Gov. says yes to power lines
 
By BRIAN MCCREADY , Journal Register News Service 05/07/2004
Gov. John G. Rowland pledged Thursday to sign legislation that would require new high-voltage lines to be buried, including a pending controversial project proposed by two major utilities.

Both the state House and Senate overwhelming approved the restrictive measure that is being hailed as the toughest in the country when it comes to regulating electric transmission lines.

 
"It’s outstanding," said state Sen. Winthrop Smith, R-Milford. "The power companies kept saying, ‘We can’t do this. No one else has done this,’ and we said, ‘Oh, yes we can,’ and we did it."

The governor’sspokesman, Christopher Cooper, said Rowland is expected to sign the bill next week.

The bill was proposed by a dozen New Haven County lawmakers in response to plans by Connecticut Light & Power and United Illuminating to upgrade a 69-mile transmission line from Middletown to Norwalk. The utilities say the upgrade, from 115 kilovolts to 345 kilovolts, is needed to improve energy reliability in Fairfield County, which is consuming increasing amounts of electric power.

The Siting Council will vote on the utilities’ plans in December.

The amended bill that was approved would require high voltage energy transmission lines be placed underground in areas near those used by children, including private or public schools, day-care facilities, youth camps and public playgrounds. The exception is in cases in which utilities can prove it’s not technologically feasible to bury lines.

A previous form of the bill included strict buffers, but the language was deleted in order to get the bill approved. The Siting Council will use its discretion in setting appropriate buffers.

"This is a victory for the people in all the impacted towns. Nearly everyone who spoke to me about this legislation expressed concern over the health consequences of the electromagnetic fields," said state Sen. Len Fasano, R-North Haven. "That’s why we included language requiring lines ..be placed underground unless NU and IU can prove it’s safe not to. The onus is now on them, which is how it should be."

Utility officials have said that studies prove that placing more lines underground will lead to reliability issues with the project.

State Sen. Joseph Crisco, D-Woodbridge, said that, while there are conflicting reports on the health risks of electromagnetic fields, the bill is the right thing to do to ensure precautions are taken to protect children.

"The passage of this bill is an enormous victory for everyone, especially the children of Connecticut," said state Rep. Themis Klarides, R-Derby. "The state will now take into account the potentially severe effects of EMFs, and this measure represents a strong stand in defense of people’s health and safety."

Klarides and Crisco both backed the proposal because of concerns the power line project would negatively effect Woodbridge. Members of Concerned Parents Against the Power Line Upgrade Plan have said, in Woodbridge alone, the current proposal to boost capacity of the transmission system would take the high voltage wires past two schools, a synagogue and a community center used by 3,000 children.

Leaders from several New Haven County communities have demanded the power lines be buried. Current plans for the upgrade call for the line to be buried from a Milford substation to Norwalk, while the remainder of the line, which would go through Milford, Orange, Woodbridge, Bethany, Cheshire, Wallingford and Durham on the way to Middletown, would be above ground.

Hartford Bureau Chief Greg Hladky contributed to this story. Brian McCready can be reached at 876-6800 or bmccready@nhregister.com

 

 

Senate OKs power lines bill
 
By BRIAN MCCREADY , Journal Register News Service ----05/06/2004
HARTFORD -- In a vote state Sen. Win Smith, R-Milford, described as "David defeats Goliath," the Senate voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve a bill that may require high-voltage lines to be buried in some areas.

The bill requires the power companies to prove that burying lines in certain areas is not technologically feasible on any application that goes near schools, playgrounds, daycare centers, and through residential areas.

The Senate vote was 36-0. The bill now will be sent to Gov. John G. Rowland for his signature.

The state House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the bill Monday night by a 144-5 margin.

The bill was proposed by a dozen New Haven County lawmakers in response to plans by Connecticut Light & Power and United Illuminating to upgrade 69 miles of transmission line from Middletown to Norwalk. The utilities say the upgrade from 115 kilovolts to 345 kilovolts is needed to improve energy reliability in Fairfield County, which is consuming increasing amounts of electric power.

"This sends a very strong message to the (Connecticut) Siting Council that they must bury the lines," Smith said.

The Siting Council will vote on the utilities’ plans in December.

The amended bill that was approved could require high-voltage energy transmission lines be placed underground in areas near children, including private or public schools, day-care facilities, youth camps, and public playgrounds unless utilities can prove it’s not technologically feasible.

UI spokeswoman Marcia Wellman confirmed the legislation will affect the utilities’ plans.

"The burden of proof is on the applicant," Wellman said.

Wellman said utility officials are confident they can prove it’s not technologically feasible to increase the number of underground lines. Studies have shown additional underground lines are not reliable, Wellman said.

Wellman said the buffer restriction will be a "challenge" for utilities, but the decision will be left to the Siting Council.

Utility officials are not surprised by the legislature’s vote, she said, because this is the largest transmission project in the state in more than 30 years.

"Unfortunately the technology does not exist to make all 18 towns along the proposed route happy," Wellman said.

Officials in Durham and Middlefield were ecstatic to hear the bill passes after a roller coaster ride over the last week. Durham First Selectwoman Maryann Boord was initially happy when the bill came from the Public Health Commission, but was shocked to learn last week when residential areas were taking out of the language of the bill by the House.

Boord, Middlefield First Selectman Charles Augur and many concerned residents went up to Hartford last week to urge the House to put residential areas back on the bill. They did. The bill passed, and then many feared the bill would not make it through the Senate before the close of session on Wednesday.

"It’s been quite a day. The bill was on the consent list. It was off.And, then,it was finally back on," said Boord. "There was a lot of communication, and we are grateful it went back on the list and it passed."

Boord looked at the bill as a major victory in her effort to have the lines moved underground. Although the bill does allow the power companies to argue against underground lines and possibly still have them above ground, Boord was very happy with Wednesday’s outcome.

"This bill was a very important next step," said Boord. "We have a long way ahead of us, but this was very important."

Szymon Twarog of the Middletown Press contributed to this report

©The Middletown Press 2004