Call to Action for Tooele County Residents

As many of you are aware, there has been a tremendous effort to provide a better alternative to the proposed high voltage lines by Rocky Mountain Power (Gateway Central, Mona to Oquirrh Project through Tooele Valley). Please keep in mind that a project such as this will not only impact us, but our posterity for generations. It is imperative it is done with the public’s best interest in mind. As of this writing, the events have occurred as follows:

March 03, 2010 – Tooele County Planning Commission denied Rocky Mountain Powers application for a conditional use permit citing many factors as stated in the linked minutes. http://206.197.88.200/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=40&doctype=MINUTES

March 30, 2010 – The Tooele County Commission denied an appeal by Rocky Mountain Power thereby upholding the decision of the Planning Commission. http://www.co.tooele.ut.us/pntcc10/tcc30mar10min.pdf

April 8, 2010 - Rocky Mountain Power submitted a petition for review with the Utah Utility Facility Review Board stating that "The County's decision to deny the Permit prohibits the construction of electric facilities which are needed to provide safe, reliable, adequate, and efficient service to the Company's customers. http://www.co.tooele.ut.us/pub_hearings/rmp.pdf

April 22, 2010 - Tooele County filed their opposition to Rocky Mountain Power’s Petition.

IT IS CRITICAL TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT A LOST CAUSE!
THE AMOUNT OF PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE IN THIS
EFFORT HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS.

The Tooele & Grantsville Concerned Citizens Groups have spent endless hours educating, researching and becoming familiar with this project. There is a better plan for the transmission line siting for Tooele Valley.

Below is the Utah State Utility Facility Review Board schedule. On these dates, there will be a hearing by the Review Board. Right now is the time to figure out how you can make one or all of these dates available to attend these meetings:

May 10, 11, 12, 2010 - A hearing by the Review Board will be held in the Commission’s Hearing Room 403, Fourth Floor of the Heber M. Wells Building, 160 East 300 South, Salt Lake City, Utah, beginning each day at 9:00 a.m. and concluding each day by 5:00 p.m., except Tuesday,

May 11, 2010 when the hearing will conclude at 3:00 p.m. and the Review Board will then come to Tooele and take public comment on this matter from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Tooele County Convention Center, located at the Deseret Peak Complex (2930 West Highway 112, Tooele County). In order to insure that as many members of the community are able to be heard as want to speak, the following limitations will be strictly enforced: (1) the three-hour proceeding will be apportioned equally among those wishing to speak; and (2) unduly repetitious, non-productive and irrelevant evidence will not be heard.

A large show of support is important at this stage.

We will be able to tilt the scales if we can show up in force at these meetings. You need not speak to have an impact. The May 11 hearing at the Deseret Peak Complex will allow public comment. If you wish to speak, we encourage you to do so. Please keep in mind a unified approach will make the strongest impact and that the Review Board is not interested in individual complaints about the project. Their focus will be on the greater good.

Written comments are welcome and must be sent via email to the Review Board at psccal@utah.gov. Tooele County residents have earned the right to make their feelings known at a state level. Each email should include your name and address, as only Tooele County residents are allowed comment. Even if you are attending the meetings, it is important to also email them. Every individual needs to write down how this project as proposed by Rocky Mountain Power will impact our valley, our families, our rural setting, our quality of life and so on. If you’re aware of any friends or neighbors without email access, we will forward on any letters sent to Grantsville Cares, P.O. Box 32, Grantsville, Utah 84029.

If you would like to get additional details of this project, please review the minutes of the Tooele County Planning Commission (March 3, 2010) and minutes from the Tooele County Commission Meeting (March 30, 2010), or contact your local elected officials.

The hearing will be streamed live and a link for the audio streaming can be found at www.psc.utah.gov in the What’s New section. Audio files should be available at the web site after a hearing is completed. The public witness portion of the hearing may also be streamed depending on Internet protocol availability.

If we don’t get out of our comfort zones and decide to spend the time necessary now, we will only have ourselves to blame if this project continues as planned! Please decide to make a difference!
And did I mention to send an email?!

Tooele Valley is going to get a high voltage power line regardless of the decision the board makes. Remember that there are better alternatives to the current plan for Tooele County. United we will obtain a better plan and benefit as a county