Background - The Antelope Pardee 500 kV Transmission Line Project
The Situation:
California has passed legislation requiring renewable energy resources to be on
line by specific timetables. The source of the energy in discussion is wind farms in Tehachapi, California.
The problem is with the routing of the 500 kV Transmission Lines that will carrythe electricity to key
distribution points in North Los Angeles County, and is to be compleed by the year 2010. Originally, a
route was proposed and engineered by Southern California Edison that essentially folowed an existing route.
The Angeles National Forest rejected this Original SCE Proposed Route. Alternatives were developed largely
by the Forest Service, but never fully vetted. Public comment was invited, but the information distributed
(and not distributed) by the Forest, the CPUC, and Edison was confusing to the public and government agencies
alike. On March 1, 2007, Alternative 2 was approved by the CPUC based on flawed, incomplete and misleading
information. It is the worst possible route to be selected as it involves significant threat to human life,
structures, forest habitat, and recreation lands due to Forest fire, and more.
The objection:
There is no objection to renewable energy, rather the Transmission Lines that are haphazardly
planned in a flawed process to be ruted through the Angeles National Forest and adjacent to provate property
contiguous to the Forest. the route, selected from several Alternatives is identified as Segment 1,
Alternative 2. But, in its rush to meet a deadline, the process became seriously flawed. Residents were
not notified. Town Councils were not notified. And where notifications did go out, they were difficult
to understand. Public outcry has been ignored, and admittedly tossed in drawers, never to be aired. Homes,
cabins and structures were left off of maps used by the CPUC in judging alternative routes because, as one
Project Manager stated, "it would make the map too messy."
Threat to life by fire:
It's the number one concern. Bouquet Canyon Reservoir is a significant fire
fighting resource utilized by aircraft. The Reservoir water is used in fire fighting air drops in several
neighboring communities, consisting of thousands of residents. Fires burning tens of thousands of acres and
multiple homes are an all too frequent occurrence in the area. It is not a matter of if there is going to be
a fire, it is when. One fire has already broken out this season along Bouquet Conyon Road, right where the
Transmission Lines and Towers are planned. A minor adjustment to the Route could relocate the Lines and Towers
to the west, further away from the Reservoir and mitigate this hazard to fire fighting aircraft.
The planned Alternative 2 Route crosses Bouquet Conyon Road in two places, creating an "Arsonist's Heaven."
It is all too easy to ignite a fire by the road, under the Lines and Towers, where the fire can't be fought
and would be allowed to grow larger by fire fighting crews. The road allows the arsonist to escape to the
north in two directions. Tens of thousands of acres have been set on fire by arsonists in this area in
recent years. Homes were lost, as well. The lines do not have to cross Bouquet Canyon Road at all. The
same minor adjustment to the west side of the Reservoir would keep this from happening.
Further south, and deeper in Bouquest Conyon, there are over 120 Forest Service permit cabins. The Lines
are planned to be moved down closer to the cabins, mid-slope from the existing corridor, which is nearer the top
of the ridge.
The EIR/EIS Final Report identifies conditions whereby it is possible that a fire could break out that would have
difficulty being fought by aircraft due to arcing of the lines from the retardant, and to create such an
elecgtrocution hazard to fire fighting ground crews that they would not be dispatched. The Canyon, the cabins,
people, wildlife and hibitat would be left to burn. Several endangered species would also be threatened.
The Forest Service says their route is more aesthetically pleasing:
Whom are they pleasing when they move Transmission Lines closer to cabins with their high power 50-60 decibel
level corona noise? When one chooses to then move the lines on top of people, better judgement is lost. This
route with its 180 ft tall 500 kV Towers will also harm one of the nation's crown jewels of trails, the Pacific
Crest Scenic Trail. A simple, economical solution exists.
Transmission Lines target private landholders in and contiguous to the forest by plotting the lines to run
within a few hundred feet ofthe private property. The lines run close, but not so close that the Forest Service
would have to pay the property owners via eminent domain. Just close enough to devalue the property visually and
with corona noise and perceived EMF health issues.
Socio economic and private property impact:
Property will suffer loss of value for cabin and property owners alike. For many Americans their home and
equity in that property is all they have to carry them through retirement and their so-called golden years.
These Transmission Lines are planned to be so close to rural private property that they will create a
significant reduction in property values, changing people's lives and how they will manage to survive until
their end days.
The solution is to return to the original Southern California Edison Proposed Route
whereever feasible.
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SCE 500 kV Transmission Line Project