From: MJLippe@aol.com [mailto:MJLippe@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2007 9:22 AM
To: Grubb, Karen
Subject: More Information on PATH

 

Karen,

 

Here is some additional information.

 

Michael

 

http://caponvalleycoalition.com/2007/08/23/path-the-other-trail-ep-and-allegheny-formalize-joint-venture-to-build-transmission-line/

 

Michael,

 

Yes PATH is the other southern line I was referring to.  But since, as the attached email says, this line will go to New Jersey, it could go through Jefferson County.

 

I believe the electric lines are up to the PSC, although if the local commission and your representatives in Charleston come out against it, that could carry some weight with PSC.  Unfortunately, our governor mostly seems to favor the lines since that means WV will sell more coal.  If NIETC if approved by Congress, what the states say may not matter, as the federal government would have the power of eminent domain.  NIETC includes the whole top half of WV, and states north and east of it.  This federal designation is what has given Allegheny and American Electric the impetus to propose these power lines.

 

Karen:

 

I think you are correct, the Allegheny TrAIL project was at first proposed as indicated, but has since been changed to the current more southern route.

 

The other project to watch is the joint AE-AEP 765-kv line (PATH) from the John Amos plant near Charleston to somewhere in New Jersey.  If TrAIL is approved, I suspect that PATH will be next.  Furthermore, if the NIETC is approved, Jefferson County could easily be in the route for this or other lines.  Hence, stopping TrAIL is important, even if this particular line is not in your back yard.

 

JBK

Dear Karen,

 

I had first thought so myself, but now think that there must be two separate lines, TRAIL and PATH, so I googled Bedington, which is the electric substation near us mentioned in the 2006 Allegheny Power letter and found the following, http://www.alleghenyenergy.com/Newsroom/NewsReleases/2007/PJM_Bd_Approval_0607.pdf,

 

I am going to try and follow up this week to see where this stands with the local county planning commission.  Do they have any jurisdiction over this, to your knowledge, or would it all be up to the WV Public Service Commission?

 

You mentioned an NIETC.  Do you know if this includes Jefferson and Berkeley Counties, I
assume it does, and whether it includes anything that Allegheny wants to do anywhere in it?

 

Thank you!

 

Michael Lippe 

 

In a message dated 9/16/2007 7:25:06 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, kgrubb@fairmontstate.edu writes:

Dear Mr. Lippe,

In looking at your attachment, I see it is dated March 6, 2006.  I believe that the proposed route has been changed to the more southern route and no longer is planned to go through part of Maryland and Jefferson County.  I have also heard that Allegheny Power is avoiding all federal lands along the route.  http://www.marstellerclientarea.com/Trail_Map/TRAIL_Map_animation.html 

I will consult with our Energy Committee to see if they have more information I can give you.  The actual eastern NIETC covers at least 2/3 of WV (Mid-Atlantic Area National Corridor includes counties in Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania,

New York, Maryland, Virginia, and all of New Jersey, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.).  The Allegheny TrAIL is the actual proposed route of one transmission line, with another being proposed much farther south in WV by American Electric Power.

http://www.oe.energy.gov/DocumentsandMedia/4.26.07_National_Corridors.pdf 

The WV Sierra Club is fighting all additional power lines, regardless of where they are placed.  We welcome your help and involvement.  We are currently conducting a funding drive to collect money to pay for expert witness testimony for our intervention against Allegheny Power with the WV Public Service Commission.

Karen Grubb

WV Sierra Conservation Chair

From: MJLippe@aol.com [mailto:MJLippe@aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2007 10:02 PM
To: Grubb, Karen
Subject: Allegheny Power Transmission Lines

Dear Ms. Grubb,

There was a recent article in the Shepherdstown Chronicle about an Allegheny Power request for designation of a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor to go through the Eastern Panhandle and Jefferson County, apparently quite near to where we live.  Looking at the rough map on the proposal, which I downloaded at http://www.oe.energy.gov/DocumentsandMedia/allegheny.pdf, it appears that the corridor might go through the nearby National Conservation Training Center (where there is a pair of nesting bald eagles) and then cross the Potomac very near if not through Antietem National Battlefield Park.  

When I started to look this up, I quickly came to your site and the battle concerning the transmission lines being planned, apparently along another route, further to the South.

I am assuming that the two corridors are not related, at least geographically, but am not sure and am wondering whether the Sierra Club has looked into the issues concerning the Eastern Panhandle corridor. 

Thank you for any light you can shed on this and any assistance you can provide in directing me in the right direction to try and find out more about all of this.  Perhaps needless to say, we are quite worried about the implications of this proposal.

Best regards, 

Michael Lippe