By By Sheila Blackmon/The Meridian Star
Dec. 31, 2000
SCOOBA A public meeting scheduled for Jan. 8 will give residents a chance to review an environmental impact study for a Tennessee Valley Authority power plant that could be built in Kemper County.
Mike McGrevey, executive director of the Kemper County Economic Development Authority, helped TVA officials produce the study.
TVA is considering two sites, both on Highway 16 east of DeKalb, for the natural gas-fired plant. The public meeting is the second since the process began. TVA officials say they met an overwhelmingly positive response at their first meeting last summer.
At this meeting, TVA officials say they will discuss a draft of the environmental impact study. It includes public comments and suggestions submitted during the August meeting.
It also includes experts commentary on the following environmental resources and issues: air resources, surface water resources, groundwater resources, floodplains and flood risk, terrestrial ecology, aquatic ecology, threatened and endangered species, wetlands, socioeconomic conditions, transportation, land use/soils, visual resources, recreation, cultural resources, environmental noise, safety and health and seismology.
TVA officials will be at the meeting to answer questions about the study, the project schedule, and construction and operation of the proposed plant.
Scheduled to be in operation by the summer of 2002, the plant will use four combustion turbines to generate 340 megawatts to help meet the growing demand for electricity during peak periods.
After receiving and evaluating public input at this second meeting, TVA staff will prepare a final EIS which will be made available for public review. TVA officials expect to make a final decision on whether to build the plant in Kemper County in the spring of 2001.
Beginning at 6 p.m., with registration starting at 5:30, the meeting will be held in East Mississippi Community College's Stennis Auditorium at 1512 Kemper St.
Written comments may be submitted through Jan. 29 to Bruce L. Yeager, Senior NEPA Specialist, TVA, 400 W. Summit Hill Drive, WT 8C-K, Knoxville, TN 37902-1499. Comments may also be e-mailed to blyeager@tva.gov.
Sheila Blackmon is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail her at sblackmon@themeridianstar.com.
Can't make the meeting?
Written comments may be submitted through Jan. 29 to Bruce L. Yeager, Senior NEPA Specialist, TVA, 400 W. Summit Hill Drive, WT 8C-K, Knoxville, TN 37902-1499. Comments may also be e-mailed to blyeager@tva.gov.