Dear Editor,

I wanted to respond to a recent "Thumbs tell it" in your AIM Action newspaper. Several members of our grassroots effort against the PSE&G Susquehanna-Roseland powerline project have contacted us today and were very disturbed to read it. Some facts regarding the proposed project follow. It would be very beneficial for people to educate themselves before sending in unfactual information that may go into print. 

Energy use is down significantly over the past year according to a recent Wall Street Journal article at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122722654497346099.html.

So the biggest and most important question is whether or not this line is needed. According to PSE&G, NYC wants to buy 3000 MW of energy from NJ. So we believe that selling cheap energy to NYC is the main driver of this project, not a reliability issue in NJ.

There is strong data that points to a higher occurrence of brain tumors and childhood Leukemia near high power transmission lines. There is no "concrete evidence" because it is difficult to create a study that does not take every other potential issue into account. Whether it is the EMFs or aerosol pollutants that are attracted to magnetic fields around the wires, there are several studies that confirm a higher occurrence of disease close to high power transmission lines. 

If 195 foot high towers end up going though our area, I can assure you that everyone in the area will be appalled. I have never seen a 195-foot high tower, and never want to. This project is a corporate assault on our rural communities, guised as a "reliability" issue. We have a new Administration coming in two weeks, and they may even have plans to re-design our grid and modernize it. Why is ratepayer’s money being wasted on a proposed project that might be obsolete this year?

We all need to do our part and start conserving and taking care of our surroundings, or we will soon be living in an environment that will be quite unlivable. It is our responsibility. It is the responsibility of local power companies to take a part in what is right, and promote conservation and implement programs to improve the ways we use and conserve energy.

David Slaperud for Stop The Lines

Fredon