OPSB hears concerned citizens at AEP Vassell substation hearing
During an Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) Public Hearing at Sunbury Town Hall last Thursday evening, residents living east of Sunbury in the Joe Walker Road area had their final opportunity to speak out against American Electric Power’s Vassell Substation that will be built on 265 acres adjacent to the village purchased by AEP.
AEP’s Vassell Substation will be built in three components. The largest component will be a transmission substation for 765 kV lines coming in, the second will service 345 kV and the third will be for 138 kV.
In July of last year AEP submitted plans for the site to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. To accommodate public response, there was a Red Plan and a Blue Plan. Each plan showed an approximate 35-acre substation on the site. One plan was labeled Preferred; one was labeled Alternate.
OPSB Administrative Law Judge Katie Stenman conducted last Thursday’s (January 19) hearing. In addition to township residents living adjacent to the site, the meeting was attended by Sunbury Mayor Tommy Hatfield, Sunbury Village Council member Tom Zalewski, Trenton Township Trustee Kevin Justice and developer Vince Romanelli.
Vocal opponents of the Vassell Substation project Alvin and Susan Barkeloo were in chambers, but not permitted to testify because they are considered interveners in the case. The Barkeloo’s will, along with an attorney, testify at a separate adjudicatory hearing. That hearing was held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, January 24, at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio offices, 180 East Broad Street, Columbus.
Stenman noted that Thursday evening’s public testimonies would become part of the official case record.
Ohio 37 resident Carol Watson, who owns property adjacent to the proposed site, said she understands that AEP’s selection of the site was an economic issue because of the merger of two major power lines.
“But you must understand, no alternate plans were ever submitted; the red and blue plans are on the same parcel of property,” Watson said. “Is there no other property that wouldn’t affect our community and our schools?”
Watson said the there was, in her words, quite a bit of deception in the project notification process; some residents living near the site had received notification letters from AEP, some did not.
“We have families living on Joe Walker Road whose homes are going to be deemed unmarketable; homes that border or have views of this substation,” Watson said. “I don’t think this was given much research or thought, especially the impact on schools.”
Bill and Linda Rinehart also live near the Vassell Substation proposed site. Linda stood to speak Thursday evening.
“We have five acres of beautiful, waterfront property; it’s very quiet and heavenly out there,” Rinehart said. “This is our retirement home, and it’s all going to change.”
Rinehart also noted research relating EMF (Electric and Magnetic Field) exposure from power lines as conflicting.
(Editors Note: According to the U.S. EPA RadTown USA website: in 1998, an expert working group, organized by the National Institute of Health’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIEHS, assessed the health effects of exposure to extremely low frequency EMF, the type found in homes near power lines. Based on studies about the incidence of childhood leukemia involving a large number of households, NIEHS found that power line magnetic fields are a possible cause of cancer.
Again, according to the EPA’s RadTown website: In the U.S., there are no federal standards limiting occupational or residential exposure to power line EMFs. According to the World Health Organization’s EMF Database Project, many countries are already on board with statutory EMF exposure standards, including England, France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Spain also adheres to EMF exposure standards, but by royal decree.)
Rinehart went on to cite a number of sources that recommend not living near power transmission stations or power lines because of possible health outcomes.
“There are growing concerns about EMF from transmission lines posing a health risk,” Rinehart said. “A number of states now require that EMFs not exceed certain thresholds. AEP could move their substation, but they’re more concerned about not moving.”
Rinehart said she was also concerned about the future size of the Vassell Substation. AEP owns 265 acres at the site, another 80 acres near Galena. With potential for substation growth, Rinehart said a realtor told her that her home could become worthless.
“This is why I believe AEP should buy us out so we can go someplace else,” Rinehart said. “I don’t want to worry the rest of my life about my family’s health. AEP should pay us double so we can start over.”
Ken and Kathleen McVicker live on Joe Walker Road. Ken spoke, and kept it short. He said he has the same concerns as his neighbors – runoff and depreciated property values.
Vince Romanelli, who owns 500 acres east of the power transmission substation site, said he purchased his property to sell to homebuilders. While Romanelli was not very emphatic in his objection to the Vassell Substation project, the implication was that his 500 acres is now less likely to be developed into desirable single-family homes.
Sunbury Mayor Tommy Hatfield also stood at the podium to speak. Hatfield said that in six years on Sunbury Council and now as village mayor, the Vassell Substation has generated more phone calls and more stops in the grocery store than any other issue he has had to deal with.
“People are concerned about their homes, about their health,” Hatfield said. “This will forever change our town. This is going to change economically what’s going to happen, what could happen; and I’ve never heard an alternate plan. I’ve heard AEP was turned down at another location for environmental reasons. What about people?”
Elise Swingle, the Barkeloo’s daughter, was given an opportunity to speak because she is technically not an intervener at the adjudicatory hearing.
Swingle read a 1934 statement by then AEP President George Tidd: “We are citizens of each community we serve and take an active part in its affairs. Like any other citizen, we want our neighbors to think well of us. Besides, it makes good business sense. We prosper only as the community prospers; so we help it thrive in any way we can.”
Noting the irony of Tidd’s statement that is prominently displayed on the AEP website, Swingle said “We’ll be the casualties; we’ll be the ones who have to live with this.”
According to American Electric Power of Ohio Transmission Company printed material, the Vassell Substation is being constructed to improve the quality of electric service and reliability in central Ohio. There is a 36.8-acre preferred site and a 35.3-acre alternate site on AEP’s 265 acres.
If approved, AEP will begin construction in the spring of 2012, with an estimated in-service date of the summer of 2014.
Printed matter also states that the substation will be located in a rural area 1/2 mile from the village of Sunbury; the site contains large agricultural tracts, small wooded areas and some adjacent scattered residences.
Ohio Power Siting Board staff reviewed AEP’s application and considered specific environmental, agricultural, ecological and economic factors and recommended that members of the board approve AEP’s application.
Article source: http://www.sunburynews.com/local.asp?ID=1636&Story=2