8.6 miles of the northern portion of the right-of-way has
been cleared the full 240 feet width and will require no further clearing.
7.3 miles of the southern portion has been cleared to a
width of 150 feet for the existing 500 kV Line. We will need to clear the
remaining 90 feet of width. In rural areas, trees will be placed in piles
along the edge of the right-of-way. Adjacent to homes, trees will be removed.
If a property owner is interested in the logs for firewood, we will be happy
to stack that wood to the side. If a property owner lives on the eastern side
of the wooded right-of-way and we are removing all the buffer between their
home and the new line, we will work with that property owner to install low
growing vegetation outside of our right-of-way to provide a visual screen
between that home and the proposed line.
Yes. Our easement agreement allows us ingress and egress
over private roads of property owners crossed by the right-of-way. The Company,
at its expense, will repair any private roads damaged by Dominion or its contractors
during construction of the line or its future maintenance. In addition, we
will reimburse property owners for crop damage, and repair or replace fences
or gates if for some reason we should damage them.
Once we have the approvals necessary to construct the proposed
line, we anticipate that 16 miles of line will take approximately 24 months
to engineer and build.
What will be the environmental impacts
to the area?
Because trees will be cleared in some areas, there will
be some loss of habitat for some species, but other species that require open
or meadow areas will benefit. Dominion will have the right-of-way surveyed
for possible threatened or endangered animals, insects, or plants, and work
with the appropriate State agencies to protect any species that may be found.
Wetlands will be flagged in the field before construction begins. Any areas
within 100 feet of streams will be cleared by hand rather than mechanized
means. Temporary culverts and matting will be used if it is necessary for
construction vehicles to go across streams and wetlands areas. A Phase I archaeological
study will be prepared and any areas of archaeological importance will be
flagged and protected before construction begins. Dominion submits annual
Erosion and Sedimentation Control Specifications for the construction and
maintenance of transmission lines to the Department of Conservation and Recreation
for review and approval. This project will be included in the 2007 submittal
when construction is expected to begin. These specifications are given to
our contractors and require E&S control measures be in place before construction
begins. Once construction is complete, the right-of-way will be rehabilitated.
Will this new line affect the value
of my property?
This is a difficult issue to address. Proximity of power
lines to homes may be an issue for some people but is not for others. While
some homebuyers may not want to purchase a home in the vicinity of transmission
lines, others find the added buffer to other homes a benefit. This is also
evidenced by the homes that have been built next to the existing right-of-way
after the existing line was constructed and by many similar circumstances
across our transmission system.
Do I need to worry about Electric
and Magnetic Fields?
Dominion Virginia Power is sensitive to public concern
about the possible health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields. We
continually monitor EMF research and speak to our customers and employees
regularly, sharing the latest information with them. The Virginia Department
of Health in its final report on EMF research said,
"Based on the review and analysis of the exhaustive
literature review and other research projects completed under the EMF-RAPID
program, the Virginia Department of Health is of the opinion that there is
no conclusive and convincing evidence that exposure to extremely low frequency
EMF emanated from nearby high voltage transmission lines is causally associated
with an increased incidence of cancer or other detrimental health effects
in humans. Even if it is assumed that there is an increased risk of cancer
as implied in some epidemiologic studies, the empirical relative risk appears
to be fairly small in magnitude and the observed association appears to be
tenuous. The studies published in the literature lack clear demonstration
of a cause and effect relationship as well as a definitive dose-response gradient."
The company has formed an EMF Committee that tracks research
and public discussion and makes recommendations to management. The Committee's
latest EMF
update is available for review. Additional information is available in
following links:
Based on our experience with underground transmission lines,
we do not use underground construction for transmission facilities if an overhead
route is available. This is because, compared to overhead lines, underground
facilities adversely affect overall reliability because they take much longer
to repair or replace in the event of a failure, can adversely affect power
flows on our transmission network, and have a life cycle cost many times greater
than that of overhead transmission facilities.
Can Dominion install the new 230
kV Line on the existing 500 kV structures?
The existing structures are not capable of supporting the
additional loads of a second circuit nor can they maintain the required clearances
between the circuits.
Where can I find more information
about the project?
The application for approval was filed with the State Corporation
Commission on May 19, 2006. Scanned copies of the documents associated with
this Case are now available on the SCC Web site at http://docket.scc.virginia.gov:8080/vaprod/main.asp.
Select "SEARCH CASES" on the navigation across
the top of the page. Type (or cut and paste) "PUE-2006-00048" in
the "Enter Case Number" field and click on "Search". Select
the Case Number on the Case Search Results page and then click on "Documents"
on the Case Summary page.
Copies of the Company's Application and the Commission's
Order for Notice and Comment have been placed in the Fauquier County Department
of Community Development at 10 Hotel Street in Warrenton, and the Prince William
County Department of Planning at the County Complex on Prince William Parkway
for public inspection.
You may also contact Liz
Harper in the Electric Transmission Lines Group/Route Selection and Permitting,
toll-free at 1 (800) 215-8032, press 4, or (804) 819-2977.
