Thus the need, first stated by Xcel Energy three years ago, for an upgrade to a double-circuit (two 115-kilovolt) line.

Some say the line's electric and magnetic fields (EMF) could have an impact on the health of residents living nearby. As the communities in the southeast metro area examine the need for the upgrade, it is vital that residents and their elected officials have the benefit of the latest and most reliable scientific evidence to evaluate this issue.

Electric and magnetic fields are a natural by-product of electricity use and are emitted not only by power lines but also by any indoor wiring or electrical appliances. The fields are all around us, in our businesses, schools and homes.

Our proposed upgrade to the line actually would reduce EMF levels by 50 percent, but that is beside the point. The simple fact is that after more than 30 years of intensive research -- and recent examinations of that body of research by our country's most prestigious government research organizations -- there is no conclusive evidence of health effects from power lines or exposure to EMF, even at high levels.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Research Council/National Academy of Science and the Minnesota Department of Health all have reached this same conclusion in their research. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in its June 1999 report states, "The scientific evidence suggesting that EMF exposures pose any health risk is weak." It further states, "Virtually all of the laboratory evidence in animals and humans, and most of the mechanistic work done in cells, fails to support a causal relationship between exposure to EMF at environmental levels and changes in biological function or disease status."

In January 2000, the Minnesota Department of Health completed an assessment of EMF health-effects research. The department conducted this assessment because of public concerns regarding the potential of EMF to cause cancer and other adverse health effects. The assessment included an evaluation of the peer-reviewed literature and the conclusions of the scientific committees convened by federal agencies and Congress.

The Department of Health's assessment concluded that the current body of evidence does not show that exposure to these fields is a health hazard. "Specifically, no conclusive and consistent evidence shows that exposures to residential electric and magnetic fields produce cancer or any other adverse health effects," the report said.

Considering all these factors, plus the fact that an upgrade to the line already is overdue, we believe it is time to proceed with a project that is vital to the continued electricity reliability to the area.

Cline (e-mail: ed.r.legge@xcelenergy.com) is community relations manager for Xcel Energy.