Herbicide Treatments to Begin Soon, 5-4-23
5/4/2023
Who are those folks? What are they doing?
Fort Loudoun Electric Cooperative (FLEC) is utilizing a contractor, Alcan Management, to perform herbicide treatments of approximately 1,000 miles of existing power line easements and rights of way as in years past. Contract crews will be working in easements around the Madisonville area and into the Town of Vonore (on lines feeding around parts of the City of Madisonville, north along Hwy 411 to Mason Road/Corntassel Area, east along Povo and Ball Play Roads into the Ball Play Community, under lines feeding from Vonore to Kincade Road/Oak Grove Road/into the Sunnyside Community, and south along 411 to the Gudger Community) and the Tellico Plains area (on lines feeding parts of Tellico and along Mecca Pike into the Reliance Community). Also, we will have contract crews working in easements in Greenback (from town southeast into the areas of Thompson Bridge, Howard School, Tomotley, and Big Gully; north of town into areas of Morganton Road, Salem Loop, Hwy 411 North, and around Henry Lane; northwest of town along Hwy 95, East Coast Tellico Parkway, and areas in between toward Lenoir City). Further, these treatments will be done to easements in the Friendsville/Louisville/Lenoir City/Chilhowee/Six Mile areas served too. Lines feeding along and off of Hwy 321 in/through parts of Friendsville and in the Lenoir City area, and up/into the Town of Louisville will be treated. Lines along and feeding off of Hwy 129/Six Mile Road/in the Brickmill and Clover Hill Communities will be treated as well.
This work will begin in approximately a month and take place through the end of the summer as the weather permits. The Cooperative will be leaving tags or landowners may be spoken with about this planned essential maintenance work in the areas aforementioned; this notice is provided to officially inform the general public and the FLEC membership.
The Cooperative is required to maintain the vegetation around its infrastructure in accordance with state and national guidelines and herbicides help us to keep the easements clear of woody vegetation prone to grow underneath and around the power lines. The contractors will be utilizing vehicles marked with “Contractor for FLEC” while conducting the work. The work involves these contractors walking out the easements, treating woody vegetation as they go; they wear a backpack and bright clothing that makes them easy to identify as official workers. They have information on their persons that identify them as a contractor of the Cooperative too. At no time should any of these contract employees ask to come into your home. As always, please notify FLEC of any concerns you may have in regard to persons acting on your Cooperative’s behalf. The Cooperative holds the trust you have of our efforts to a high standard and do not wish to ever violate the high ethical standards we have maintained for the past 83 years. FLEC is an equal opportunity provider and employer and always strives to be proactive in management actions that promote safe, reliable electric services at reasonable costs to those we serve!
In closing, we thank you for allowing us to provide you safe, reliable and affordable electric service. Any questions can be addressed by calling FLEC’s offices at 1-877-353-2674, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; please dial ext. 161 and leave a message for our Vegetation Management team.