(a) TVA's policy is to encourage meaningful public participation in and awareness of its proposed actions and decisions. This policy is implemented through various mechanisms.

(b) The type of and format for public participation will be selected as appropriate to best facilitate timely and meaningful public input.

(c) TVA will maintain a public website at which it posts information about TVA activities and programs, including ongoing and recently completed EAs and EISs.

(d) When opportunities for public participation are provided, TVA will notify the public that comments submitted to TVA on the NEPA document and the names and addresses of those commenting may be made available for public inspection.

(a) All appropriate measures to mitigate expected significant adverse environmental impacts (“mitigation measures”) must be identified in an EA or EIS. Those mitigation measures to which TVA commits must be identified in the associated FONSI or ROD (or the documentation, if any, prepared for a categorical exclusion).

(b) Each mitigation commitment that is not required under regulations will be assigned by the NEPA compliance staff to the TVA entity responsible for implementing the commitment. The NEPA compliance staff should consult with the responsible entities to resolve assignment conflicts, identify supporting offices, and determine implementation schedules.

(c) The responsible entity shall report to the NEPA compliance staff the status of mitigation commitments periodically or whenever a specific request is made.

(d) The NEPA compliance staff must ensure that commitments are met and will verify commitment progress.

(e) Circumstances may arise that warrant modifying or cancelling previously made commitments. The decision to modify or cancel a commitment will be made by the NEPA compliance staff in consultation with TVA legal counsel, after considering the environmental significance of such a change.

TVA may rely on tiering for the environmental review of proposed actions. Tiering involves coverage of general matters in broader EISs or EAs on programs, plans, and policies, and subsequent narrower analyses of implementing actions that incorporate by reference the broader analyses (see 40 CFR 1508.28).

(a) A programmatic or generic EA or EIS may be prepared to address a proposed program, policy, or plan, or a proposed action that has a wide geographic scope.

(b) A programmatic EA or EIS can support high-level or broad decisionmaking, and can provide the foundation for the efficient review of specific tiered implementing actions.

(c) Ongoing or previously planned and approved actions that are within the scope of a programmatic review may continue during the programmatic review period, so long as the criteria at 40 CFR 1506.1(c) are met.

(d) The identification of significant impacts in a programmatic EIS does not preclude the review of specific implementing actions in an EA that tiers from the programmatic EIS if the implementing actions would not result in new or different significant impacts.

(a) When a private applicant, individual, or other non-Federal entity (“private entity”) proposes to undertake an action that will require TVA's approval or involvement, the contacted TVA entity will notify the NEPA compliance staff. That staff must determine, in consultation with TVA legal counsel, whether NEPA is triggered and the scope of the review of TVA's proposed action.

(b) TVA compliance staff will provide the private entity information on its responsibilities for assisting TVA in conducting the necessary NEPA review. At TVA's discretion, this can include providing TVA detailed information about the scope and nature of the proposed action, environmental analyses and studies, and copies of associated environmental permit applications submitted to other Federal, State, or local agencies.

(c) In identifying reasonable alternatives, TVA should consider the applicant's purpose and need, in addition to TVA's purpose and need.

(d) A private entity may be allowed to prepare draft and final EAs for TVA's review and approval, but TVA remains responsible for the adequacy of the documents and the conduct of associated EA process.

(e) A private entity normally will be required to reimburse TVA for its costs in reviewing the private entity's proposed action.

(f) Participation of a private entity in a TVA NEPA review, including reimbursement of TVA's costs, does not commit TVA to favorable action on a request.

(a) The NEPA compliance staff, in consultation with other interested TVA entities, will coordinate the review of any EIS provided by another Federal agency to TVA for comment.

(b) The NEPA compliance staff, in consultation with TVA legal counsel as appropriate, will prepare comments on any such EIS and transmit them to the initiating agency (see 40 CFR 1503.2 and 1503.3).

The NEPA compliance staff must keep on file all final and approved environmental documents either in paper form or electronically, in accordance with TVA's records retention policy.

(a) These procedures are to be interpreted and applied with the aim of reducing paperwork and the delay of both the assessment and implementation of a proposed action.

(b) Data and analyses should be commensurate with the importance of associated impacts. Less important material should be summarized, consolidated, or referenced.

(c) An environmental document may be combined with any other document to reduce duplication and paperwork.

(d) Review of a proposed action under these procedures may be consolidated with other reviews where such consolidation would reduce duplication or increase efficiency.

The NEPA compliance staff, in consultation with interested TVA entities and with concurrence of TVA legal counsel, may issue supplemental or explanatory guidance to these procedures.

Substantial compliance with these procedures must be achieved. Minor deviations approved by the official responsible for NEPA compliance do not give rise to any independent cause of action.

(a) The NEPA compliance staff may consolidate, modify, or omit provisions of these procedures for actions necessary in an emergency.

(b) Where emergency circumstances make it necessary to take an action with significant environmental impact without observing the provisions of these regulations, TVA will consult with CEQ about alternative arrangements for those actions necessary to control the immediate impacts of the emergency. Other actions remain subject to NEPA review (see 40 CFR 1506.11).

(c) The NEPA compliance staff, with the concurrence of TVA legal counsel, must determine whether such changes would substantially comply with the intent of these procedures.

(d) The official responsible for NEPA compliance shall document the determination that an emergency exists and describe the responsive action(s) taken at the time the emergency exists. The form of that documentation is within the discretion of that official.

The assignments and responsibilities identified for TVA entities in these procedures can be modified by agreement of the entities involved or by the direction of TVA's Chief Executive Officer.

Information on the status of EISs and EAs under development shall be published on TVA's public website.