A community in Pike County is not giving up its fight to keep a 500,000 volt power line from going right through its neighborhood.
The high-voltage line would carry power from the nuclear power plant near Berwick to New Jersey.
Saw Creek Estates near Bushkill is home to about 3,000 homeowners. Some of those people are speaking out against the plan they said puts their health and property at risk.
Al Spinelli's property in Saw Creek Estates borders a PPL power line. He's one of a group of community members who are speaking out against PPL's plan to expand.
"It's going to expose my eight-week-old son to the unknown health effects of a half-million volts of electricity. There seems to be an argument as to what that exactly can do," Spinelli said.
The Susquehanna-Roseland power line has been in the works for years. The plan will double the electric current in the lines and build new towers that are more than double the height of the old ones.
Eighty-foot tall towers have been there since 1927. They run about three miles through the community of Saw Creek but they don't supply power to the homes there. They transmit power from a plant in Berwick to New Jersey.
The $1.2 billion project has some residents of Saw Creek Estates fuming over possible health and wildlife risks and a year-long construction project that will involve blasting, practically in their back yards.
This week, the community association hired a lawyer who specializes in environmental issues.
"This is not an attempt by us to threaten. We just need to understand, the board needs to understand all the options that are available to it since we represent a community of 3,000 homeowners," community association president Peter Derrenbacher said.
One of those homeowners is Rod Haas. He's trying to sell his house. He said when the potential buyer found out about the power lines, the deal went under.
"I'm not even going to relist it until this is resolved. We're just going to have to sit and enjoy it while we still own it," Haas said.
The project still needs to be approved by the Pennsylvania Utility Commission.
If approved, construction could start in early 2010.
PPL said it does want to address those concerns with people in Saw Creek Estates. A spokesperson said in the past month two meetings were set up with Saw Creek Estates representatives and both times they were uninvited at the last minute.
The high-voltage line would carry power from the nuclear power plant near Berwick to New Jersey.
Saw Creek Estates near Bushkill is home to about 3,000 homeowners. Some of those people are speaking out against the plan they said puts their health and property at risk.
Al Spinelli's property in Saw Creek Estates borders a PPL power line. He's one of a group of community members who are speaking out against PPL's plan to expand.
 High-voltage lines have been in the community since 1927 but the plan would double the electrical current in the lines and build new. larger towers. |
The Susquehanna-Roseland power line has been in the works for years. The plan will double the electric current in the lines and build new towers that are more than double the height of the old ones.
Eighty-foot tall towers have been there since 1927. They run about three miles through the community of Saw Creek but they don't supply power to the homes there. They transmit power from a plant in Berwick to New Jersey.
The $1.2 billion project has some residents of Saw Creek Estates fuming over possible health and wildlife risks and a year-long construction project that will involve blasting, practically in their back yards.
This week, the community association hired a lawyer who specializes in environmental issues.
"This is not an attempt by us to threaten. We just need to understand, the board needs to understand all the options that are available to it since we represent a community of 3,000 homeowners," community association president Peter Derrenbacher said.
One of those homeowners is Rod Haas. He's trying to sell his house. He said when the potential buyer found out about the power lines, the deal went under.
"I'm not even going to relist it until this is resolved. We're just going to have to sit and enjoy it while we still own it," Haas said.
The project still needs to be approved by the Pennsylvania Utility Commission.
If approved, construction could start in early 2010.
PPL said it does want to address those concerns with people in Saw Creek Estates. A spokesperson said in the past month two meetings were set up with Saw Creek Estates representatives and both times they were uninvited at the last minute.
