HAMILTON – More than 50 concerned residents of Madison and Chenango counties spoke out Monday night against New York Regional Interconnect, the proposed direct current electric transmission line project that could potentially bisect rural communities in our area.
The New York State Public Service Commission provided the forum, held at the Colgate University Hall of Presidents in Hamilton, as part of NYRI’s Article VII review process. The event marked the beginning of the public hearing portion of that year-long schedule which will determine the fate of the more than $2 billion project, which NYRI claims will decrease congestion and lower utility costs to downstate customers.
The proceedings allowed concerned parties to present testimony before Administrative Law Judges Jeffrey Stockholm and Michelle Phillips, who have been assigned to the case by the PSC.
According to Stockholm, a verbatim transcript of the hearings will be included with the record.
Citing environmental impact, health implications, property devaluation, devastation to local economies and aesthetics, those who chose to speak at the evening session were unanimous in their objection to the project.
“This is a threat to our very way of life,” said Town of Brookfield Supervisor John Sulka, who vocalized his concern that his rural community would not be able to balance its budget and continue to provide services if its tax base was reduced by property devaluation and eminent domain.
These sentiments were echoed by Hamilton Town Councilman David Krum. “This is no value to the Town of Hamilton,” said Krum.
“We have something to protect that is greater than ourselves,” said Colgate professor Jane Pinchin, who spoke of the beauty and history of area.
Environmentalists raised numerous concerns ranging from the impact on 9 Mile Swamp, a federally and state protected wetland, to the fact that the project contradicts energy conservation efforts and the exploration of alternative energy sources.
“NYRI has tunnel vision,” said Suzanne Farrington of Hamilton. “We need a wider, holistic vision.”
Countless private landowners spoke about the direct impact the proposed line would have on their lives and families.
“We are one family of many families and individuals that will be affected,” said Beth DuBois, who reported that NYRI’s primary proposed route would put the direct current powerlines within 300 yards of the home she shares with her husband and three small children in Poolville.
Several speakers countered NYRI’s claims that the proposed route which would follow railroad right of ways through Madison and Chenango counties, would have a minimal impact on communities along the corridor.
“This is the route of greatest human impact,” said Stop NYRI co-chair Chris Rossi, citing the historic role of the railroad in connecting rural communities and population centers.
“[NYRI] would cut through the center of our cities and towns ... forever casting a black shadow over the lives of those people that call the Chenango Valley home,” said Greg Owens, vice president of the Southern Madison Heritage Trust.
“This is the most expedient route for the maximum profit of its shareholders,” said Christopher Enscoe of Sherburne, stating that while this area is rural, it is by no means unpopulated.
At the heart of the debate over the controversial powerline project is also whether the transmission line is actually needed. Several speakers quoted statements and studies released by the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), operators of the state’s bulk electricity grid, which has reported that the project is not needed.
Particularly compelling was testimony presented by Travis DuBois of Poolville, who also serves as the assistant superintendent of Sherburne’s Municipal Electric utility. DuBois called the project “poorly conceived,” citing existing congestion in the grid north of the Marcy Substation.
Ellen Holm, a recent transplant to the Hamilton area, holds a masters degree in public administration. She reported that before relocating to Madison County, she had worked for several years for bulk energy providers. She condemned NYRI as a “short-term plan” which did not deal with the current national and state policy issues of energy self-sufficiency and global warming.
“Does the NYRI project contribute to good policy?” Holm asked. “Absolutely not.”
NYRI president Chris Thompson and his legal counsel sat stoically at a table before the crowd. They offered no comment during the proceedings.
Over the next three weeks, the PSC will host a total of 14 of these information forums and public statement hearings in counties along the proposed 190-mile route. The final hearings will take place on Nov. 6 at the Council of the Arts building in Norwich.