Ida. Power still likes route near Trail Center

“Isn’t that almost the exact route Idaho Power proposed initially, following along I-84?” said Jim Eidson of Baker City. “I guess I’m wondering what’s different. What’s changed?”

About 70 people packed into the Senior Center, where Idaho Power officials showed slides of various proposed routes and described how factors such as construction difficulty, environmental and other permitting issues, as well as costs and public concerns were weighed in identifying the preferred routes to be submitted to the Bureau of Land Management for review under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Idaho Power officials described the process they went through in eliminating alternate routes proposed by affected landowners and other area residents who want to keep the 130- to 140-foot-tall steel towers away from irrigated land zoned for exclusive farm use, and away from the viewshed around the Interpretive Center.

“The two things that really drive this is permitability and constructability,” said Bill Perry, an engineering consultant with Idaho Power. He described how alternate routes proposed by the public were assessed and compared to the routes Idaho Power proposed originally.

“We started the routing process in Baker City because Baker County had the most miles,” Perry said.

He said Idaho Power will accept written comments for two more weeks and then choose one or two routes to submit to state and federal agencies for review under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Despite widespread public opposition to Idaho Power’s initial proposal to build the transmission line near the Interpretive Center, Perry and other Idaho Power representatives told those attending the meeting that after looking at all of the other alternatives, that’s still the company’s preferred route.

“That’s all I needed to hear,” said Gary Marlette of Baker City, after he walked out of the meeting in frustration. “They are obviously planning to run the line wherever they want, and aren’t really paying any attention to public concerns.”

Nancy Peyron, who lives near the Interpretive Center and helped start the local group Move Idaho Power last year, also criticized the company for making what seems to her a mockery of the public advisory process.

Peyron and others have also raised questions about studies showing potential health risks to people, farm animals and wildlife that inhabit areas under or near high-voltage power lines.

Kent McCarthy of Idaho Power said research, both by the government and on behalf of electric utilities, has not confirmed the negative health effects, but Idaho Power nevertheless designed its routes to avoid running the lines over homes.

Jon Nickerson of Tetra-Tech, the company assessing engineering issues along the various routes, said because of protected sage grouse habitat, and the possible endangered or threatened species listing of the grouse today, Idaho Power drew a 2-mile diameter circle around known sage grouse leks (breeding grounds).

Public interest in building the line away from the Interpretive Center didn’t rank as high as protecting sage grouse leks, but Nickerson said that could change, depending on whether the sage grouse is listed.

From the audience, Jochen Hagberg of Baker County said he didn’t like that BLM, the lead federal agency that will be working with FERC in approving routes proposed by Idaho Power, seem to be unduly extending the agency’s influence over private land by imposing restrictions on where the line can run across BLM land, based on things like sage grouse leks.

Nickerson said the route near the Center is advantageous for Idaho Power because there’s already a lower-voltage line, suspended by wooden poles, running through the area.

“Why not bury the line where it goes by the Interpretive Center?” asked Allison Kuehl, who lives near Medical Springs.

Vern Porter, vice president of engineering for Idaho Power, said burying a high voltage line is something that as far as he knows has never been done in the U.S. due to the high costs.

Porter said there are also service constraints associated with an underground high voltage line that would rule out that option

He said the community advisory process has been going on for nearly a year and that it’s time for the company to pick a route.

He said every route has proponents and opponents, and that Idaho Power officials considered the comments they heard at public meetings in every potentially affected county.

Identifying the best route has not been easy, Porter said, especially in areas such as Baker County and Grant County, where some heated conversations have taken place at public meetings.

“Not all of the conversations have been easy. In fact, some of them have been difficult,” Porter said.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Porter said PacificCorp has signed an agreement to work with Idaho Power on building the line, and that the Bonneville Power Administration is also considering joining the effort.

“This transmission line is important to the region,” Porter said. “It will benefit people and businesses in Oregon, Idaho and Washington.”

He said existing transmission lines between Boardman and the Treasure Valley are at maximum capacity, and the new line is needed to power a new data center planned for the Ontario area.

“I believe there is a route we can build this line on. We need to find it and get it built, for the benefit of all of us,” Porter said.

In response to questions from the audience, Porter said that other than the data center he isn’t aware of any need for additional power to accommodate growth or new industry across much of the route in Northeastern Oregon, such as Baker, Union and Grant counties.

While Idaho Power brought its public meeting portion of the public advisory process to a close this week with meetings in communities along proposed routes in five sections between Boardman and Hemingway, officials said written comments would be accepted until March 25. The address is: Kent McCarthy, Idaho Power Company, P.O. Box 70 1221 W. Idaho St., Boise, ID 83702.

After the written comment deadline, Idaho Power plans to submit a revised application under the NEPA process by the end of March or early April.

“BLM requires that Idaho Power indicate one proposed route in the application. Alternative routes are also allowed,” according to a document presented by Idaho Power officials at Wednesday’s meeting.

However, the NEPA process requires another round of public hearings, so Idaho Power officials said there will be future opportunities for area residents to comment.

For route maps and other information visit the Web site: www.boardmantohemingway.com