Residents of east Clark County have been more than just vehement in their opposition to a proposed Bonneville Power Administration high-voltage transmission line running through or near populated areas. They’ve been successful, to a certain degree. Thousands of people attended public hearings last year and thousands of online comments were submitted to BPA. Four days before Christmas, BPA announced it had eliminated four land areas from consideration for the new power line, including one area that had outraged property owners in and around Hockinson.
Now comes another minor victory (of sorts) for east county residents. BPA officials have announced plans to release a revised map that would include a new possible route, one traversing less-populated forest areas owned mostly by industrial forestry companies and the state Department of Natural Resources.
Our advice, though, is to postpone the confetti toss and set down the vuvuzelas. Abundant issues remain unresolved. Most significantly, that new, more forested alternative won’t be determined until next month. Furthermore, the 48 land segments that remained in consideration late last year are still on the board. Also, there are chronological reasons to avoid any premature celebrations. A preferred route will not be selected for many months, and a final decision is not expected until 2012.
Those lingering uncertainties are ample reason for east-county residents to remain concerned. Despite BPA’s announced No. 1 goal — to avoid whenever necessary forcing people to move out of their homes — citizens possess valid worries about declining property values, possible health hazards and visual blight caused by 500-kilovolt power lines draped on towers as tall as 15-story buildings.
Nevertheless, it was encouraging this week to see BPA hearing and responding to demands of community activists to site any new power line away from houses and within forested areas. As Erik Robinson reported in Wednesday’s Columbian, a new eastern alternative route could run through the Cascade foothills but west of Gifford Pinchot National Forest (where there are fewer roads and terrain is more steep).
Anyone who has seen the intricate web of power lines throughout Clark County would be wrong to assume this project is just like all the rest. Robinson reported that the $342 million power line, which would run 70 miles from Castle Rock to Troutdale, Ore., will be the first major upgrade to the transmission system in Southwest Washington in four decades. More than just raising the ire of east-county residents, the proposed project has engaged U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who helped BPA increase its borrowing capacity to upgrade its power grid throughout the Northwest but also has opposed building new power lines in heavily populated areas.
As we have editorialized before, BPA has tried diligently to contact and listen to all property owners who could be affected by the project. That compromising attitude was reflected in this recent statement from project manager Mark Korsness: “We’re considering revising the most easterly route to minimize impacts to families.” As long as BPA keeps that goal uppermost among its priorities, there is reason to believe the burgeoning power demands of this region can be met with minimal disruption of property owners.
Of course, leery county residents will believe it when they see it. And, as we’ve said before, reasonable minds understand that building this power line without upsetting a number of people is a false hope. But keeping that number of impacted folks as low as possible must remain BPA’s abiding obligation to the public.
