U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler traded waterfront property with the TVA this summer.

The Waynesville Democrat is a partner in a development group that traded roughly equal sized stretches of waterfront property in Tennessee with the Tennessee Valley Authority, according to Knoxvillebiz.com.

The deal has attracted attention because Shuler sits on a committee that exercises oversight over TVA, a government-run public utility. TVA officials approved the deal in June.

The land acquired by Shuler's group likely will be used for a community dock and boat ramp for a development they're building.

Shuler's office and TVA officials say he wasn't involved in negotiating the deal, and Shuler has had conflicts with the agency on environmental issues: 

During a 2007 hearing, he asked the agency how it would reduce air pollution that enters the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from TVA power plants. Kilgore, told the legislator that TVA planned to install a new scrubber at its plant in Rogersville.

Shuler also helped lead opposition to the Road to Nowhere, a long-delayed road through the national park that had been proposed to replace a thoroughfare that was flooded by the creation of TVA's Fontana Dam in the 1940s. The road now has been scrapped in favor of a monetary settlement for Swain County, N.C.

* Commissioner of Banks reports that absence of payday lending in North Carolina has not hurt residents who face financial shortfalls. (W-SJ)

* Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue visits the Gateway Technology Center in Rocky Mount at the urging of state Rep. Joe Tolson to learn about high-tech training. (Rocky Mount Telegram)

* U.S. Rep. Brad Miller has proposed letting bankruptcy judges amend the terms of home mortgages to stave off foreclosures. (The Nation)

* Gov. Mike Easley writes letter to Congressional leaders asking for them to start making payments on the "Road to Nowhere" in Swain County. (AC-T)

* The federal government's final environmental impact statement recommends not building the "Road to Nowhere." U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler pleased. (AC-T)

* U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes asks House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to make approving spending on Fort Bragg and other military bases "your first priority." (Fay-O)

* U.S. Rep. Mel Watt questions linking car insurance premiums to credit rating: "If I got my credit score up, would that make me a better driver?" (AP)

* U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry releases a poll that shows him beating District Attorney Jay Gaither and Catawba County Sheriff David Huffman in the primary. (Hickory Daily Record)

Carl Mumpower says he is a true conservative.

In an interview with the Smoky Mountain News, the Asheville City Councilman says he would try to shrink the federal debt, target companies that employ illegal immigrants, reduce government's role in health care and help constituents navigate the federal government.

"Basically, Washington operates as a rigged lottery, almost without exception. It caters to special interests that betray the common interest," he said.

Earlier this month, Mumpower announced he would run for the Republican nomination to take on U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler.

In an aside, he also coined a word. He said he supports building the "road to nowhere" through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which Shuler opposed.

"I do not believe that the passage of time, pressure from envirojackers, or indulgence of Tennessee special interests is a foundation for violating our word," he told the paper.

Dome could not find any previously published news articles, Web sites or blogs with the word "envirojacker," but we assume its a portmanteau of "environment" and "hijacker."

The federal government has decided not to build the contentious North Shore Road along Fontana Lake in Swain County in western North Carolina.

Instead, the government has agreed to negotiate a financial settlement with the county, which was promised the road some 60 years ago, said U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, a Waynesville Democrat.

The government pledged decades ago to build the road to boost economic development in the region after it built a dam creating Fontana Lake. The proposed road has been a divisive issue among landowners.

Many, including Shuler’s predecessor, former Rep. Charles Taylor, wanted the government to fulfill its promise. Others worried the road would bring unwanted traffic and hurt the region’s environment.

More after the jump.

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