Lou Schatz

25 Sunnyside Lane

Phone 651 455 1843

Fax (651) 455-6811

Email Schatzie25@aol.com

 

 

 

 

Bob Cupit, Energy Facility Siting Project Director

Minnesota Environmental Quality Board

658 Cedar Street

St. Paul MN  55155

 

 

Dear Bob:

 

Enclosed please find a petition signed by the residents of Sunfish Lake requesting that an environmental  worksheet  be required of Northern States Power Company.  The project in question is described by NSP as the Southeast Metro Area Transmission System Upgrade (see attached Exhibit 1).  This project, as we understand it, involves replacing existing wooden structures with taller metal ones and adding additional power lines.  The initial phase involves the transmission lines/poles between Red Rock and Rogers Lake (the communities of Newport, South St. Paul, Inver Grove Heights, Sunfish Lake and Mendota Heights).  The second phase, running from Rogers Lake to Wilson substation includes the community of Bloomington.  The transmission lines would enter our community slightly south of the intersection of Highway 110 and Highway 52, traverse wetlands in that corner, go up a steep wooded hill, across a small meadow and then, the major portion would cross through oak/birch , steeply sloped woodlands on the northern side of  Sunfish Lake.  Before exiting the city, the lines would cross another wooded wetland area east of the corner of Charlton Road and Delaware Avenue.

 

We are opposed to the project for the following reasons:

               

                - the health/safety hazards from Electro Magnetic Fields as well as from downed poles/lines .  In Exhibit 2A please find the latest studies involving EMF, a map showing the close proximity of  Sunfish Lake homes to the power lines (2B), and a recent Minnesota Appellate Court decision discussing the hazards to public health and safety resulting from storm damage to lines and poles.  (2C) .

 

                -the fact that the lines impact one lake (Sunfish) and several wetlands which are listed as Protected Waters both by the DNR and Dakota County. (see Sunfish Lake Shoreline Ordanance, Exhibit 7) The line also crosses over the Sunfish Lake Watershed       

               

                -the documented cases of migratory birds and song bird fatalities due to collisions with wires and structures (Exhibit 4) and a list, to follow, of bird species observed migrating through and living in our community (approximately 300).

               

                - the impact on forests as documented in the Chisago Environmental Report include the “potential for soil compactation, erosion encroachment of weedy species and, in the case of oak, the additional potential loss of trees due to oak wilt (see attached Exhibit 5).  In addition to the disruption to forests during construction, NSP’s new policy on tree “trimming” would degrade forests permanently (see Exhibit 5B).

 

                -the further fragmentation of woodlands due to construction and tree “trimming” has, in other documents been shown to be adverse to its wildlife (Exhibit 6).  Sunfish Lake supports communities of predators (fox, coyotes, owls, hawks, as well as a sighted bobcat) as well as prey (deer, rodents, rabbits and other assorted species).  This project would have significant impact on both.

 

                -this project is not in keeping with either the Comprehensive Plan nor the Sunfish Lake Shoreline regulations.  Zoning  in the area of the NSP project is Recreational development and , as such, is intruded to “protect the ecological and scenic values of natural undeveloped water bodies from the harmful effects of development.”( SFL Shoreline ordinance, Exhibit 7. )

 

                - the aesthetic impact of replacing wooden poles with taller steel structures would increase the visibility of the line.  Visibility would be even greater because of NSP’s new trimming policy.  (See Exhibit 5B  )  The change in scale would have adversely affect the use and enjoyment of immediate property owners as well as those across the lake from the lines.

 

                -the reduction in property value by this type of project because of health or aesthetic concerns has been documented , even for homes further than 200 feet from the right of way. (Exhibit 9)  Property values decreases from 2 - 14 percent.  This reduction affects, obviously, not only the property owners themselves, but the tax base of the community.

 

                -it has been suggested that this project is only the start in a series of “upgrades” to these transmission lines

If indeed there is a perceived need to transfer energy regionally from west to east , the next step could be yet larger poles, more transmission lines and further environmental damage. 

 

We feel that there are several alternatives to construction of an industrial corridor through our community.  We are bordered by a state highway and an interstate highway.   Each of these is easily accessible from the point that this project enters our city.  Given the fact that sharing rights of way with roads, pipelines, communication towers, utilites etc. is encouraged by planners, we maintain that locating the transmission line along either of these routes would be ideal ,easy and result in NO adverse impacts.  This is not the case with the route through the community of Sunfish Lake.  

 

We will send a registered letter to NSP notifying them of this petition.  If there are questions, please contact me.  Thank you.   

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                Sincerely,

 

 

                                                                                                                             Lou  Schatz