Tooele City Settles with Rocky Mountain Power

The Tooele City Council adopted a resolution at their meeting on January 19, 2011, settling with Rocky Mountain Power as to the alignment of the high voltage transmission lines that were proposed to go along the city's south benches. To get all of the details of the agreement, please click on this link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/47278172 . As Kaye Pratt pointed out at the meeting, the Concerned Citizen's Group, "shot for the moon, and didn't get the moon, but we did improve what was proposed."

A HUGE thank you to all citizens who contributed their time and talents to improve this situation and especially Brad and Kaye Pratt who spearheaded these effots and worked tirelessly to better the situation for all!

Preliminary Injunction Granted Halting CUP Issuance on Transmission Lines

Judge Henriod issues an injunction that prevents Tooele County from issuing a Conditional Use Permit to Rocky Mountain Power for the construction of high voltage transmission lines

The injunction issued by Judge Henriod on October 4, 2010, is located at the following link so that you may view it: http://www.scribd.com/doc/38724813

Lessons Learned (and some relearned) From This Journey

1. Desperate people resort to desperate measures to keep their jobs. I watched the RMP employees wriggle like fish on a hook while blatantly lying to the Utility Review Board trying to get their employer’s plans approved. I wonder how they sleep at night?

2. Monopolies are NEVER GOOD in any market segment be it utilities, banks, retail, etc.

3. People can be bought...and some come cheap (you know who you are)! Where are ethics and conscience? There are many, too many, who are missing both from their lives!

4. RMP has static routes and variable design criteria. Whatever fits the situation or route they wish to pursue is what is given as the criteria. They also have variable cost analysis used in the same fashion.

5. Public Hearings are a major part of many governmental processes which is a good thing. The voice of the people should be heard. What bothers me is that the concerns are not LISTENED TO and adequately addressed in many instances.

6. People can come together for a united cause. Great job Brad and Kaye in leading this effort!

Utah Public Service Commission Public Hearing TODAY

UTAH PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
HEARING TO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS
In the Matter of:
The Petition for Review between Rocky Mountain Power and Tooele County for Consideration by the Utility Facility Review Board

TUESDAY MAY 11, 2010
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Deseret Peak Complex
Tooele County Convention Center,
2930 West Highway 112, Tooele County


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAY 11, 2010

Tooele County Denied Rocky Mountain Power's Conditional Use Permit Application to Contruct 345kv High Voltage Power Lines along Tooele's South East Bench Route, Mona to Oquirrh Transmission Corridor Project.
The Matter is now at the State of Utah for Determination of Location to Site the Transission Lines in Tooele County.

More.......
At the Mar 3, 2010 Planning Commission meeting the planning commission voted unanimously to deny Rocky Mountain Power's Application for a Conditional Use Permit. The Tooele County Commission upheld their decision on Mar 30, 2010. Finding of Facts listed over twenty unmitigatible issues such as the following:
The route if approved will run within a half mile of over 900 homes on the SouthWest and SouthEast areas of Tooele City. This distance is too close according to experts and newly released medical studies on the health hazards of EMF exposure from high voltage power lines. Tooele City’s culinary water system’s water source is at risk of contamination affecting over 30,000 residents from the herbicides used to kill and control vegetation beneath the transmission lines and from ground disturbance during and after construction. Two hundred and two acres of dense vegetation including pine trees and scrub oak will be permanently destroyed on the benches. It also crosses a capped Superfund site where construction would unearth arsenic and lead tailings potentially threatening neighboring residents and will restrict access to Tooele High School historic “T” by students and alumni, to name just a few of the major reasons this route is the most detrimental route RMP could take through Tooele to the Wasatch Front.

Tooele County elected government officials feel that RMP’s choice for the siting of these lines is unacceptable to the County. Tooele County Commissioners came out with a 3-0 vote in July of last year opposing the South East Bench Route as well as Tooele City Council’s unanimous opposing vote last July. A preferred route through Tooele County was presented to RMP last September in a Consensus Letter signed by Tooele County Commissioners, Tooele City Mayor/Council, Grantsville City Mayor/Council and Tooele and Grantsville Concerned Citizen Group Representatives. This unified group of local government officials and citizens have been feverishly working on this disagreement with RMP in a relentless ongoing process.

Tooele County is now before the Utility Facility Review Board for the State's determination for the siting of the high voltage transmission lines in Tooele County. Tooele has repeatedly told Rocky Mountain Power they agree there is a need for more power and are willing to permit power lines in the County, just not this route
RMP has been unwilling to yield on their route choice at this point.

Heavy media coverage is expected from multiple news outlets.

Contact Information:
KAYE PRATT
Opposing Committee Representative
435-840-2467 Cell
kmpratt1@hotmail.com

Tooele Bench Proposed Lines...

Rocky Mountain Power turned in some renderings of what the proposed lines would look like to the Public Utility Commission. The renderings they turned in showed only the poles sticking up without the accompanying right of ways that they clear the vegetation from and the actual lines strung from pole to pole. They also did not show the access roads that will be cut into the hillsides. These pictures were taken and then an artist reproduced the poles, lines, and vegetation that will be gone. These do not show the access roads, but you get a more accurate picture than the "spin" that RMP gave their submission.

This photo of the mountain bench east of Tooele City shows the historic "T" and a rendering of the proposed high voltage lines that will cross in front of it along with their accompanying right of way (that is kept devoid of vegetation). There will also be access roads cut into the mountainside.

This photo of the area above the Cassity property on the southeast bench of Tooele shows an artist rendering of what the high voltage transmission lines and their accompanying right of way will look like.

"A Better Plan"

The following presentation has been created to show "A Better Plan" for the high voltage transmission lines being proposed by Rocky Mountain Power for the Tooele Valley. There are two parts on the youtube presentation created, so make sure you watch both!

http://www.youtube.com/tooelepower

Public Hearing Information