NOTE: This article was written by Erin Grover, one of the landowners who could be affected by Bonneville Power’s proposed high voltage power line for Clark and Cowlitz counties. This is her account of a meeting held Wednesday night at the Yacolt Primary School. She blogs at Highwoods Heaven.
BPA is looking at building a 70-mile, 500-kilovolt line from Castle Rock, Wash., to Troutdale, Ore. There are several possible routes being considered. One of them, Line 29, would run through the Grover property. For more background see, BPA Looking At New High Voltage Power Line for SW Washington.
By Erin Grover
Jim Rekucki of Dole Valley arranged to have Mark Korsness, the Senior Project Manager for the BPA I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project and Eric Wisch, Region Manager for Department of Natural Resources to speak. Dick Easter of Farm and Forest and Fred Stricker of the Battle Ground School District also attended, along with roughly 250 affected citizens.
Many questions and concerns were voiced, some were answered. Top concerns continue to be the loss of homes, fear of homes being condemed, effects from electromagnetic fields on health, where the power is really going and why such large 500 kilovolt lines have been proposed.
I asked if it is a fact the BPA will need to know who has pacemakers and what type. I wanted to know, because I thought would indicate if there are health risks associated with this energy. Korsness said the BPA would need to know about pacemakers. With a show of hands most people asked that a route even further east than the currently proposed Line 29 be explored. Korsness stated that is now in the works and said he had met with Senator Patty Murray’s staff Wednesday morning. It was also asked if the public comment period could be extended and if a meeting could be arranged at the Clark County Fairgrounds. Both are unlikely.
Yacolt City Mayor Joe Warren presented a letter to BPA, saying the small town of Yacolt relies on it’s scenic and historic significance economically. If 200 foot towers bridge the East Fork of the Lewis River, as proposed, they will forever change this part of Clark County, which is similar to the Columbia River Gorge with its waterfalls, horse trails, biking, hiking, camping, swimming, fishing, and hunting. Eric Wisch of the Washington Department of Natural Resources mentioned his concern for the impact on some of the campgrounds. Joy Tindall of Yacolt said, “It would be like losing a room in my house.”
The fact that this 70 mile 150 to 200 foot wide path would need to have weed killer used on it was mentioned and the impact to the watershed this will create. Many of the Line 29 properties are already listed Riparian Protected. As the meeting ended I showed Korsness, who was very graceful, pictures of my place and the waterfall Line 29 would cross. There is a kayaker in the picture. Korsness said, “Now you’re hitting me where I live.”
