Capon Valley Coalition

CVC Cochairman Bill Golemon reports on what the steering committee has been doing in the last few weeks of feverish activity:

We have interviewed two great pro bono lawyers but are still looking for the right person to represent the Capon Valley Coalition before the WV Public Service Coalition. Warning: This could get expensive.

We are scheduled to spend 15 minutes with Gov. Joe Manchin when he visits Romney next week. Grady Bradfield, Jim Matheson, County Commissioner Steve Slonaker, John Anderson and I are attending. I hope this will make him aware of the degree of opposition to the power line and the NIETC designation, which he has supported so far.

(NIETC stands for National Interest Energy Transportation Corridor, which is how Allegheny Power hopes to ram the TrAIL power line through over the objections of local residents and property owners and even the state and local governments in the path of these power lines.)

On Sunday Don Kesner of The Hampshire Review interviewed three residents of River Ridge and myself for an upcoming article focusing on the negative economic impact of the power line. (See County landowners continue battle over power lines.)

There have been numerous articles in other papers and journals, particularly since Allegheny’s announcement of the second proposed power line, and the DOE’s NIETC designation. (Read deeper into the Web site to view some.)

I hope people are contacting their congresspeople to urge them to sign on to and support the Hinchey-Wolf bill to repeal section 1221 of the Energy Policy Act, designating the NIETCs.

You can track activity on Allegheny Power’s plans to build the high-voltage TrAIL power line via the WV Public Service Commission Web site.

Use this address: http://www.psc.state.wv.us/scripts/WebDocket/tblCaseActivitiesList.cfm?CaseID=22527

If that link does not work for some reason, go to the PSC Search page, search by case and enter the TrAIL Case Number: 07-0508-E-CN.

Among other things, you can find out who supports and who opposes the power line.

Get Involved Now!

Write PSC and Gov. Joe Manchin and tell them West Virginia does not need this power line.

Don Kesner of The Hampshire Review sat down with four CVC members on Sunday to discuss the economic impact of Allegheny Power’s TrAIL power line on our area.

His story appeared in today’s edition (May 9, 2007) of The Hampshire Review. This excerpt appeared on the newspaper’s Web site, but will likely disappear in a week.

CAPON SPRINGS — Residents in River Ridge Estates near Capon Springs know they have very little chance winning their fight against a major power line scheduled to run through their development.

The $850 million, 240-mile power line proposed to be built by Dominion Energy of Richmond, Va., and Allegheny Power of Greensburg, Pa., would reportedly run from southwestern Pennsylvania’s coal country to growing northern Virginia.

A PJM planning group in May 2006 concluded that the 500-kilovolt line would serve the region’s most immediate need and could be built in five years.

But residents of River Ridge said Sunday afternoon that the project is moving fast, and that officials of the major energy companies are not concerned about who the line affects.

Ralph Wojtowicz has nearly $800,000 invested in a home he is currently building in River Ridge, and he has concerns about completing the project.

Too far into the building stage of his new home, Wojtowicz said it’s pertinent that he finish it.

But Wojtowicz said he has concerns about moving into the home when it is finished because of the large power lines that are projected to run near his residence.

“In early February my wife gave birth to twin boys at 27 weeks,” said Wojtowicz.

Getting the attention of the power companies, according to Wojtowicz, has been everything but successful.

“Trying to bring my situation to the attention of Allegheny Energy, public officials and reporters has cost me thousands of dollars that I should be spending on hospital bills,” he said.
But Wojtowicz isn’t standing alone in the fight against the energy companies.

Bruce Rooney and Dan Lender are equally concerned about the effects the power lines will have on property values, as well as possible health risks.

“We don’t know what the health impacts will be, and it seems that no one can tell us,” said Lender.

Just the economic impact alone will be great for homeowners, as well as for Hampshire County, according to Lender.

Some homes in the River Ridge area top the $1 million mark and, according to Hampshire County Assessor Frank Whitacre, would generate approximately $5,000 per year in taxes.

“But we don’t have that many million dollar homes in the county, and there’s no way of knowing how many are going to be built in the future,” said Whitacre. “So to try to determine the amount of taxes the county would lose if the power line comes through would be impossible.”