Impacts

Many, in particular organizations dedicated to the protection of parks, wild lands, scenic rivers, and historic monuments, are concerned with the threats posed by the design of the backstop siting process and the manner in which the new law is being implemented. The gravity of the situation has been manifested in our neighboring states where critical resources such as historic monuments and conservation easements have become targets for transmission rights of way battles.

The 2005 Energy Policy Act through NIETCs and federal backstop siting has created unprecedented threats to decades of conservation work of organizations and communities across Pennsylvania. Federal statutes designed to protect our environment, wildlife and cherished historic sites have been ignored. Important investments made in farmland protection and natural resource conservation may be undone. And the ability of land trusts to engage future landowners to protect their lands using conservation easements is undermined.

Environmental Impacts

High-voltage power lines have devastating impacts on the lands and landscapes that they traverse. These lines require the construction and maintenance of right of ways (ROWs), that can range between 150 and 350 feet, depending on its size. The construction of these ROWs could cause severe fragmentation of the forests and wildlife habitat and jeopardize wildlife diversity, and could negatively impact nesting and migration patterns. In addition, herbicides used to maintain brush within right-of-ways could endanger water quality and harm wildlife and human visitors. 

Construction of power lines in flowing or standing water would result in the greatest impact. Long-term adverse impacts to surface water quality also would occur as temporary roads near water crossings are constructed and remain in use after project construction activities were complete for maintenance purposes.  Potential impacts to wetlands associated with the construction and operation of high-voltage transmission lines include 1) alterations to the wetland hydrology; 2) alterations to the wetland plant communities, and 3) loss of wetlands due to filling or sedimentation.

Transmission lines pose a serious threat to migrating and nesting birds through both collisions and electrocution.

Because current transmission policy gives priority to the least expensive generated source of electricity and because coal produces electricity so cheaply, high-voltage transmission lines will precipitate some of the oldest and dirtiest coal plants in the country to increase output and therefore increase air pollution.  Coal-fired power plants emit hazardous pollutants into our air, land, water, and lungs: Materials emitted from coal power plants include: arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, dioxin, lead, formaldehyde, and mercury. Tiny soot particles include harmful sulfates and sulfur dioxide, leading to medically measured increases in human asthma, hospital admissions and mortality from exacerbated cardiovascular disease and chronic lung disease. Many coal companies utilize mountaintop removal to extract coal. Mountaintop removal destroys ecosystems, stripping away topsoil, trees, and destroys habitats, filling streams and valleys with rubble, poisoning water supplies and generating massive impoundments that can cause catastrophic floods. 

Community Impacts

A community may experience a loss of “place” as a result of the construction of high-voltage transmission lines as they will disrupt the natural serenity that current exists and will most likely be visible from several miles away.  In addition,homeowners, in the vicinity of high-voltage transmission lines, could experience a sudden drop in home value as well as a permanent loss in property value. Market surveys have shown a fairly consistent and elevated concern regarding the perceived negative impact the proposed high voltage transmission lines will have on property values. 

Related Resources

Fenglei Zheng   Yao Zhang   Yunhe Hou   “An integrated economic impact assessment index on transmission expansion”, October 2006.