Our hallowed ground and the fight
to overcome the Dominion proposal

by Monira Rifaat

The General Assembly has gone home but not before approving a utility re-regulation bill, this is favorable to Dominion Power Company’s financial bottom line. Most of the rate payer citizens opposed the piece of legislation. We still have the opportunity to reverse the bill by appealing to governor Kaine to veto or amend the bill. For details, see an interesting website http://www.chesapeakeclimate.org/campaigns/campaign_detail.cfm?id=2.

In the next few weeks, Dominion power will submit an application to the State Corporation Commission (SCC) in Richmond to approve its 500 kV power line request. The Rappahannock county proposal will be one of four proposals and will probably be designated as the preferred one. It requires citizens living along the present power line right of way to give up an additional 100-150 foot wide right of way to build enormous towers to carry another 500 kV line. The Rappahannock Board of Supervisors (BOS) adopted a resolution at its monthly meeting on March 6 opposing the Dominion proposal. The language of the resolution and the supporting letters from county administrator to Gov. Kaine and the US and State Legislators are posted on this website.

All this information is provided so that we, the citizens will WRITE LETTERS TO and CALL Gov. Tim Kaine, US senators Jim Webb and John Warner, and Virginia legislators Obenshain and Gilbert. Paper letters by US mail are preferred. Contact information and speaking points can be gleaned here.

The Rappahannock BOS is requesting citizen support. This is a county-wide issue, and we are in it together. Citizens can also start to lobby the three SCC judges, Theodore V. Morrison, Jr., Mark C. Christie and Judith Williams Jagdmann, http://www.scc.virginia.gov/commission/commissioners.htm, and the division of Energy regulation staff http://www.scc.virginia.gov/division/pue/index.htm.

Information overload? You betcha, this is a test of our democracy: should big business be allowed to walk all over us to make more money for its investors.

Questions? Please contact us!

Email: powerline@RLEP.org
Address:
Power Line Task Force
c/o Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection
P.O. Box 94
Washington, VA 22747