CHENANGO COUNTY – It’s back to the drawing board again for New York Regional Interconnect Inc., according to a letter the company received Monday from the state’s top power line authority.
The $2.1 billion high voltage line developer’s permit application was ruled deficient by the state Public Service Commission (PSC) Monday for the second time in two years.
Among NYRI’s newest mistakes, the PSC ruled that the company’s aerial photographs of its proposed 190-mile route “incompletely represented” or failed to “identify all cultural features” in 18 different spots, mostly in Chenango County.
“It follows what the citizen’s groups have been saying all along,” said Earlville resident Eve Ann Shwartz, co-chair of Stop NYRI. “NYRI really isn’t taking the PSC process seriously. They’re just trying to file something quick and dirty, again.”
Shwartz said, in her opinion, it appears that NYRI is trying to avoid a state review under new and controversial federal laws that allow power lines to get approved in Washington.
NYRI officials have claimed they are fully involved in the state review.
The Albany-based company’s first review attempt was shot down in July 2006 for lacking information in a number of different technical and procedural areas. The latest filing, submitted Feb. 21, was supposed to be the long-awaited correction to that first application.
“Upon review of the application supplement documents submitted by NYRI on February 21, 2008, a number of deficiencies were found,” the six-page letter from PSC Secretary Jaclyn A. Brilling states. “The application, as submitted, is not filed or otherwise in compliance with” public service law.
According to the letter, the company also failed to submit an electricity grid impact study, a list of local ordinances it met or didn’t meet and lacked legible drawings and descriptions of proposed facilities.
The letter added that it was “troubling” that NYRI did not comply with requirements to meet with PSC staff to discuss visual impact studies before it re-filed.
“The deficiencies must be remedied or otherwise cured before the application can be deemed to comply with” public service law, the letter further states.
PSC officials have said it is common for application to be ruled deficient.
It is not known how long it will take to, or if NYRI will, re-file. A company spokesman could not be reached for comment Tuesday morning. According to an affidavit filed in October, NYRI has spent $21 million on the project so far.
When asked if the ruling would hurt local efforts, from the standpoint that it would drag out the proceedings and possibly the resources for local anti-NYRI groups, Shwartz responded, “Time is on our side.”
“This is a victory,” she said. “It’s good in the sense that it reinforces the message to everyone that this is not an unstoppable project. It’s not a done deal. And this ruling gives us more time to do a better job in the state’s (power line) review process.”
On the Sangerfield River, Chenango River, Unadilla River, Susquehanna River corridor, the PSC noted: “Recreational corridor interest in this region is significant, including river and railroad corridor uses as recreational resources linking many communities and other recreational trails and corridors. Areas with potential open views from the river to the proposed transmission facility route should be identified, photo-documented, and impact assessments made.”