LOCALS AGAINST VITAL LA WIRES

Bill aims to fight Chino Hills electrical tower construction
Neil Nisperos, March 13, 2010 (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)

"With Southern California Edison moving to bring green wind energy from Central California to the Southland, city officials and a local lawmaker have devised a multi-pronged attack to slow the plan.

"The $1.8 billion Tehachapi project will bring wind-generated electricity from Kern County to the Los Angeles Basin - part of a state mandate to use more sustainable energy. The route would bring a portion of Edison's electric line through Chino…City residents have voiced concern that the 200-foot towers could fall on or near homes during an earthquake or very windy weather…More than 1,000 homes in Chino would be within 500 feet of the line…"

The wind riches in Tehachapi are so great that Edison is building a substation just to gather and deliver them. (Pic by NewEnergyNews. Click to enlarge)

"Assemblyman Curt Hagman, R-Chino Hills, has introduced a bill in Sacramento that would [prevent the project]…Mayor Bill Kruger said the bill may have been introduced too late to prevent the towers from being constructed in [Chino]…The city has also filed a lawsuit hoping to curtail the proposal. The suit argues that easements in the city are too narrow for the 200-foot towers. Officials are awaiting a court hearing date.

"The power line towers would replace inactive Edison power lines that are half the height. Edison officials have started relocating cell phone towers away from the easement…The state Public Utilities Commission in December sided with Edison's proposed route as more viable than the city's proposed alternate route, which would have cut through the Chino Hills State Park…"

The lines thru Chino are to deliver electricity from Tehachapi, California's most economic and environmentally accessible New Energy-rich region. (Chart from the California's RETI. Click to enlarge)

"The project aims to improve the environment and reduce dependence on foreign sources of energy…Construction is expected to start this year and last until 2013…

"The city has appealed the commission's decision. City officials doubt their appeal would be successful…Residents have also expressed concern about an aesthetic degradation of city views, reduction in home values, noise as well as the possibility of adverse health impacts from electromagnetic fields produced by the line…"