HUNTINGDON, Tenn. (February 26) — Carroll County Electric Department received good news regarding the Leach substation project after a joint field review with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) cleared the way for construction to move forward.
General Manager Ryan Drewry updated the board at their regular meeting on Thursday, February 26.
The field review was originally scheduled for February 6, but was delayed twice due to winter weather before finally taking place on February 13.
Above, the Leach substation is will be located west of Lake Halford toward Jackson on US-70
Representatives from TDEC’s Natural Resource Unit met on site with Allen & Hoshall, the department’s project manager, and Brophy Heineke & Associates, the project’s wetland consultant.
Based on the disturbed nature of the site and the linear structure of the water course, TDEC’s division supported the determination that a feature previously in question was a man-made ditch, classified as a wet weather conveyance rather than a jurisdictional waterway.
“That’s key,” Drewry explained, because the wetlands identified on the site do not possess a water surface connection to a jurisdictional waterway.
As a result, they are considered isolated, and small isolated wetlands are not required to be mitigated.
“Long story short, we started this process a long time ago last year,” Drewry said. “We finally got the determination we needed to avoid any mitigation dollars.”
County Mayor Joseph Butler credited State Representative Brock Martin and TDEC Commissioner David Salyers for helping facilitate the joint field review.
Drewry echoed the sentiment.
“Wonderful meeting. Appreciate their willingness to have a joint field review with us to get where we needed to be,” he said.
Bid Revision Approved
With the environmental hurdle cleared, the board approved a revision to the previously awarded site preparation bid for the Leach Substation.
The original bid to DC Construction was approved in March of last year. Due to cost increases over the past year, the revision totals $38,579.08.
Drewry said approximately $23,571 of the increase is for site work, with the other major component being a $13,684 increase in the cost of six inches of gravel.
Together, those two items account for more than 95% of the total increase.
The board voted to approve the revision, and DC Construction is expected to mobilize as soon as conditions allow.
Drewry also set expectations for upcoming bids related to the substation. Two 69kV breaker packages are expected to be ready for board approval at next month’s meeting, while the 161kV relay control panels, which involve more engineering, are expected to go out for bid and return for approval in April.
The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for March 26 at 2:30 p.m.
