By Marcia Barnes
Staff Writer
The Tennessee Valley Authority has scheduled four meetings which include communities in North Carolina and Georgia surrounding Lake Chatuge. Currently, the TVA is in a dam safety modification study and hopes to hear from the public at two virtual meetings and the public meetings which will be held in Clay County and Towns County.
A question which has come up is if the TVA has studied the economic impact per year of the construction and reservoir draw down?
Socioeconomic impacts are a standard component of National Environmental Protection Act reviews and this analysis will inform TVA’s final decision. TVA Media Specialist, Adam May said that the TVA understands the economic, environmental and personal value of the dam and its reservoir to those in the nearby community as well as those downstream and are committed to ensuring the safe and long-term operations of Chatuge Dam for generations to come.
From 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 6 the virtual meeting format will be a question and answer session with subject matter expert presenters. A second virtual meeting will take place from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 15. The link will be available at: tva.com/nepa.
An in-person TVA Open House will be held in Hayesville from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8 at the Clay County Community Services Building at 25 Riverside Circle. Informational booths and materials with subject experts present to answer questions will be the format. No formal presentation is scheduled during the open house.
The TVA Open House in Towns County will be from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, May 13 at the Town County Recreation Center, 150 Foster Park Road, Young Harris, Ga. The format is informational with booths and materials; no formal presentation is scheduled for the open house.
Any future changes in the TVA meetings on the Chatuge Dam Safety Project will be announced.