Latest news with #TDEC
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bean Station sewer project gets $1.5 million in state funding
BEAN STATION, Tenn. (WATE) — $1.5 million in state funding was approved for the Town of Bean Station to begin its sewer project. The project will connect Bean Station to the city of Morristown's wastewater treatment facility. This aims to reduce costs for residents while ensuring more efficient, reliable service for the community. The funding comes from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's (TDEC) Water Regionalization Project. Concerns over planned 'micronation' in Hawkins County 'This project is a game-changer for growth in the Bean Station community, opening the door for new businesses, restaurants and opportunities,' said State Rep. Rick Eldridge. 'Local leaders have worked tirelessly to help secure this funding, and I'm deeply grateful to the General Assembly and TDEC for recognizing this need. I look forward to seeing the project break ground soon!' This initiative's goal is to strengthen that state's arterial infrastructure. TDEC received more than $1.3 billion from the state's American Rescue Plan funds to administer grants like the one to Bean Station. The grants can be used for projects focusing on drinking water, wastewater and stormwater projects focused on regionalization, water reuse and resource protection. Regionalization is when a smaller utility system is consolidated into a larger network. KPD, YWAC investigating after two dogs found abandoned This is not the first time Bean Station has been given a grant from the state's American Rescue Plan funds. In April 2023, Bean Station was given a $3,949,472 grant to address critical system needs for several utility systems and develop an Asset Management Plan. The projects funded include improvements to the Wastewater Treatment Plant and collection system, and meter and water line replacements and extensions. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
TDEC warns against eating catfish from Sullivan Co. reservoir
SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) issued a precautionary fish consumption advisory Monday for catfish in Fort Patrick Henry Reservoir. According to a news release from TDEC, the advisory is due to PCBs, a type of chemical, found in catfish at the reservoir, which is located on the South Fork Holston River near Kingsport. 'The advisory applies to all catfish species for the entirety of the reservoir based on data exceeding Tennessee's trigger point for PCBs,' TDEC said in the release. 'PCBs in channel catfish averaged 0.296 mg/kg, which is above the trigger point of 0.047 mg/kg. The advisory is consistent with TDEC's responsibilities under the Tennessee Water Quality Control Act.' Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Pregnant women, nursing mothers and children should avoid eating the fish, TDEC stated. Others are asked to limit consumption to one meal per month. Recreational activities, including boating, kayaking, swimming, wading and catch-and-release fishing, are considered safe and carry no risk, according to TDEC. For a complete list of fishing advisories in Tennessee, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Bill Lee wanted $100M for Duck River projects. Lawmakers approved $65M
The Tennessee General Assembly approved $65 million of Gov. Bill Lee's $100 million ask for projects to support regional water utility partnerships in Middle Tennessee and conserve the Duck River, pictured in May 2024. (Photo: John Partipilo) The Tennessee General Assembly's 2026 budget trimmed $35 million from a funding bucket intended to support ongoing efforts to preserve North America's most ecologically diverse freshwater river while serving the growing Middle Tennessee population's water needs. The Duck River, a 'scenic treasure' according to Gov. Bill Lee, provides water to an estimated 250,000 Middle Tennessee residents. Its water levels reached concerning lows in 2025, and an increase in dead mussels signaled the river's health is in peril, scientists say. Lee's budget proposal originally earmarked $100 million 'to create a regional water supply strategy that will solve this problem once and for all,' he said in his 2025 State of the State Address. The $59.8 billion budget approved by the Tennessee General Assembly on Wednesday allocated $65 million to projects involving the river. House Majority Leader William Lamberth, a Sumner County Republican, said in a Thursday news conference that when viewed 'as a whole, 98% plus of the budget was almost exactly what the governor proposed.' TDEC: $100M Duck River budget ask could be used toward regional Tennessee River pipeline Rep. Jody Barrett, a Dickson Republican, represents Hickman County, which is bisected by the Duck River. While his constituents' concerns about the river are mostly environmental for now, residents of neighboring Maury County are looking toward the Duck as a 'saving grace' for water shortages, he said. 'Certainly $35 million is going to have some practical impact. As far as how that money was going to be used, I'm not exactly sure, so I don't know that it will be a considerable immediate impact,' Barrett said. 'But obviously it's an emergency situation, depending upon where you are along the river.' Barrett said he understands part of the reasoning behind the funding redirect was a lack of specificity on how the funding will be used. Lee's November executive order to conserve the Duck River tasks the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) to 'evaluate large-scale engineering projects' for cost and feasibility. TDEC Commissioner David Salyers in March referred to the proposed $100 million as 'incentive money' to encourage partnerships among regional utilities. Salyers chairs the 19-member advisory group created by Lee to make recommendations to the governor and state lawmakers. He told lawmakers last month that the funding could be put toward a potential pipeline from the Cumberland or Tennessee rivers to 'really solve the problem' of drinking water access. But Salyers also acknowledged that a full solution will likely require hundreds of millions of dollars over the course of several years. 'While we are disappointed by the reduction in funding by $35 million for the Duck River projects, we recognize that conservation requires sustained commitment over time, not just in moments of opportunity,' Harpeth Conservancy CEO Grace Stranch, also a member of the governor's advisory group, wrote in an email to Tennessee Lookout. 'I am honored to serve on the Duck River Planning Partnership and look forward to working with partners across the region to identify sustainable, collaborative solutions for protecting one of Tennessee's most vital natural resources.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
TDEC, Bays Mtn. Park perform prescribed burn to negate future forest fires
KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — Smoke could be seen coming from Bays Mountain Park in Kingsport most of the afternoon on Wednesday. It was controlled burn by park rangers in conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). Prescribed burns are used to purposefully light fire to certain locations of woodland. It's a land management technique to mimic the natural occurrence of fire that will restore a healthy ecosystem, according to TDEC officials. It's the first time it's ever been done at Bays Mountain. The fire was closely monitored by TDEC, park rangers, Kingsport firefighters and some future firefighters from Dobyns-Bennett High School's Pulaski Club. The Pulaski Club is the only high school wildland fire training club in the country. Student Killian Kelly said it's pretty cool to take part in a prescribed burn at a park that means so much to him. '(I was) born and raised in Kingsport,' Kelly told News Channel 11. 'So I've been up here, all my life I've come up here for field trips, being in the planetarium. I've hiked these trails before. So it's definitely something else to come back and do something historical for them. So I would definitely love to come up here in the future and see how the land kind of regenerates after the fire.' Kelly says he wants to be a firefighter when he graduates from high school. 'I plan to go and structure firefighting. So I thought this program and the DB fire class in general would be a great place to start my career.' The burn was carefully planned and had been in the works for some time, but TDEC leaders said the added debris from Hurricane Helene made this a perfect time. TDEC's Natural Area Program Manager Sam King explained the importance of a controlled burn. 'A prescribed burn is a lot different from a wildfire,' King said. 'We have a very specific set of parameters, both weather and how the fuels and the leaf litter, and the wood on the ground, the moisture levels, and how all that interacts that lets us do these burns safely. Rather than wait for a major drought or a lightning storm or something that could start a wildfire, we're able to come in and do it with adequate resources and make sure everything stays under control in order to meet our objectives.' Only about seven acres were burned among the park's 3,766 acres of land. However, park manager Megan Krager said the small burn would be instrumental in gathering data like how the fire reacted and what plant life will return. 'So we want to see what the landscape is going to do,' Krager said. 'If there's some swirly winds on the top ridge, we want to see how that's going to affect some of our ignition sites. Also, too, what we want to do is after the burn, we want to know what's going to be coming back. We want to know, is there anything else that might be laying down in seed that's been dormant for a number of years? Would that possibly be coming back? So again, we're trying to fill in some of the gaps and some of the questions that we had ourselves over the past few years about certain plants here at the park.' The burn was at the top of the mountain near the communication towers, a popular trail for biking and walking. Visitors may be shocked at the sight of charred land, but Krager says the burn is good for the park's ecosystem. 'They're going to see some charring on the ground. And then within roughly about three weeks, they'll start to see some of the plants start to come back. Some of the greenery, and then a month later, you'll see a little bit more greenery as well. Yes, the base of some of our trees are going to be charred, but it doesn't affect the trees because we're not cutting our trees down for logging purposes.' Bays Mountain leaders said if the results of the prescribed burn Wednesday are successful, more burns will likely be planned at the park in the future. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jonesborough community discusses First Frontier Trail to connect Tweetsie Trail
JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL)— The Town of Jonesborough is applying for a Local Park and Recreation Fund Grant (LPRF) to help create the First Frontier Trail, which will ultimately connect Jonesborough to the Tweetsie Trail that runs through Johnson City and Elizabethton. The grant is from the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation's (TDEC) Office of Outdoor Recreation. In Gov. Bill Lee's 2024-25 fiscal budget, $2.4 million was allocated for the First Frontier Trail. The entire project is estimated to cost a little over $3 million. 'This is a 50/50 match grant, so we would be able to put up the land value of the site location as a dollar figure amount,' Jonesborough's Parks and Recreation Director Chris Kudera said. 'And then, of course, the money that was allocated from the governor's budget would be the other money that the town would put up to cover that 50%.' Kudera said the First Frontier Trail's connectivity to other towns and cities is exciting for tourism and economic development. The expansion means someone could travel from Hampton on the Tweetsie Trail and end up in Golden Oak Park in Jonesborough. Matthew Paul is a trail advocate and a founder of the community group Ride JC. He attended the community meeting and is looking forward to riding on the First Frontier Trail. 'One of the things that I've kind of had a dream about, I went to Germany for a foreign exchange program and it was really crazy to me at the time that you could bike from one town to the next,' Paul said. 'And I got back here and I was like, You know, it'll never happen here. And now we have this opportunity that's coming up for us to do it. So it's been really exciting to do that.' Paul was also in the original committee that Washington County Mayor Joe Grandy put together to petition the governor for funds for a trail. 'So one thing that I'm really excited about is most of the trails around here are pretty small. You can bike them in maybe an hour or two; by connecting all the Tweetsie together with the First Frontier Trail, you're going to get about a 30-mile section. And at that point, it's long enough to make a day trip out of it.' Many of the questions and comments people had about the trail at the meeting were about amenities and logistics. 'Is it going to be a true trail system, which is traditionally asphalt, or is that going to be concrete?' Kudera posed. 'What amenities are you going to be able to offer? And of course, what programming are we going to be able to bring into the town whenever this project is completed?' Paul had input about trail crossings and traffic control. 'And so some of the things that I was thinking about that would be really great about this trail is making sure that we slow down the cars that are coming around when we're kind of doing trail crossings and things like that, so that we can have a better experience as a walker or a biker,' Paul said. People also brought up E-bike charging stations, water fountains, changing rooms and other ideas. 'So one gentleman brought up signage,' Paul said. 'And it really sparked my thing that when I go and do bike tours of other areas and other trails, the first thing I'm looking for is what's around me. And so being able to see, 'oh, well, this way off the trail, there's this historic church or over here is a small place where you can get food' was really nice.' The First Frontier Trailhead will be located behind the former Jonesborough Middle School, where the athletic field is. The trailhead will have a park, a new restroom facility, ADA parking, bike racks, a kids' bike trail and other amenities. 'So projects like these are really great for helping people say, 'you know what, maybe today it's a beautiful day, I can go and I can walk to the park or I can bike somewhere',' Paul said. 'I can go bike to pick up the groceries at Boom Street Market and things like that.' Paul said he hopes this project will help spur other expansions maybe into Greene, Sullivan or Unicoi counties. People can still submit questions and comments to the Parks and Rec Department in Jonesborough by calling 423-753-1030 or emailing Kudera at chrisk@ The full presentation from the community input meeting can be found at the top of the department's webpage about the trail. Kudera said the town should know in August whether they received the grant funding. 'And then, of course, it'll have to go through a lot of planning and a lot of communications back and forth with the state,' Kudera said. 'We're looking at hopefully next June [or] July is the projected start time for construction, with that wrapping up in late 2026, early 2027.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
