Politics & Government

Montville Letter: 'Last Hope to Stop Line Is Now'

A Pine Brook resident is encouraging Susquehanna-Roseland power line opponents to submit their comments to the National Park Service.

The following email is circulating through Montville and wound up in Patch's inbox this morning. It says there's "power in numbers" in submitting comments to the National Park Service about the proposed Susquehanna-Roseland power line, which would be added along an existing line that runs next to the and a field behind .

Dear Montville Friends,

If you are not aware already, Montville’s last hope to stop the building of 200’, 500 kilo-volt power line towers through 7 miles of Montville is NOW.  The current lines stand 95’ and run at 230 kilo-volts, half the height and strength of the proposed towers.  Until January 31, the National Park Service (NPS) is taking comments before it makes its final recommendation about whether or not to let that power distribution chain come from Pennsylvania to NJ through national park land.  Its draft recommendation is “No Build”, based in part on comments, petitions and the voices heard in earlier hearings, but the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has already approved it and President Obama has recently requested that this project be fast tracked, so it will be an uphill battle. 

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There has also been much debate about whether it is necessary to upgrade the power distribution system regardless of what path it takes.  Regardless, it is slated to come through Montville and towers that high will be unsightly and visible from everywhere.  Beyond aesthetics, there is no conclusive research about what the effect of electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by 200’ tall, 500 KV power lines is on human health. There are documented cancer clusters (mostly brain cancer) in neighboring towns where developments are built right next to the existing-height power line towers.  KNOW THIS:  The right of way for the towers runs right behind Lazar Middle School.  The towers will be 200 feet from the back ball fields and 450 ft. from the building. How far-reaching and how strong will those EMFs be? What will be the effects of high-voltage lines on our adolescent children? Our kids will sit in those classrooms for 6 hours a day.

There is power in our numbers.  For months, the NPS has been soliciting and recording comments in NJ and PA to help it make and justify its decision.  January 31 is the deadline for this intake!  There is an informational meeting tomorrow night in East Hanover and an NPS Hearing in Lafayette, NJ on January 26.  If you cannot make one of the meetings to be heard in person, PLEASE TAKE 5 MINUTES and E-MAIL YOUR COMMENTS to the National Park Service—BEFORE JANUARY 31—at the following link:  http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=25147. This link will explain more.  Click on “Comment” in the dropdown menu to send an e-mail.

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(The direct link to submit comments is here: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm.cfm?documentID=44314)

Every comment matters!  So do our children. So does our way of life. So do our property values.  So does the wildlife in our national parks. So does recreation and open space provided by our National Park System.

Information Session:  Thursday, January 12,  7-9 PM, East Hanover Municipal Building, 411 Ridgedale Ave., 2nd Fl., E. Hanover, NJ 07936.  (Another session will be held in East Stroudsburg, PA.)

NPS Hearing:  Thursday, January 26, 6-9 PM, Farmstead Gold and Country Club, 88 Lawrence Road, Lafayette, NJ 07848.  (Other hearings: Stroudsburg, PA 1/25 and Bushkill, PA 1/24.)

Please forward this information to other Montville residents.  Thank you!

Heidi Calcagno
Pine Brook


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