CHENANGO COUNTY – Legislation tightening nationwide transportation security that passed through Congress Tuesday included an amendment requiring the federal government to investigate the risks of placing power lines – such as the New York Regional Interconnection – along railroad right of ways.
The bill, referred to as the Rail & Public Transportation Security Act, was carried in the House by a vote of 299 to 124. It has not been indicated if and when the bill will go to vote in the Senate.
The amendment was introduced by Representative Michael Arcuri (D-Utica) in response to both the March 12 Oneida train derailment and the ongoing NYRI power line proposal. If approved, NYRI would erect a 190 mile-long high voltage transmission line from Oneida to Orange county using railroad and utility right of ways. Locally, the line would sit less than 100 feet from New York Susquehanna & Western Railroad lines between Utica and Woods Corners (the stretch from Sherburne to Woods Corners is currently inactive due to flood damage).
“This (NYRI project) is a situation where the consequences and risk are not only unknown, but wholly unnecessary,” Arcuri told the House of Representatives Tuesday, citing the Oneida accident and 18 other derailments that occurred in New York state between 2005 and 2006. “It’s no secret that as our cities continue to grow they will require more energy, and I fully support addressing that need. But meeting that need must be done in a safe and responsible way.”
NYRI officials did not return comment on the issue after being contacted.
“The accident in Oneida was a real wake-up call,” said Hubbardsville resident Chris Rossi, a co-chair for the citizens group Stop NYRI. “That really brought it home that it would be inappropriate to have power lines located right over rail lines.”
The Oneida derailment resulted in a large-scale evacuation after 40 train cars carrying liquid propane exploded, creating a massive fire and a subsequent series of blasts. Acidic material also leaked from cars into nearby water systems.
“Two weeks ago, a massive explosion rocked the Town of Oneida – blocking traffic, shutting down the Thruway, closing schools, and displacing people in Oneida and Madison Counties,” Arcuri said in Tuesday press release. “It is imperative that we consider the implications of placing a high voltage power line along railroad tracks that would literally run right through our backyards.”
As it stands under the act, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (in conjunction with the Department of Transportation) would have to provide a safety assessment regarding what impact a derailment or collision could have on a power line that sits immediately along rail lines. The assessment would be due within six months of the bill becoming a law.
NYRI’s transmission line would cut through 44 miles of Chenango County on its way to delivering upstate electricity downstate. NYRI Inc. has offices in Albany but in reality is just one of several subsidiaries of Colmac Power, a Canadian-based energy firm.