Background
Brief:
Pennsylvania Power and Light (PPL) has
presented a proposal for a new power transmission line between
Quakertown and Coopersburg. The proposal discusses three routes
evaluated by PPL, with the "preferred" route being a cross country route
through farm fields and woodlands.
We maintain that the placement
of high voltage infrastructure through undeveloped land in Springfield
Township would unnecessarily defile the beauty of a historic region of
Pennsylvania in Bucks County; and that the harm done by this placement
may be categorized as environmental, economic, direct, indirect,
psychological and societal.
The substation the will take up more than five football fields of space in a rural meadow! Part of the meadow the substation will rest on is designated wetland – a policy decision that will transform a bucolic region to one that is industrial in character.
See plans:
Transmission Line Siting, the PUC and the Role of
Residents
with (Comment)
The Public Utility Commission (PUC) is the
agency charged with ensuring that the public utilities are living up to
those obligations. That includes oversight of the siting and construction
of electric transmission lines.
Transmission line siting cases present two
distinct issues: whether the need for the line exists; and, whether the
proposed route is the best of all alternatives considered.
Transmission Line Siting Applications
When an electric company wants to build
high-voltage transmission lines, it must file an application with the PUC
that includes the proposal’s costs and route.
The proposed route must be established as
the best out of other alternatives considering:
o
safety;
o
environmental impacts;
(Comment: FAILS in this instance)
o
impacts on scenic and historic sights; (FAILS)
o
existing land use; (FAILS)
o
soil and sedimentation; (FAILS)
o
plant and wildlife habitats; (FAILS)
o
terrain; (FAILS)
o
hydrology; (FAILS)
o
landscape. (FAILS)
o
Factors such as location of airports and archeological
sights are also considered.
The application also must include information on the
landowners, safety considerations and a statement of need. Need may be
established by showing public benefits such as improved reliability,
increased economic development, reduced consumer costs, and an increased
demand. Needs of the regional system and the local area around the line
also may be considered.
Right of Way (ROW) Facts:
DO YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO A PUBLIC HEARING WHEN THE UTILITY SEEKS TO CONDEMN YOUR PROPERTY?
Yes. When an electric utility seeks to have your property condemned, the utility must first apply to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission for a certificate finding the condemnation to be necessary or proper for the service, accommodation, convenience, or safety of the public. The Commission will then hold a public hearing.
"The Commission will not decide how much money you should receive if your land is condemned. The only issue the Commission will decide is whether the condemnation serves the public interest."
How are ROWs maintained?
"Once a utility has constructed an electric transmission line on a right-of-way across your land, the utility must maintain the right-of-way free of tall-growing trees and brush which might impair the reliability of electric service, the safety of the line, and access to the line or its towers.
The utility or its contractors may remove and control tall-growing trees and brush by several methods:
 |
handcutting of trees, limbs, and brush; |
|
mechanical cutting with chain saws or motorized cutting machines; |
|
application of herbicides, either from the ground or from a helicopter.
The utility must confine its maintenance activities to the approved right-of-way across your land, except where tall-growing trees or brush or their root systems grow into the right-of-way from adjoining land and constitute a threat to the electric transmission line and its structures. "
1 |
- DISCLOSURE OF EMINENT DOMAIN POWER OF ELECTRIC UTILITIES
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/052/chapter57/subchapItoc.html
|
