Intervening in a Transmission Application Proceeding
There are no intervention proceedings currently open. Once a proceeding becomes active, additional information will be provided under Opportunities for Action.
Below are actions taken to oppose the TrAIL Line.
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The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has oversight of the siting and construction of new electric transmission lines within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This process review includes public hearing(s) on the application. Affected parties can intervene in these proceedings, following the process laid out under the law. The review process begins with the transmission company submitting an application to the PUC.
The PUC will set the time and place for the public hearing or hearings. Notices of the public hearing will be published in newspapers serving each municipality in which the transmission line is to be sited. These notices are to be published in two consecutive weeks beginning no less than 45 days prior to the hearing date.
Parties interested in intervening must submit a written request for leave to intervene, identifying the objections they intend to raise. The Commission will accept comments and evidence relating to the following matters:
(1) The present and future necessity of the proposed High-Voltage line in furnishing service to the public.
(2) The safety of the proposed High-Voltage line.
(3) The impact and the efforts which have been and will be made to minimize the impact, if any, of the proposed High-Voltage line upon the following:
(i) Land use.
(ii) Soil and sedimentation.
(iii) Plant and wildlife habitats.
(iv) Terrain.
(v) Hydrology.
(vi) Landscape.
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(vii) Archeologic areas.
(viii) Geologic areas.
(ix) Historic areas.
(x) Scenic areas.
(xi) Wilderness areas.
(xii) Scenic rivers.
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(4) The availability of reasonable alternative routes.
Note that the transmission applicants are to have made efforts to identify and locate archaeologic, geologic, historic, scenic or wilderness areas of significance within 2 miles of the proposed right of way. And they are to have described reasonable alternative routes with a comparison of the merits and detriments of each route.
A different process applies if a proposed high voltage transmission line is proposed to be located entirely on an existing transmission route and if the proposed line does not substantially alter the right of way. In this event, the applicant may submit a letter of notification in lieu of application to the PUC and the PUC may approve the letter of notification without the full application process described above.
Full information on the requirements and process for intervening in a transmission application may be found on-line at this location:
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/052/chapter57/subchapGtoc.html
