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Crossville officials press federal, state regulators on Meadow Park dam, costs and regional options
Summary
City leaders and state and federal regulators met in Crossville to review permitting steps for raising or building a Meadow Park Lake dam as a new water source, estimated costs (~$50 million), mitigation timelines and how joining a regional water authority could spread ratepayer costs.
Crossville council members and regional water officials on Friday pressed federal and state regulators about the permitting, costs and timeline for a potential Meadow Park Lake dam project to supply the city’s growing water needs.
A council member opened the session by asking what TDEC and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers considered the least environmentally harmful and most feasible future water source for Cumberland County. TDEC staff said the answer depends on a formal alternatives analysis submitted as part of a permit application and that, among concepts discussed, expansion of Meadow Park Lake or a new dam is the project currently most fully developed.
The Corps’ representative, identified in the meeting as Mr. Ehorn, declined to pre-commit to approval and said federal review follows the 404(b)(1) and NEPA framework. “So we can’t make a, like, a firm yes or no commitment because there is a process to go through,” Ehorn said, emphasizing that the agency evaluates alternatives to identify the least environmentally damaging practical alternative before making a decision.
Why it matters
City officials and the Comptroller’s office said the project’s roughly $50 million price tag would be a substantial…
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