation management activities on
                                                                                                          approximately 17,000 miles of                          facility, a methane-gas cofiring facility,
                                                  Bensenville Yard.4 To the extent that CP                                                                       a diesel-fired facility, non-TVA owned
                                                  wishes to challenge the Tollway’s expert                transmission line.
                                                                                                                                                                 facilities under power purchase
                                                  witness’s findings on and observations                  DATES: Comments on the scope of the
                                                                                                                                                                 agreements, and various small solar
                                                  of CP’s rail operations, CP possesses the               EIS must be received on or before March
                                                                                                                                                                 photovoltaic facilities. The electricity
                                                  information on its own operations                       20, 2017.
                                                                                                                                                                 generated by these resources is
                                                  needed to call into question the bases                  ADDRESSES: Written comments on the                     transmitted along high-voltage
                                                  for the expert witness’s conclusions. For               scope of the EIS should be sent to Anita               transmission lines to TVA business
                                                  these reasons, the Board will not order                 E. Masters, Tennessee Valley Authority,                customers and local power companies.
                                                  discovery in this proceeding.                           1101 Market Street, BR 4A, Chattanooga,                The local power companies then
                                                     It is ordered:                                       Tennessee 37402. Comments also may                     distribute the electricity to end users
                                                     1. A proceeding is instituted.                       be submitted online at tva.com/nepa or                 such as residents, business owners, and
                                                     2. CP and other interested persons                   by email to aemasters@tva.gov.                         public entities like school systems and
                                                  may file substantive replies to the                     FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For                   hospitals. Distribution lines are owned
                                                  Tollway’s petition by February 23, 2017.                further nepa information, contact Anita                and operated by local power companies
                                                     3. The Tollway and interested persons                Masters, 1101 Market Street BR 4A,                     and are the power lines typically seen
                                                  may file responses to CP’s reply, limited               Chattanooga, TN 37402, aemasters@                      along streets in neighborhoods.
                                                  to only the issue of the Bensenville                    tva.gov. For information on current row                   TVA transmission lines are high-
                                                  Yard, by March 16, 2017.                                maintenance practices, see TVA’s                       voltage (46-kilovolts or more, with 161-
                                                                                                          Transmission Web page (https://                        kilovolt most common) and typically
                                                     3 See, e.g., CSX Transp. Inc.—Pet. for Declaratory
                                                                                                          www.tva.gov/Energy/Transmission-                       have three conductors (wires)
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                                                  Order, FD 33388 (Sub-No. 101), slip op. at 5 (STB
                                                  served Aug. 27, 2008).
                                                                                                          System/Right-of-Way-Maintenance).                      suspended from large structures (towers
                                                     4 See Elgin O’Hare-West Bypass Study: Tier Two       SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This                        or tall poles) in ROWs that are cleared
                                                  Final Environmental Impact Statement (Oct. 2012),       notice is provided in accordance with                  of buildings and tall vegetation. In most
                                                  § 3.4.2. The Final Environmental Impact Statements      the regulations promulgated by the                     cases, transmission line ROWs vary in
                                                  are available on the Illinois Department of
                                                  Transportation’s Web site at http://
                                                                                                          Council on Environmental Quality (40                   width from about 75 feet to 200 feet,
                                                  apps.dot.illinois.gov/fileexplorer/                     CFR parts 1500 to 1508) and TVA’s                      with the width increasing with the
                                                  ?search=environment/Elgin-Ohare%20final%20EIS.          procedures implementing the National                   voltage of the line. Most of TVA’s ROWs


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                                                  7914                          Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 13 / Monday, January 23, 2017 / Notices

                                                  are located on easements that TVA                       when appropriate. TVA’s approach to                    mandated during development of the
                                                  acquired from property owners who still                 vegetation management historically has                 EIS.
                                                  can use easement areas in ways                          taken into account whether the                            A second alternative approach is
                                                  consistent with TVA’s operation and                     vegetation is in the ‘‘wire zone,’’ the                utilizing integrated vegetation
                                                  maintenance of its transmission lines.                  area directly under the transmission line              management (IVM) practices with a wire
                                                  These easements give TVA the legal                      and between the outermost conductors,                  zone/border zone approach, where TVA
                                                  right to manage vegetation within its                   or the ‘‘border zone,’’ the areas between              sets objectives, identifies compatible
                                                  ROWs as well as adjacent to the ROW                     the wire zone and the edge of the ROW,                 and incompatible vegetation. TVA
                                                  if vegetation is tall enough to pass                    as well as whether vegetation outside                  would then consider action thresholds
                                                  within ten feet of a conductor or strike                the ROW is tall enough to pass within                  and evaluate, select and implement the
                                                  a structure should it fall toward the                   ten feet of a conductor or strike a                    most appropriate methods to achieve
                                                  transmission line.                                      structure should it fall toward the                    the established short and long-term
                                                     TVA manages its transmission system                  transmission line.                                     objectives. This vegetation control
                                                  according to industry-wide standards                       The purpose of this EIS is to examine               method is based on considerations of
                                                  established by the North American                       at a programmatic level the potential                  environmental impact and anticipated
                                                  Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).                environmental impacts of vegetation                    effectiveness, safety, reliability,
                                                  Those standards state that the TVA                      management practices along the                         economics, site topography and other
                                                  transmission system must be able to                     approximately 17,000 miles of TVA’s                    factors. This approach would be subject
                                                  survive single-failure events while                     transmission line within its seven-state               to the availability of financial resources.
                                                  continuing to serve customer loads with                 power service area and alternative                     Any ‘‘danger’’ trees adjacent to the ROW
                                                  adequate voltage and no overloaded                      management approaches.                                 would be cleared by TVA.
                                                  facilities while maintaining adequate                                                                             A third alternative approach to be
                                                  transmission line clearances as required                EIS Scope                                              considered is a border-to-border (BTB)
                                                  by the National Electric Safety Code                                                                           approach in which TVA would remove
                                                                                                             Scoping is a process that allows the
                                                  (NESC).                                                                                                        all vegetation except the low-growing
                                                                                                          public to comment on an agency’s plans
                                                     In order to meet its goal of providing                                                                      vegetation for the width of the easement
                                                                                                          for an EIS. This includes identifying
                                                  the public safe and reliable electricity,                                                                      on TVA ROWs (includes both the wire
                                                                                                          issues that should be studied and those
                                                  TVA must control the vegetation that                                                                           and border zones as well as danger trees
                                                                                                          that have little significance. The
                                                  would otherwise grow up on its ROWs.                                                                           outside the ROWs). This approach
                                                                                                          public’s views on alternative actions
                                                  When trees or branches get too close to                                                                        would be subject to the availability of
                                                                                                          that meet the stated purpose of the EIS
                                                  high-voltage transmission lines,                                                                               financial resources. TVA ROWs would
                                                                                                          are also helpful in preparing an EIS.                  take on the appearance and
                                                  electricity can arc through the air like a
                                                  lightning bolt, seeking the nearest path                   TVA anticipates evaluating several                  characteristics of natural meadows, as
                                                  to the ground, such as a tree. When this                alternative management approaches, but                 well as promote inflorescence by
                                                  occurs, the electricity can cause a fault               these could change as the NEPA EIS                     keeping woody stem counts low.
                                                  on the transmission line, severely                      process progresses. As required by                        A number of natural resource impacts
                                                  damaging or destroying nearby property                  applicable regulations, one of those                   would be evaluated in the EIS. These
                                                  and structures (e.g., houses), and                      alternative approaches is the No Action                include potential impacts on air quality,
                                                  injuring nearby people. The cost and                    Alternative, or no change to TVA’s                     surface water, groundwater, aquatic
                                                  disruption to people’s lives when this                  current management practices. TVA has                  ecology, vegetation, wildlife, threatened
                                                  happens can be serious even if people                   evaluated growth rates, climate,                       and endangered species, wetlands,
                                                  are not injured from the arc or flash over              conductor sag and sway to design a                     forest resources, and natural areas and
                                                  itself. In August 2003, a single tree                   cyclical, preemptive vegetation                        parks. In addition, TVA would evaluate
                                                  contacted a transmission line in Ohio                   management program that is currently                   socioeconomic impacts and impacts on
                                                  and triggered cascading transmission                    practiced on TVA’s transmission line                   archaeological and historic resources
                                                  line failures and blackouts from Ontario,               system. TVA’s current management                       and aesthetics (visual, noise, and odors).
                                                  Canada to the northeastern United                       practices target existing incompatible                 Potential impacts from siting lines in
                                                  States. Eleven people died as a result of               vegetation within the ROW as well as                   floodplains occur when new lines are
                                                  these blackouts and the economic                        vegetation that will become                            constructed and are usually addressed
                                                  impact was estimated at $6 billion. As                  incompatible in the future. Under the                  in the environmental reviews done for
                                                  a result of the event, mandatory                        No Action Alternative, TVA’s ROW                       those lines. Accordingly, TVA does not
                                                  reliability standards were developed                    management personnel have discretion                   plan to address floodplain impacts in
                                                  and implemented. These standards are                    to manage the risk associated with                     this programmatic EIS unless
                                                  monitored and enforced by NERC.                         vegetation growth that otherwise would                 circumstances warrant.
                                                     TVA uses an integrated approach to                   be cleared. This approach allows TVA’s                    These analyses will be conducted at a
                                                  vegetation management on its ROWs                       ROW management personnel to allow                      programmatic, transmission system-
                                                  designed to encourage low-growing                       exceptions to having the entire width of               wide level. For new transmission lines,
                                                  plant species and discourage tall-                      the ROW cleared by TVA. This                           TVA considers the potential effects of
                                                  growing plant species. This includes the                approach is subject to the availability of             the initial ROW clearing and of
                                                  initial clearing of trees and other tall-               financial resources. Any ‘‘danger’’ tree               continuing site-specific vegetation
                                                  growing vegetation from ROWs.                           adjacent to the ROW is cleared by TVA.                 management. For ongoing vegetation
                                                  Vegetation re-clearing along ROWs                       Danger trees include any trees located                 management of transmission lines
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                                                  utilizes various management techniques                  beyond the cleared ROW, but that are                   already on the TVA system, TVA
                                                  including mechanical mowing (using                      tall enough to pass within ten feet of a               considers potential site-specific impacts
                                                  tractor-mounted rotary mowers), tree                    conductor or strike a structure should it              in its NEPA reviews of transmission
                                                  removal by means of chain saws or                       fall toward the transmission line. TVA                 sector analyses, including impacts on
                                                  other mechanized equipment, and non-                    would continue to maintain its ROWs                    identified sensitive areas. TVA divides
                                                  restricted herbicides registered with the               consistent with this approach, or any                  its entire transmission system into
                                                  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency                    different approach that may be                         discrete ‘‘sectors’’ and conducts


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                                                                                Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 13 / Monday, January 23, 2017 / Notices                                             7915

                                                  environmental analyses within specific                  2016/2017 GSP Annual Product Review.                   GSP program is authorized by Title V of
                                                  sectors slated for vegetation                           February 22, 2017—The GSP                              the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2461,
                                                  maintenance each year. TVA anticipates                  Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff                 et seq.), as amended (1974 Act), and is
                                                  that these sector area analyses would                   Committee (TPSC) will convene a                        implemented in accordance with
                                                  continue in the future, tiering off of the              public hearing on all petitioned product               Executive Order 11888 of November 24,
                                                  programmatic EIS when it is completed.                  additions, product removals, and                       1975, as modified by subsequent
                                                                                                          competitive needs limitation (CNL)                     Executive Orders and Presidential
                                                  Public Participation                                    waiver petitions that were accepted for                Proclamations.
                                                     The public is invited to submit                      the 2016/2017 GSP Annual Product
                                                  comments on the scope of this EIS no                                                                           Petitions Requesting Modifications of
                                                                                                          Review. The hearing will be held in
                                                  later than the date identified in the                                                                          Product Eligibility
                                                                                                          Rooms 1 and 2, 1724 F Street NW.,
                                                  ‘‘Dates’’ section of this notice. After                 Washington, DC 20508, beginning at                        In a notice published in the Federal
                                                  TVA prepares a draft of the EIS, TVA                    9:30 a.m. March 15, 2017—Due date for                  Register on August 25, 2016 (81 FR
                                                  will release it for public comment. TVA                 submission of post-hearing comments or                 58547), the Office of the U.S. Trade
                                                  anticipates holding public meetings at                  briefs in connection with the GSP                      Representative (USTR) announced the
                                                  various locations throughout TVA’s                      Subcommittee Public Hearing.                           initiation of the 2016/2017 GSP Annual
                                                  seven-state service area after release of                  April 2017—The U.S. International                   Review and indicated that the
                                                  the draft EIS. Meeting details will be                  Trade Commission (USITC) is expected                   interagency GSP Subcommittee of the
                                                  posted on TVA’s Web site at tva.gov/                    to publish a public version of its report              TPSC was prepared to receive petitions
                                                  nepa.                                                   providing advice on the probable                       to modify the list of products that are
                                                                                                          economic effect of the prospective                     eligible for duty-free treatment under
                                                    Dated: January 13, 2017.
                                                                                                          addition and removal of products and                   the GSP program and petitions to waive
                                                  M. Susan Smelley,                                                                                              CNLs on imports of certain products
                                                                                                          granting of CNL waiver petitions
                                                  Director, Environmental Permitting &                    considered as part of 2016/2017 GSP                    from specific beneficiary countries.
                                                  Compliance.                                                                                                       The GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC
                                                                                                          Annual Product Review. Comments
                                                  [FR Doc. 2017–01448 Filed 1–19–17; 8:45 am]             from interested parties on the USITC                   has reviewed the product and CNL
                                                  BILLING CODE 8120–08–P                                  report on these products should be                     waiver petitions submitted in response
                                                                                                          posted on www.regulations.gov in                       to these announcements, and has
                                                                                                          Docket Number USTR–2016–0009                           decided to accept for review five
                                                  OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES                             following the instructions provided                    petitions to add a product to the list of
                                                  TRADE REPRESENTATIVE                                    below and will be due ten calendar days                those eligible for duty-free treatment
                                                                                                          after the date of the USITC’s publication              under GSP, one petition to remove a
                                                  Generalized System of Preferences                       of the public version of the report. July              product from GSP eligibility for certain
                                                  (GSP): Notice Regarding the 2016/2017                   1, 2017—Effective date for any                         GSP beneficiary countries, and seven
                                                  GSP Annual Product Review and                           modifications that the President                       petitions to waive CNLs.
                                                  Certain Country Practice Cases                          proclaims to the list of articles eligible                A list of petitions and products
                                                  AGENCY:  Office of the United States                    for duty-free treatment under the GSP                  accepted for review is posted on the
                                                  Trade Representative.                                   resulting from the 2016/2017 Annual                    USTR Web site at https://ustr.gov/issue-
                                                                                                          Product Review and for determinations                  areas/preference-programs/generalized-
                                                  ACTION: Notice of hearing and receipt of
                                                                                                          related to CNL waivers.                                system-preferences-gsp/current-reviews/
                                                  public comments.
                                                                                                          SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                             gsp-20162017 under the title ‘‘Petitions
                                                  SUMMARY:   This notice announces                                                                               Accepted in the 2016/2017 GSP Annual
                                                                                                          Certain Country Practice Reviews                       Product Review.’’ This list also can be
                                                  petitions submitted in connection with
                                                  the 2016/2017 GSP Annual Product                           The status of country practices                     found at www.regulations.gov in Docket
                                                  Review that have been accepted for                      reviews being considered as part of the                Number USTR–2016–0009. Acceptance
                                                  further review. This notice also sets                   2016/2017 GSP Annual Review is                         of a petition indicates only that the
                                                  forth the schedule for submitting                       described in the list of Active and                    TPSC found that the subject petition
                                                  comments and for a public hearing                       Closed Country Practices Reviews,                      warranted further consideration and
                                                  associated with the review of these                     which is available on the USTR GSP                     that a review of the requested action
                                                  petitions and products. This notice also                Web site at https://ustr.gov/node/6526.                will take place.
                                                  announces the closure of the country                    This list includes previously accepted                    The GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC
                                                  practices review of worker rights in Fiji               country practices petitions. The United                invites comments in support of or in
                                                  and Niger without change to those                       States Trade Representative, drawing on                opposition to any petition that has been
                                                  countries’ GSP trade benefits.                          the advice of the TPSC, has decided to                 accepted for the 2016/2017 GSP Annual
                                                                                                          close the country practices review cases               Product Review. The GSP
                                                  FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                                                                                          in docket number USTR–2013–0012                        Subcommittee of the TPSC will also
                                                  Naomi Freeman, Director for GSP,
                                                                                                          regarding worker rights in Fiji, and                   convene a public hearing on these
                                                  Office of the United States Trade
                                                                                                          docket number USTR–2013–0005                           products and petitions. See below for
                                                  Representative, 1724 F Street NW.,
                                                                                                          regarding worker rights in Niger, in                   information on how to submit a request
                                                  Washington, DC 20508. The telephone
                                                                                                          view of progress made by the                           to testify at this hearing.
                                                  number is (202) 395–2974 and the email
                                                                                                          governments of Fiji and Niger,
                                                  address is Naomi_S_Freeman@                                                                                    Notice of Public Hearing
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                          respectively, in addressing worker rights
                                                  ustr.eop.gov.                                                                                                    The GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC
                                                                                                          issues in those countries.
                                                  DATES:  The schedule for the 2016/2017                                                                         will hold a hearing on Wednesday,
                                                  GSP Annual Product Review is set forth                  Background                                             February 22, 2017 beginning at 9:30
                                                  below: February 15, 2017—Due date for                     The GSP program provides for the                     a.m., for products and petitions
                                                  submission of comments, pre-hearing                     duty-free importation of designated                    accepted for the 2016/2017 GSP Annual
                                                  briefs and requests to appear at the GSP                articles when imported from designated                 Product Review. The hearing will be
                                                  Subcommittee Public Hearing on the                      beneficiary developing countries. The                  held at 1724 F Street NW., Washington,


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Document Created: 2017-01-20 01:29:27
Document Modified: 2017-01-20 01:29:27
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice of intent.
DatesComments on the scope of the EIS must be received on or before March 20, 2017.
ContactFor further nepa information, contact Anita Masters, 1101 Market Street BR 4A, Chattanooga, TN 37402, [email protected] For information on current row maintenance practices, see TVA's Transmission Web page (https://www.tva.gov/Energy/ Transmission-System/Right-of-Way-Maintenance).
FR Citation82 FR 7913 

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