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BUSHKILL — Can it be stopped? "Never say never," is the rallying cry of Lehman Township Supervisor John Sivick.
Saw Creek Estates has angry residents who fear health, property values and the environment are at risk with PPL's proposed power line that will run through their development.
How big is it?
To put the size of the proposed power line towers into perspective:
A two-story house: 24 feet
Existing power line towers: 80 feet
Proposed new towers: 190 feet
Statue of Liberty: 305 feet
Voice your opinion
The controversial project has also drawn protests from the National Park Service and hundreds of residents on the New Jersey side of the power line corridor.
"This will directly affect 147 homeowners," said Peter Derrenbacher, president of the Saw Creek community association. "Everyone here will be affected though."
Almost 300 residents of Saw Creek and neighboring communities attended a meeting Saturday about the proposed power line. A power line already cuts through the community. It's not clear if the new, bigger line will follow the exact some route. Some residents believe the new high-voltage line will traverse their property.
"I just moved here from New York and I don't want this in my backyard. It isn't even going to be servicing this area," new resident Martin Niemiec said. "They are planning on it running through Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, too. There are animals there that will be harmed."
PPL's plan to run power lines through Saw Creek Estates, Fernwood Resort and the national park has many locals ready to fight.
About 51 million people get electricity from the PJM Interconnection, the regional organization that coordinates movement of power through a 13-state region stretching from New Jersey to Illinois to North Carolina. The company's justification for the new line, which would be built on new towers that also would have the current 230-kilovolt lines, is that by 2013, the current transmission system could become overloaded, resulting in either massive blackouts or rolling voltage drops to maintain the system.
PPL officials say the vast majority of the proposed route follows existing utility rights of way, minimizing impacts.
But state Rep. John Siptroth, D-189, would prefer PPL select what's known as Route C, which goes through Schuylkill, Lehigh and Northampton counties; it allows existing power line routes about 55 percent of the time and crosses Northampton County just south of Monroe County and crosses the Delaware River near Martins Creek instead of cutting through the Delaware water Gap National Recreation Area.
Each new tower will have two power lines that carry 500,000 volts and 230,000 volts of electricity — double the current load. These new towers will be twice as high and wider than the existing structures.
Residents say the yearlong construction project may damage roads in the community.
"We have 42 miles of roads in Saw Creek and this will significantly impact the community," Derrenbacher said. "We may also end up losing our mountainside pool since the towers will go right over it."
Families fear prolonged exposure to electromagnetic fields can cause cancer.
Handouts available at Saturday's meeting said, "Health and environmental impact studies are inconclusive, though studies suggest childhood leukemia may be linked to high-powered lines."
During construction, PPL is expected to use explosives and extensive drilling to anchor the towers and will have the ability to take down trees along the existing line.
While residents expect massive disruption from the project, they believe they have nothing to gain.
The power that these towers will carry will go to Long Island, New York City, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
"That is where the power grid is having a shortage. This isn't about Pennsylvania at all," said Pike County Commissioner Harry Forbes.
Forbes urged residents to fight the project.
"Most people that moved here came to get away from this type of thing," he said. "Get involved. That is the best thing I can say."
PPL has to obtain permission from the state Public Utility Commission for the project.
"Everyone needs to write a letter and ask for a hearing here in Saw Creek. Demand it," Forbes said. "The PUC will listen if you get in touch with them."
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