A 66-year-old easement, which had been unused for decades, has recently been revived by PacifiCorp for the construction of a 230kV high-power overhead transmission line. The proposed route runs from Swift Dam, south through Yacolt, east Battle Ground, Hockinson, east Vancouver, Green Mountain, Green Meadows, West Lacamas Lake and Prune Hill to the Columbia River, eventually reaching Troutdale, Ore.
The original easement was staked around 1956, a time when population density was vastly different. This proposed line is duplicative and wasteful contrary to the existing pathway along the I-5 corridor. The new route south would cross over 37 homes and structures, with thousands more immediately adjacent.
Bonneville Power Administration is upgrading substations along the Lewis River Highway, which is already home to the established power line. Is it fiscally and environmentally responsible to tear up homes, private property and forests for a new power line when there is an existing, viable alternative? Will the dam be required to drain Lake Merwin in some years to meet demand? Does PacifiCorp’s federal license allow for this expansion when the dam is not even in compliance with fish and wildlife (no fish ladder)?
I have many questions and I hope other community members do as well.
