Power Line Struggles Around The World

Based on a Compilation by Richard W. Woodley

More relevant items highlighted, important developments in red

 

Washington - Seattle (1987-1988)

Citizens Against Overhead Power Lines Inc., a group of homeowners in Seattle, Washington prevented Seattle City Light from constructing a pair of 230 kV lines that would have put strong magnetic fields in their homes.

Australia - Melbourne (1988)

A 220 kV power line from Brunswick to Richmond, serving Melbourne, has been placed on hold pending a new study by a review panel. The panel will be watched closely by Powerline Action, an umbrella organization of community groups and residents based in Melbourne.

California - Fremont (1988)

The planning commission is requiring the state real estate department to warn potential buyers of homes in a new subdivision near power lines that the lines may pose a health risk.

Maryland (1988)

The Brinkwood Community Association in Maryland is opposing a 500 kV power line proposed by the Potomac Electric Power Co. The Public Service Commission approved the line subject to a hearing on health effects. The Maryland People's Council, which represents the interests of residential electricity users, will be participating in the hearings.

United States (1988)

In its August 22, 1988 issue, Newsweek told the public what utility professionals have long known: There is a virtual moratorium in the U.S. on building new high-voltage power lines because of "community opposition and environmental worries."

New York - Goshen/Middleton (1982-1989)

Farmers and other landowners are fighting the New York Power Authority (NYPA) over the 345 kV Marcy-South transmission line carrying power from Canada to New York City.

The property owners want the NYPA to establish a 2,400-foot right-of-way limiting magnetic field exposure to 0.5 mG. They are seeking $63 million in damages; the utility has offered $400,000.

British Columbia (1989)

BC Hydro has offered to pay a fair market price to landowners concerned about increased electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from a new 230 kV power line on Vancouver Island, although they claim there is no reason to believe the line poses a health risk. 90% of those eligible have indicated an interest in the purchase offer.

Since then the British Columbia Utilities Commission has ordered BC Hydro to stop all work on the line until a public inquiry could be held into the safety of the line and ordered it to extend its offer to buy the homes along the right-of way until September 15, 1989.

Florida (1989)

On December 29, 1989 Florida's Hillsborough County challenged the state's power line electromagnetic field standards claiming that the standards disregard studies showing a potential link between increased cancer risks and magnetic field exposures at levels significantly lower than the specified limits. According to the county, they "do not further the statutorily mandated goal of protecting public health and welfare," because they are "approximately 100 times greater than the intensity of magnetic fields, which are suspected to increase the incidence of all childhood cancer by 30 percent and to double the risk of contracting childhood leukemia."

Texas - Austin (1989)

Austin, Texas City Council adopted a resolution requiring the City Manager to develop a transmission plan which will provide reliable service while minimizing the potential health effects from electromagnetic radiation and requiring that if any lines greater than 138 kV are proposed the field strengths are no greater than those of 138 kV lines with the same capacity.

Maryland (1989-1990)

On January 22, 1990 the Maryland Office of People's Counsel (OPC) challenged a December 21, 1989 Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) decision to allow the Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO) to complete the last segment of a 243 mile 500 kV power line loop around Washington, D.C.

The OPC challenged the PSC Hearing Examiner's decision, arguing that the "evidence clearly is sufficient to justify the commission's adoption of a 'prudent avoidance' policy in this case, and the imposition of conditions which will reduce the magnetic field exposure levels in a reasonable and prudent manner."

New Jersey (1990)

In 1990 opposition mounted by the Monmouth County, New Jersey branch of RAGE (Residents Against Giant Electric), a group of citizens concerned about the cancer hazard posed by power-line emissions, forced the Jersey Central Power & Light Company to abandon a plan to construct a pair of 235 kV transmission lines through the towns of Red Bank, Middletown, Holmdel, Hazlet and Aberdeen.

Oregon (1990)

Pacific Power and Light, an Oregon utility, recently announced that it will use a "delta" tower design that will nearly halve the EMF levels along the edge of the right-of-way (ROW) of a proposed 500 kV power line. The total additional cost of the new towers is approximately $2.4 million, about 3.5% of the total cost of the project.

PugetPower, which received a permit to build the 130-mile Eugene Medford line in 1982, hit a roadblock when residents living near the proposed line banded together to fight the utility's plans. The ensuing controversy led the DOE to assemble a panel of experts to review the literature on ELF health effects.

Soviet Union (1990)

In response to citizens' protests about the siting of a high power transmission line the government ordered the utility to make the line direct current.

Washington (1990)

Voters in Whatcom County, WA, approved a citizens' initiative restricting power lines exceeding 115 kV to industrial areas. Citizens Initiative No. 4-90 marks the first successful power line siting referendum in the U.S

The 1990 Whatcom County vote stood out in a year in which many other environmental referendums were rejected. California's "Big Green" and New York's environmental bond propositions both failed, yet the Whatcom County power line initiative passed by a nearly two- to-one margin.

Virginia - Alexandria (1990-1991)

During 1990 and 1991, residents of the historic Old Town section of Alexandria, Virginia, discovered that high-current distribution wires carrying power to the city's business district were creating magnetic fields of up to 40 mG in many homes. They convinced city officials to negotiate an agreement with Virginia Electric & Power Company to share the cost of burying the offending lines and redesigning power distribution in a 36 block downtown area.

Wisconsin (1991)

Add Wisconsin to the list of states considering a temporary ban on new power lines because of concerns over possible EMF health effects. On November 6, 1991, Maxine Hough and eight other state representatives, along with two state senators, introduced legislation calling for a three-year moratorium on new lines above 60 kV.  The bill would require the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) to conduct EMF research and measurement surveys during the moratorium. "It is dangerous and foolhardy to build more high voltage power lines...until we have adequate answers to the health concerns," Hough said at an October 7, 1991 press conference.

Last year, Wisconsin legislators and their staffs were disturbed to learn that EMFs as high as 400 mG had been recorded in the buildings where they work. State legislators in Michigan, Rhode Island and Tennessee, as well as local officials in Missouri, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Washington State, have proposed power line bans.

Illinois (1991-1992)

Mothers Against Commonwealth Edison (MACE) have battled fiercely to prevent the utility from constructing new power lines and electric substations in residential areas and near schools.

In 1991, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley denied Commonwealth Edison permission to erect a 345 kV line downtown on the grounds that the electromagnetic fields given off by the line might endanger the health of people who live or work in its vicinity.

In the Village of Lincolnwood, a suburb north of Chicago, a study showing magnetic fields of more than 7.5 mG 100 feet from a Commonwealth Edison right-of-way has prompted Village officials to demand that the utility take steps to reduce the magnetic fields to a maximum of 1.5 mG at the setback line of any building in the right-of-way.

Better Electric Safety Today (BEST) is a network of citizens groups and activists in the Chicago, Illinois area fighting power lines. One of the groups - No Power Towers, in Kane County was successful in getting Commonwealth Edison (Com Ed) to indefinitely postpone plans for a new transmission line. Citizens Against Unsafe Electricity (CAUSE) in Lake County has also been fighting Com Ed. Two groups in Dupage County, in Warrenville and Wheaton, are fighting Com Ed plans as well. Another two groups have also been formed in the Chicago area.

California - Bakersfield (1992)

In January of 1992 the residents of the Campus Park subdivision in Bakersfield, California discovered that Pacific Gas & Electric had begun to erect 90-foot towers for three pairs of 115 kV transmission lines within 30 to 50 feet of approximately 70 homes. The utility claimed it need not provide any advance notice for lines less than 200 kV and offered to plant trees to hide the lines from view. Residents formed the Concerned Citizens of Campus Park and filed a complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission. In response, Commission representatives, at a public meeting discounted the health risk stating that the scientific evidence was inconclusive.

California - Daly City (1992)

Developers of a subdivision next to a large transformer station and under high-voltage lines have been required to give buyers a disclosure statement that warns of "possible potential adverse health effects caused by exposure to electric and/or magnetic fields generated by high-voltage lines".

Indiana (1992)

Families United for Safe Energy (FUSE), a Shipshewana, Indiana based group fighting the power line issue, celebrated its first anniversary in May 1992.

Kansas (1992)

The Pinckney Neighborhood Association is fighting plans by KPL Gas Service to upgrade power lines in their community from 69 kV to 115 kV. They fear increased exposure to electromagnetic fields created by the high-voltage lines. They want KPL to string the lines along the Santa Fe Railway right of way on the west bank of the Kansas River.

Pennsylvania - Scranton (1992)

Scranton, Pennsylvania Mayor Jim Connors appeared before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in January to report on community concerns that a high incidence of cancer among residents on the south side of the city may be caused by a 69-kV power line running through the neighborhood.

Sweden (1992)

On September 30, 1992 officials of Sweden's National Board for Industrial and Technical Development formally announced that they intended henceforth to "act on the assumption that there is a connection between exposure to power frequency magnetic fields and cancer, in particular childhood cancer."

Shortly after this announcement, Jack Nou, Director of the Board's Department of Electrical Safety, told Louis Slesin of Microwave News that Sweden would soon set exposure standards for new homes near power lines, and for all new electrical facilities, and that these standards might require average annual exposures to be in the neighborhood of 2 mG. In addition, Swedish regulators have declared that they will propose a ban on the construction of houses within 330 feet of high-voltage lines. (This ban is now in effect.)

Tennessee - Tiptonville (1992)

The Lake County Commission has forced the Tennessee Valley Authority to reroute a 161-kV line residents felt was going to pass too close to their residences. "I just don't feel people will stand for it", said Shelby Barker, a Lake County executive.

Virginia - Alexandre (1992)

Residents are fighting to get the power company to remove lines near their homes and the city council is behind them.

Wisconsin (1992)

The Wisconsin Public Service Commission has ordered utilities to "use best available control technology" to reduce EMFs from transmission and distribution systems.

Michigan (1991-1993)

Michigan Rep. Howard Wolpe (D) has asked Consumers Power Co. (CPC) of Jackson, MI to suspend construction of a controversial 115-mile, 345 kV transmission line, citing concerns about electromagnetic field (EMF) exposures. In an August 13, 1991 letter, Wolpe urged the utility to "announce a moratorium on this project".

Wolpe is the chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology's Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, which held a hearing on August 6, 1991 in Battle Creek, MI, on the power line and EMFs.

The Michigan branch of RAGE (Residents Against Giant Electric) has succeeded in getting many of the towns along the proposed route to pass resolutions opposing the project.

As well, in 1991, a thousand landowners, business owners and local governments petitioned the Michigan Public Service Commission to halt the project on the grounds that it was unnecessary and would pose a hazard. The Commission ruled against them in the fall of 1992. However, in January 1993 a Calhoun County circuit judge ruled that the utility had not proved that the line was necessary and that the utility could not condemn privately owned land for the project.

Pennsylvania - York County (1992 - 1993)

Opponents of a proposed 268-mile 500 kV power line in northern York County, Pennsylvania have won a delay in the technical hearings on the project. The Public Utility Commission, which is reviewing the proposal for the 500 kV line, has received 9,000 letters of opposition and 600 people have filed requests to intervene in the case. The opponents, including the Citizens' Action Group, have argued that the line will decrease property values and that the electromagnetic fields surrounding the line may be harmful to human health.

On December 8, 1993 the New Jersey regulatory agency killed the project, which would have extended into New Jersey in a 3-0 decision.

British Columbia - Delta (1993)

The Planning Director for the Municipality of Delta in British Columbia has refused a request to build a subdivision under and adjacent to BC Hydro transmission lines. The developer has taken the municipality to court over the decision. The affidavit file by Delta's Planning Director states: "I consider that approving the application would significantly increase the number of people exposed to elevated levels of EMF in the course of daily living and sleeping, and potentially puts those people at an increased risk of cancer. I consider this to be contrary to the public interest, and accordingly, it was one of the several grounds on which I refused the application." The court ruled in favor of the developer, however, subsequently the subdivision was dismissed on the grounds of location specific details.

British Columbia - Prince George (1993)

Over 100 residents in Prince George, B.C., have managed to convince BC Hydro to alter its original plans for a 69 kV line through their neighborhood. The new plan partly buries the lines and moves them to the non-residential side of the street.

British Columbia - Vancouver (1993)

A group of housing co-operative residents West 1st Avenue in Vancouver, B.C. who first expressed concerns two and a half years ago finally saw results in the spring of 1993. EMF levels of 6 to 20 mG in their homes led to a campaign that led Vancouver City Council to ask BC Hydro to deal with the problem. Hydro responded by reconfiguring the wires and the levels dropped to a safe level.

California (1993)

The California Public Utilities Commission in a November 2, 1993 decision has adopted an interim EMF policy that asks utilities to eliminate "unnecessary " exposures from new power lines if the mitigation costs less than 4% of a project's total budget. The decision also commits $7 million for spending on EMF research and education in the state.

Colorado (1993)

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission has formally adopted prudent avoidance. Electric utilities are now required to consider the health effects of power line EMFs from transmission and distribution systems.

Nebraska - Omaha (1993)

Following the release of a report by the Nebraska Department of Health that identified several childhood cancer clusters in Omaha, Omaha Parents for the Prevention of Cancer (OPPC) was formed to educate the public of the health hazards associated with exposure to EMFs and to seek the reduction, mitigation, and where possible, elimination of EMF emissions and exposure as soon as possible.

New York (1993)

A recent decision by New York's highest court allows property owners to seek compensation for losses in property value due to perceived risks from power line EMFs whether or not those risks are proven. The judge stated "whether the danger is scientifically genuine or verifiable fact should be irrelevant to the central issue of its market value impact". The ruling brings New York in line with rulings in several other states, including California, Florida and Kansas.

New York - Richfield (1993)

Scores of people from Richfield to Waterville, New York banded together in to try to stop construction of a 115 kV power line that the New York State Electric & Gas Corp. wants to build through the area. Over 100 people attended an information meeting in Richfield in January of 1993.

United States (1993)

By 1993 there were over 250 citizens groups devoted to the EMF issue.

United States (1993)

The Atlantic Chapter of the Sierra Club has adopted a policy on electromagnetic fields that includes the following provisions:

-utilities should redesign their transmission and distribution lines to reduce the magnetic fields by 30%;

-right-of-ways should be widened to reduce the magnetic fields along the edges to 10 mG or less;

-transmission or distribution lines near schools that emit magnetic fields above 2 mG should be redesigned to reduce the fields or moved farther away.

Rhode Island (1990-1994)

On October 9, 1990 the town council of East Greenwich, RI, banned all new power lines above 60 kV for three years. The ordinance came about in response to widespread citizen concern about the EMFs from proposed new 345 kV and 115 kV lines which the Narragansett Electric Company plans to run through parts of East Greenwich. This is the first moratorium on power line construction in the U.S.

Rhode Islanders for Safe Power (RISP) pushed for the three- year moratorium because of the need for further research on the health effects of EMFs and because it "was the least noxious formula and most likely to be sustained by the PUC," RISP's Ed Seiler told Microwave News.

The nearby towns of Coventry and Foster have followed East Greenwich's lead by passing moratoriums of their own, and a statewide ban on high voltage power lines was proposed during the 1991 legislative session.

In 1994, after years of fighting to get the legislation passed, Rhode Island Governor Bruce Sundlum vetoed two bills requiring that all new power lines above 69 kV be built underground. However, the battle continues, as over 2,500 letters and postcards have been sent to the Governor and a "Powerline Rally" was held on August 23, 1994 to oppose overhead power lines.

British Columbia - Burnaby & Vancouver (1994)

The Vancouver, B.C., and Burnaby B.C. city councils are planning to file a complaint with the BC Utilities Commission in December, 1994 requesting the undergrounding of the Boundary Road transmission lines. These 230 kV lines were installed in 1947 by the BC Electric Company, which promised at that time that the lines would be temporary. A decision on the complaint, heard on March 27 & 28, 1995 is expected within a few months. Among the participants at the hearing were Citizens Against Transmission Towers (CATT).

British Columbia - North Delta (1994)

On October 4, 1994 the Coalition to Reduce Electropollution held a public meeting to deal with health concerns related to two power lines through the community. A petition requesting that the lines be reconfigured to reduce EMFs to save levels is now being circulated.

British Columbia - South Delta (1994)

On May 5, 1994 the Coalition to Reduce Electropollution held a public meeting, attended by over 50 people, on the South Delta power lines. A petition asking that the lines be reconfigured to reduce the health risk was circulated and the municipality was asked to declare an immediate moratorium on new construction on the right-of- way.

California - El Cajun (1994)

A cancer cluster and high EMF readings have raised concerns among staff at the Grossmount College Library in El Cajun, California. The San Diego Union Tribune reported on March 7, 1994: "Faced with growing concern over cancer deaths and other illnesses among Grossmount College Library employees, administrators yesterday promised a high- priority, open-minded investigation into reports of high electromagnetic field readings in the aging facility".

Canada (1994)

At its fall 1993 meeting, the Environmental Committee of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities initiated a process that will establish a common policy on preventive measures regarding electromagnetic fields. After analyzing the results of questionnaires sent to all Canadian municipalities the federation will elaborate a common policy to protect their residents.

Florida (1994)

The Citizens Coalition for Responsible Power, Inc., applauded Florida Power`s decision to abandon the proposed Lake Tarpon to Kathleen 500 kV transmission line project and to pursue more cost-effective and environmentally sensitive solutions to the projected need for power.

"We are thrilled that after ten years of battling this project, we will finally be able to work with Florida Power and reach a solution that is acceptable to them, the residents of our community, and the environment," said Nancy Flemming, Advisor to the Board of Citizens Coalition for Responsible Power.

Japan (1994)

A 2,000 signature petition urging EMF epidemiological studies be conducted was sent to the Japanese government in May of 1994. Readings of 200 mG have been measured in some Japanese residential neighborhoods. Little EMF research has been done in Japan, and what has been done is shrouded in secrecy. Recently residents have opposed a proposed new power line in the Tokyo area, requesting that it be rerouted.

Maryland (1994)

Census Bureau employees in Maryland are suspicious that electromagnetic radiation may be responsible for a cluster of up to 20 brain tumors among the staff. A magnetic field survey conducted by Federal Occupational Health found magnetic fields of 4 to 8 mG throughout the Census Bureau offices and much higher fields near many types of electrical equipment.

Maryland - Baltimore County (1994)

Citizens in the Falls Road corridor of Baltimore County, Maryland are outraged over the Zoning Commissions decision to grant Baltimore Gas & Electric Company's (BG&E) request for a Special Exception and Zoning Variance enabling the public utility to purchase property in a residentially zoned area and build a 20,000 square foot high voltage electrical substation. A group of concerned citizens known as "Friends of the Ridge" have joined together to protect the rights of homeowners in Baltimore County. Friends of the Ridge concerns include: the numerous studies linking electromagnetic fields to increased risk of childhood leukemia, breast cancer and Alzheimer`s disease; the attraction these substations may be to adolescents and teenagers, fearing injury to children; and the impact these structures have on property values.

Mexico (1994)

In Nuevo Leon, Mexico, a group of citizens objected to the construction of a 400 kV distribution line being built in conjunction with a project being coordinated by Industrial Worthington, an American company. After the activists were told the lines would not be built due to their protests, construction began and police who arrested two of the protesters destroyed the activists' camp.

United States (1994)

The January 1994 cover story of the American Bar Association Journal was entitled "Why Electromagnetic Field Litigation Could Be The Next Asbestos." The author pointed out that "presently, more studies exist that appear to link EMF exposure to an increased risk of cancer than existed linking asbestos exposure to an increased risk of cancer at a similar embryonic stage of asbestos litigation". Litigation concerning EMF exposure is being filed at a brisk rate and appears sure to dwarf the asbestos claims of the past decade. It even has its own journal, EMF Litigation News, which is published monthly.

Current litigation includes: a suit alleging fraud against Pacific Gas & Electric Co. for failure to warn of EMF health effects when it sold Michael and Jacqueline Keogh a parcel of land in California near power lines in 1980; a suit against Consolidated Edison of New York by Stuart and Barbara Schirota seeking $700,000, the market value of their property, as well as consequential damages caused by the presence of EMFs emitted by a high voltage power line; and a suit by Melissa Bullock, and her mother Suzanne, against Northeast Utilities and Connecticut Light & Power Co. alleging that EMFs from power lines and a substation near their home in Guilford, CT, are responsible for Melissa's brain cancer.

Since 1985 more than 100 EMF lawsuits have been launched in the United States.

Ontario - Ottawa (1989-1995)

A dispute between an Ottawa, Ont. Housing Co-op (Fairlea Park Housing Cooperative) and Ontario Hydro has resulted in a November 16, 1995 Ontario Assessment Board reduction of approximately 5% of taxes for housing units bordering Ontario Hydro corridors. This and a previous ruling in the Bridlewood community in Kanata, near Ottawa, establishes in Ontario law that hydro lines do reduce property values.

During the summer of 1989 Co-op members were informed of the installation of a line of 500 kV lines and accompanying 180' towers by the loud announcement of huge borers and helicopters appearing in their southern easement. A number of co-op members became concerned about this. With the assistance of Eastern Ontario members on Ontario Hydro's Board, overtures were made to establish a collaborative and participatory pilot project in the Eastern Region, which would have included Bridelwood. Co-op members had felt treated as adversaries, from the start and thought that a change was vital to the way Ontario Hydro dealt with its neighbors. Unfortunately, Ontario Hydro's Board did not take up the project. Ontario Hydro was, however, willing to implement an $85,000 landscaping plan.

Connecticut (1993-1995)

ALERT, Alliance to Limit Electromagnetic Radiation Today, with over 2,000 active members, is working to educate Connecticut residents about the health hazards of EMFs. ALERT has instituted monitoring of EMF levels around the state, are working to have power lines relocated, and are participating in a property devaluation suit. The group assisted in drafting new legislation, signed into law in June of 1994 that gives consumers a voice for the first time to counter the massive lobbying effort of Northeast Utilities.

In 1993 ALERT launched an appeal against a 15.3-mile high- voltage line between Bridgeport and Norwalk that was dismissed by the state Supreme Court. However on April 24, 1995 the state Appellate Court over-turned that decision and ruled that the organization will be able to present its case in court.

Florida (1994-1995)

EMF-Link (Information Ventures, Inc.) reports that a complaint filed in Dade County 11th Circuit Court in January 1994 claimed that EMF exposure from a Florida Power & Light distribution line and transformer near the Coral Gables home of Leonard and Elsa Glazer led to Elsa's death from complications of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and to Leonard's own diagnosis of CML. In October 1995 the case was continued until mid-January 1996.

Australia (1995)

South East Queensland Against Eastlink (SEQAF)has united together to fight against a proposed power line. The easement traverses the headwaters of the most important agricultural region in Australia, the Murray Darling Basin, and the last 50 km crosses, Brisbane's "salad bowl", an intensive horticultural region. The line will require the removal of between one and two million trees along the easement and access roads. Sarah Moles of SEQAY wrote in Network News:

"In spite of there being many viable alternatives to Eastlink - some of which offer solutions to other serious environmental problems - no cost benefits analysis for Eastlink has ever been made public. Nor has any account been taken of environmental or social impacts. We believe that the social costs, particularly those arising from electromagnetic field radiation (EMR) health effects, will be a considerable burden in the future when compensation claims are made, a burden that our community cannot afford."

California - San Diego (1995)

The Peninsula at Del Mar Highland Homeowners Association has filed a complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission regarding construction of an electrical substation next to Torrey Pines High School. The homeowners contend that the substation was built without consideration of the adverse impact on human health, public safety and property values resulting from increased levels of electromagnetic fields.

The California Alliance for Utility Safety and Education (CAUSE) and the Utility Consumer Action Network (UCAN) have been appointed as Intervenors.

Hong Kong (1995)

The Black Point Routing Objection Association, which represents a large number of residents of Clear Water Bay and Fei Ngo Shan areas in Hong Kong, is objecting to the construction of a high voltage line built by the China Light and Power Company meters away from their homes.

Nebraska (1995)

On February 8, 1995 Paul Brodeur appeared before the Natural Resources Committee of Nebraska on behalf of People Organized for Wise Energy Representation (POWER). The EMF citizen activist group is opposing a proposed 96 mile 345 kV Pauline-Moore transmission line.

New Jersey - Princeton (1995)

Magnetic fields as high as 5.9 mG measured in the Princeton Public Library have been attributed to adjacent underground transmission lines. The Princeton Citizens Coalition on EMF requested that Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G) release grid maps with the locations of electric facilities in Princeton so that the citizens group could review the maps with local public health officials and municipal engineers for other potential sources of EMF exposure.

Coalition director Bill Ravanesi told the EMF Clearinghouse that the group has been turned down in their request to view the grid maps, and the utility has not responded to their request to place a set of grid maps on deposit with the local health department where interested parties could review the maps by appointment.

Oregon - Umatilla (1995)

Residents of Umatilla, Oregon are concerned about the path of a proposed new 500 kV transmission line, the Hermiston Power Project (HPP), that would be located within an existing 70 foot wide country road. The proposed path avoids condemnation actions to acquire new right-of-way from landowners on the west side who are concerned about the impacts of the elevated magnetic fields, visual degradation and possibly noise from the line. If their efforts to reroute the line are not successful they may be forced into a lawsuit involving property value loss as a result f inverse condemnation.

Rhode Island - East Greenwich (1995)

Residents of East Greenwich, Rhode Island have reached an out-of-court settlement with Narragansett Electric in their lawsuit over a 115 kV line proposed for their neighborhood. The residents had asked that the lines be buried. The utility agreed to move the lines 125 feet further away, resulting in EMF levels similar to those that would result from burying the lines in the original location.

Texas - Houston (1995)

In March of 1995 a lawsuit was filed against both Houston Lighting & Power and the Electric Power Research Institute, on behalf of eleven families with children suffering from cancer. The suit charges both the power company and EPRI with "fraudulent concealment" of the carcinogenic nature of the fields "that secretly and silently invaded their homes."

Washington (1995)

The Pend Oreille County Chapter of the EMR Alliance has asked the Cusick City Council to take action on an ordinance the group proposed in August 1995 in connection with their concerns about the north-south transmission line project under way by the Pend Oreille Public Utility District. The ordinance is modeled after one recently approved by the City of Camus, Washington, and would prohibit the construction of overhead transmission lines within the city limits of Cusick and requires any future power facility construction to follow prudent avoidance measures.

West Virginia (1991-1996)

Residents of Mercer, Monroe, and Summers Counties in West Virginia have been fighting Appalachian Power Company's (now known by its parent company's name, AEP--American Electric Power) proposed 765 kV line since 1991. The residents are concerned about clear cutting, herbicide use, health risks, noise pollution, water pollution, impact on livestock and wildlife, damage to scenic views and historic sites, and a poorer quality of life.

Despite an AEP/APCo big money campaign, grassroots opposition to the project has been effective. APCo's first Public Service Commission (PSC) application for the line was withdrawn in September 1992, and a second application was dismissed by the PSC on May 10, 1993. AEP is expected, however, to refile a West Virginia application during 1996.

Japan (1993-1996)

The Gauss Network, established in 1993, is concerned with EMF problems caused by high voltage power lines and other sources of EMF radiation. With 600 members it publishes a newsletter, holds meetings and seminars and lobbies the government on EMF issues.

In 1995, at the invitation of the Gauss Network author Paul Brodeur traveled throughout Japan lecturing on the EMF issue.

Local protests have increased recently in Japan. In 1995 residents opposed a proposal to increase the voltage of power lines in Nara prefecture from 77 kV to 124kV.

In 1996 residents in Itakura-cho, Fukushima prefecture protested against Tokyo Electric`s plans to build a 1,000 kV transmission line, and Hiroshima residents opposed a proposal to build an underground substation.

United Kingdom - England (1994-1996)

EMF-Link (Information Ventures, Inc.) reports that legal aid for three families from Birmingham, North Yorkshire, and Manchester, England was restored by the London High Court legal aid board to support their efforts to litigate for compensation for their children's' cancers that they claim are due to exposure to EMFs from the electrical transmission system. The families were originally awarded the legal aid in 1994, but appeals by the National Grid led to revocation of the aid in mid-1995.

The case will go to trial in the next two years with each family seeking up to 100,000 pounds. One claimant, Ray Studholme, seeks compensation for his 13-year-old son Simon's death from leukemia that Studholme attributes to EMF exposure from a sub- station near his home in Manchester. Martyn Day, attorney for the families, is quoted in a report by Andrew Woodcock of PA News as saying, "Although I accept the legal right of the National Grid to try to stop legal aid being granted, I think there is a moral issue here and I believe it was quite wrong of them to try to prevent these families taking these cases through to trial."

California - Orange County (1995-1996)

Two lawsuits have been filed in relation to a Grubb & Ellis real estate office with high electromagnetic fields, The suits deal with exposures between 1980 and 1994 in an office in Orange County, CA .The office, located directly above three 12 kV electrical transformers, had EMF readings as high as 190 mG, which were reduced to 32 mG after some of the electrical equipment was moved in 1992. An epidemiological analysis showed that the longer employees worked there, the greater their likelihood of developing cancer.

Australia (1996)

The Electromagnetic Radiation Alliance of Australia is concerned about the increasing number of scientific studies showing a positive link between exposure to electromagnetic fields and adverse health effects. The alliance is also concerned with the plight of individuals who have developed electrical hypersensitivity (ES). Health Action Alliance International is another Australian organization concerned with the EMF issue. Health Action International is establishing a database at Coffs Harbour that will include all known health hazards such as chemicals, toxic products, as wealth as EMFs.

California - San Diego (1996)

The California Alliance for Utility Safety and Education (CAUSE) has filed a lawsuit against the City of San Diego and the City Council for violations of the Brown Act and the City Charter. In a closed session the city released the San Diego Gas and Electric Company from commitments to spend $200 million undergrounding overhead power lines. In exchange the city received $1.4 million and a promise of $2 million at a later date.

Ireland (1996)     

EMRIN, the ElectroMagnetic Radiation Information Network, was recently formed in Ireland.

Missouri - Joplin (1996)

The Empire District Electric Company in Joplin, Missouri has announced plans to construct a 161 kV transmission line in the front yards of a fully developed residential neighborhood on a 35 foot right-of-way. This means that most of the homes will be within 40-50 feet of the center of the right-of-way and some of the children's bedrooms will be within 50-60 feet of the right-of-way. Virtually all of their front yards are consumed by the right-of-way.

Led by the local medical community, residents are protesting the plans. The Joplin Globe reported on October 4, 1996 that members of Citizens Concerned for Our Children's Future plan to picket the company's headquarters at 602 Joplin Ave. A member of the group, Dr. Jeffrey Greenberg, a Joplin neuro-surgeon, said: "Our concerns first and foremost, are potential health risks to our community and its children. The fact that considerable doubts have been raised by scientists and physicians over the world, concerning electromagnetic field exposure, warrants further discussion and investigation prior to placement of high-voltage lines through residential areas."

Philippines (1996)

Priest Father Shay Cullen and a colleague Lowell Maglaqui were beaten by Philippine police on June 13, 1996 after being arrested for protesting the construction of high-voltage lines near a home for destitute children in Olangapo, according to statements he made to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Spain (1996)

In Northern Spain residents have organized the Cantabrian Association of People Concerned by high power lines (ACAAT) to fight proposed 400 kV lines. The residents, mostly farmers, have held demonstrations and taken the matter to the courts.

Washington - Central Washington University (1996)

Citizens of the community and students have joined together to form Citizens for a Beautiful Community to oppose a new 230 kV power line that Puget Power constructed through the university campus during the 1996 spring break. They have asked to have the hearing process reopened so that they may present evidence regarding the aesthetic and property devaluation effects of the lines as well as the health effects from the electromagnetic fields emitted by the lines.

New York - Stony Point (1992-1997)

The Stony Point Action Committee for the Environment (SPACE) is opposing the placement of an electrical substation in a residential area of Stony Point, NY. Their objections are based on health concerns, the potential for increased EMFs. The location is also within a few yards of a 16 inch active gas main and fire is a big concern. A daycare center is located nearby and the impact on property values is also a concern to the neighbors.

The utility company (Orange & Rockland Utilities) applied to the town in 1992 for a special permit to build the substation and their request was turned down by the town board. After that decision, O&R sued the town and the court's reversed the town's decision, granting the special permit. Now the utility is proceeding with their application before the town planning board.

Ontario - Windsor (1996-1997)

The South Walkerville Neighborhood Coalition, which is comprised of residents living in the South Walkerville neighborhood of Windsor, Ontario, are concerned about plans by Ontario Hydro, in conjunction with the Windsor Utilities Commission, Chrysler Canada Ltd., Ford Motor Company of Canada and General Motors of Canada Ltd., to run an overhead 115KV transmission line directly adjacent to a residential area, as close as 25 meters to at least 100 homes.

The residents are concerned about the health effects of the electromagnetic fields from the lines, as well as the effects of chemical solvents sprayed on the lines to clean them, the possibility of a line coming down, children playing in the area, the highly flammable properties of the line, etc. They have proposed alternative routes or the undergrounding of the lines.

This struggle has a successful conclusion. Through persistence, they were able to convince Ontario Hydro to keep the power line at a safe distance from their residential area and to run it underground using state of the art technology.

Italy - Assisi (1997)

ENEL, the Italian electric company, plans to run a series of giant towers carrying high tension power lines through the hills surrounding Assisi, where St. Francis walked. The projected "elettrodotto" of 150,000 volts would extend 25 kilometers from Pianello (near perugia) to Nocera Umbra passing near Rocca S. Angelo, S. Gregorio, Valfabbrica, Porziano, and S. Maria di Lignano. It would cross hills and valleys of farmland and woods, past medieval villages and monasteries -- an area already suffering the devastation of violent earthquakes this year.

Comitato Difesa Vallata Di Porziano is attempting to stop this power line before the regional government has approved the project. They have organized and continue to organize well-publicized encounters to increase public awareness of this issue. Many Italians are unaware of the serious health risks associated with living in close proximity to an electromagnetic field and ENEL is attempting to get the project approved without informing the population. In Italy, new houses are built right under high voltage lines.

Nevada - Henderson (1997)

A citizen coalition formed in Henderson, Nevada was successful in its fight against high EMFs from a planned power line between two substations. The coalition brought expert witnesses before the planning commission that testified about the health risks as well as the differences in EMF levels for overhead and buried lines. A mediator was appointed and a decision was reached to bury the lines and reduce the EMF levels to safe levels.

Nevada - Reno (1997)

Residents of Reno, Nevada, and neighboring Washoe county are opposing a 345 kV power line proposed by Sierra Pacific. The route will run adjacent to Hwy 395 from Alturas, CA to Reno, NV. The route follows a major entrance into Reno.

The 130-foot tall, 8-foot diameter (at the base) towers are adjacent to the highway and the street in front of residents' homes and will conflict with the view of the beautiful mountains that surround them. The towers will be rated at 17 to 20 mG with a 50-foot easement. The original route, which went over the mountain, was rated at 1.2 mG.

Venezuela (1997)

In Venezuela opponents are calling for a revision of a power line project due to start in next month in the Canaima Park World Heritage Site. The Pemon indians of Venezuela's Bolivar State have voiced their opposition to the plans to build high tension power lines across their land and through the Sierra de Lema mountain range, and have stopped surveying work on several occasions. They have since written to the Director of the World Heritage Center, Bernd von Doste, asking for help.

The power line project is a high-level governmental mandate and Venezuela's environmental institutions - including INPARQUES, the National Institute of Parks, the agency responsible for managing the site - have been ordered to obey high-level policy.

Environmentalists have opposed the project on the grounds of its disastrous impact on the Park's ecosystems, its indigenous people and huge tourist potential, but also fear the installation of high-power electricity augurs the growing expansion of mining activities along Venezuela's border with Brazil. Damage by formal and informal sector mining operations to the Caroni and Paragua watersheds - essential to Venezuela's hydroelectric generation - has increased rapidly over the last decade, and more power will certainly facilitate larger operations in the region.

Greece - Athens (1988-1998)

In 1988 the Greek Electricity Company proposed to install a 400 kV high voltage line alongside existing 150 kV and 400 kV power lines that ran through the suburb of Kryoneri in Athens. Residents manage to avoid this for ten years but in 1998 the new lines were erected.

The following statement was made by the opponents of the power line: “We the residents of Kryoneri appealed the case in court; but the electricity company decided to go regardless our attempt to stall the works until the trial of the case was violently suppressed by an unprecedented operation of the police assisted by mob control forces. It must be mentioned that the government through the minister of Industry and Development, Mrs. Vasso Papandreou, misinforms the people that there are no hazardous effects to our health, this contention is based on assurance made by scientists employed by the Electricity Company.”

British Columbia (1996-1998)

Residents have successfully prevented the proposed West Kootenay Power (WKP) transmission line from being built on the International Hike and Bike Trail. West Kootenay Power planned to remove the existing 60 kV transmission line from the Osoyoos Indian Band Reserve and have it replaced by a new 138 kV transmission line located on the west side of the Okanagan River right-of-way running parallel less than 10 feet from the International Hike and Bike Path, and within the close vicinity of local homes.

The residents are now in the midst of a second similar struggle to prevent the utility from erecting a new transmission line on another section of the International Hike and Bike Trail, also on the valley's river channel. A public hearing was held and both the regulatory agency (British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) and the utility company (West Kootenay Power owned by Utilicorp of Kansas City) have now for the first time represented their official stance towards EMF. In short, they say, that there is no scientific conclusive proof that EMFs are not safe so they do not consider EMFs in their decision-making.

Spain (1997-1998)

An important report about high-power lines prepared by "El Defensor del Pueblo" was issued in early 1997. "El Defensor del Pueblo" is a prestigious and independent Spanish Institution reporting to the Congress of Deputies whose task is similar to the Ombudsman in the United Kingdom.

This report represents a comprehensive "state of the art" of the power-lines issue and contains scientific and regulatory arguments calling to move as soon as possible all the high-power lines away from residential areas, schools and public gardens. The 32-page document calls for new regulations preventing the possible health risks derived from the proximity to power lines.

The report has been made at the request of an Association of residents living in the proximity of a 220 kv high power line in the northwest surrounding area of Madrid that has been requesting for years the removal of 220 kv pylons and wires placed very close to the houses and all over 5 Km of the neighborhood. The report contains a specific recommendation on this particular issue: "El caso Aravaca".]

Since then the regional government of Madrid has issued new regulations prohibiting the construction of new buildings and residential areas near power transmission lines, as well as aiming to eliminate the existing ones over the metropolitan area of Madrid.

Mexico (1998)

Residents of Monterrey are opposing 115 kV high voltage lines being built in their area. According to a spokesman for the protestors: “We have a social movement, we are 40 people approximately - we were in a pacific "Planton" 21 days the 24 hours of each day, with posters rejecting the electrical installation (high voltage) so near our homes. I do not know the word in English, but Plantón means to stay in the same place 24 hours avoiding that the workers from electrical companies start their jobs, I mean, the works for installing the towers or posts in Spanish they call them "tronco conicos de 115KV". But remember that our pacific protest was not only by the transmission lines, we were protesting also for the electrical plant and substation near our houses. The Economical Power won and we lost. Even worse the responsible of the Health Secretary of the Government published a letter saying that the electromagnetic fields are not dangerous, can you imagine, so they do what they want".

Ohio - Layton (1998)

Layton, Ohio residents fear a Utah Power substation will increase their risk of cancer. More than 100 residents showed up at a planning commission meeting in July 1998 to protest plans to build a new substation. Despite waving signs that read, "We want a safe neighborhood" and "Our proclamation . . . no substation," the planning commission approved Utah Power's plans. The residents have said they will appeal to the city council, and perhaps in court.

The residents are concerned that electromagnetic fields or EMF generated by the substation may cause cancer. Their concerns stem from research first begun in the early 1970s, which indicates an association between childhood leukemia and exposure to electric and magnetic fields. They're also worried that one of their children might be electrocuted if he or she climbs over the substation's security fence.

Quebec (1998-1999)

The government is not above the laws it makes. That principle is at the heart of a stunning court judgment issued on February 23, 1999 that put an immediate halt to work on a massive Hydro-Quebec transmission line through the Eastern Townships.

Quebec Superior Court Justice Jeannine Rousseau ruled that cabinet decrees in early 1998 that paved the way for the power line were illegal, that work on the $104-million project must stop and that the citizens' group that has been fighting the project for a year be awarded $70,000 to help cover its legal costs.

Hydro-Quebec had pressed hard for the line after the 1998 ice storm revealed how vulnerable the power grid serving the Montreal area could be. In May of 1998 Hydro-Quebec President Andre Caille said completion of the 735-kilovolt line was essential to the safeguarding of Montreal's power supply.

Accordingly, in January and May of 1998, the provincial cabinet quickly passed a series of decrees to bypass normal environmental and zoning processes. In one case, the commission governing the protection of farmland provided an opinion on the suitability of the project in just 24 hours.

Running roughshod over the rules using the excuse of an emergency situation was out of line, Rousseau said in issuing a permanent injunction against the project. "The government must act in conformity with the laws," she wrote. "It cannot itself declare a crisis situation in order to ignore them. "It is the same for Hydro-Quebec."

Antigua (1999)

The government of Antigua is pushing to extend a 69Kv power line (which already exists around part of the island) another few miles. A group of concerned landowners who will be affected are trying to bring the dangers involved to the attention of all persons who the lines presently affect and to stop the proposed expansion. Antigua is only a 108 square mile Island and the residents have suggested that these power lines be put underground. The residents claim that the government wants to rise roughshod over the protests of its citizens and say that there is no threat.

Georgia (1999)

The recently formed Little River Valley Association wants to stop or at least delay construction of a 2.5-mile electrical transmission line that it says will require clear-cutting of hundreds of old-growth trees and result in untold environmental damage.

They also worry about exposure to electromagnetic fields. Developer Mike Killgallon, a member of the Metro Atlanta Home Builders Association, said a home's proximity to these megavolt, high-tension power lines can reduce the selling price or make it more difficult to find a buyer.