20080428Comments.pdf

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Debra S. Jensen, C.P.A., M.B.A.
3883 East Elison Road
Downey, Idaho 83234
Home: (208) 897 - 5279
Cell: (208) 251 - 7027
30
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0074
April 20, 2008
Subject: Case No. PAC-E-08-03
Dear Sirs;
You have been copied a letter I wrote to Governor Otter dated April 15, 2008 detailing
numerous questions and concerns regarding Rocky Mountain Power's proposed Populus
substation and the associated new transmission lines. In addition to that letter, I have
some specific comments regarding the filings made on this case.
The testimony of Sharon L. Seppi is misleading at best and untre in some areas. The
connents on page 2 regarding the factors considered in identifyng the route for the
Transmission Line Project are not tre. They did not consider the environmental impact
on wildlife, specifically the deer, elk and sharp tailed grouse in their route selection.
Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) is on record as having specific concerns about the impact
on the winter and transitional ranges of deer and elk in both Oneida and Bannock
Counties. IDFG also has provided numerous studies citing the impact of new roads on
deer and elk habitat, as well as sharp tailed grouse leks. To date, RMP has failed to
address these concerns. Recreation, specifically hunting, is a large part of the income to
Idaho. Failing to adequately protect our wildlife has a lasting impact on the entire state.
Also on page 2, she states that impacts on local communties and landowners were
considered. I do not believe this to be the case given the total failure to communicate
with any landowners in Downey or Malad until after the project route was selected and
sureying had begu.
On page 3 of her testimony she states that utilizing existing corrdors where feasible was
considered. The initial descriptions of the project, as found on the Internet, show the
transmission line going from the Treasureton substation to Utah through the existing
Franlin County corrdor. This first option was abandoned and we have been unable to
get any explanations or reasons.
Also on page 3 is the question regarding the public involvement in selecting the route for
the Transmission Project. Her testimony is misleading and untrue. While RMP did meet
with the Mayor of the City of Downey in July 2007, they FAILED to notify most of the
affected landowners in Oneida County and Banock County. RMP stared dealing with
the landowners in Oneida County in Januar, and stated that they leared from their
communication failures. However, they continued to follow the same flawed path in
dealing with Banock County residents. The public meeting held in Downey in Januar
was nothing short of an industry secret. They had 5 people in attendance and no one else
in the area knew about the meeting or the project. Landowners received no notices of
the meeting. The City of Downey offce and the Banock County Planning and
Development office both have copies that were received well after the scheduled meeting
time. These are the only two notices that were received in Banock County.
My husband and I found out about the project after our neighbor caught a surveyor
trespassing on her property setting out markers the first week of ApriL. She contacted us
after finding out that transmission lines were going to be placed on her far. I called a
meeting of area residents, attended by the Banock County Commissioners, Idaho Fish
and Game, ECI, 2 Rocky Mountain Power representatives and over 60 residents. This
was with 4 days notice of the meeting. Rocky Mountain Power at first declined to attend
citing short notice of the meeting and prior commitments. I appealed to Karen Gilmore,
VP at RM and she sent two representatives, however they were not members of the
Project Team and could not answer any specific questions regarding the project. They
made a list of the specific questions and promised to get the answers. It has been two
weeks since the meeting and I have not received any answers.
My personal frstration is that our home and two parcels of our land are directly affected
by this project and the only contact we have had with RMP has been initiated by us, not
them. We received no notices, letters, calls or any other attempts to include us in the
process. In fact, despite assurances at our meeting that communcation wil improve and
the trespassing would stop, I caught sureyors trespassing on our property last Friday
with no prior communication with us. And we stil have not had any communication from
RMP about their intentions regarding our land. If we were the only example of this
failure to communicate, I might believe that they tried, but we are an example of the rule
not the exception. None ofthe affected property owners, except the three owners of the
land selected for the actual Populus site, have been contacted timely about anything
related to the project. They keep stating that they received a mailing list from the County
Assessor, and I can guarantee that our property tax notices arve every year. So, was the
failure to notify us intentional? I believe it was. Keep in mind that RMP was sureying
the route when we found out about this project, not looking for public involvement in the
route selection.
RMP behavior has been arrogant and very disrespectfuL. They have decided the routes
and failed to get any input or consider any local concerns. They did not want to consider
public comment and are stil attempting to push this project forward without giving area
residents answers to questions and concerns. This project is much larger than RMP
wants us to believe. I have spent time researching and I have found the proposed Populus
transmission hub and multiple lines slated for Downey. RMP wants us to believe that
Populus is a 60-acre substation located on 320 acres for a "buffer zone". This is not tre;
the entire 320 acres wil be filled with substation. The area residents and our State
deserve to know the actual depth ofthis project, not be blindsided by a line here and then
a line there until Downey looks like the center of a spider web and new transmission
corrdors are criss-crossing our state
RM has also run into significant resistance in Utah. Box Elder County also wants the
transmission lines to follow the existing corrdor out of Franlin County, not to have a
new corrdor created. They also protest the proximity ofthe proposed transmission line
to a new business and industral park in Tremonton, Utah. RMP failed to consider the
impact of the proposed line and also failed to communicate with the residents of Box
Elder County.
In the testimony of John Cupparo on page 2, he states that Populus wil be configued to
facilitate the addition of planned 345 kV and 500 kV transmission lines. This is a direct
conflct from the statements made by RMC representatives at our meeting in Downey.
The statement of Vaughn Rasmussen was that Populus was a 60-acre substation on a 320-
acre parcel to allow for transmission line jump off points. It is pbvious from the plans
submitted to Banock County Planing & Development that Populus is much more than
a 60-acre substation. The ENTIRE 320 acres is developed with strctures. Again, RMP
is not being accurate with information given to the public.
I agree that a comprehensive plan needs to be created for delivery of power to Idaho;
however, most of the proposed transmission lines are to deliver power topther states.
Idaho should not be tured into a mass of transmission lines and power generation plants
to service other states. The State and varous counties receive very little econorrìcbenefit
from these structures to provide power to other states and it is our backyards that are
mared by these strctures. The citizens of Idaho need to be afforded the opportunity to
paricipate in this process that wil affect the area that we live in.
Rocky Mountain Power should not be allowed to proceed with this project until they
actually have public involvement in the selection of the route. They have tried to
sneak this project into Southeast Idaho with a consistent pattern of withholding
information, lies and a misguided belief that there is no opposition. There is
signifcant opposition to their route selection for many valid reasons. This
opposition is uniform and extends into Utah. The residents of our area deserve to
be heard before a final route is selected or any IPUC approvals are given.
Sincerely,~~JuJ\
Debra S. Jensen, CPA, MBA
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Jean Jewell
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From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
dsjensencpa~msn.com
Saturday, April 19, 2008 5:57 PM
Tonya Clark; Jean Jewell; Beverly Barker; Gene Fadness; Ed Howell
PUC Comment Form
A Comment from Debra Jensen follows:
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Case Number: PAC-E-08-03
Name: Debra Jensen
Address: 3883 E Elison Road
City: Downey
State: ID
Zip: 83234
Daytime Telephone: [phone]
Contact E-Mail: dsjensencpa~msn.com
Name of Utility Company: Rocky Mountain Power Add to Mailing List: yes
Please describe your comment briefly:
I have copied IPUC with a letter to Gov. Otter regarding this project and specific questions
regarding RMP conduct. I specifically want to dispute the testimony of Sharon Seppi. I do
not believe that they have considered environmental impacts or impact on local communities
and landowners in route selection. They have not utilized existing corridors and have failed
to answer questions about the relocation of the original line from the Franklin County
corridor to Oneida County.
I also dispute all of the public involvement statements included in her testimony. They DID
NOT inform the affected landowners in the Downey area, (i am one of them) and the notice of
their public meetings was non-existant. They had 5 people at the Downey public meeting in
January. When i found out about this project i set up a public meeting and had over 60
people in attendance with only 4 days notice. RMP did not send any of the Project Team to
this meeting, they sent two representatives to answer general questions and take notes on
specific questions to be answered by the Team. It has been two weeks since the meeting and
no answers have been received. There is considerable public concern in both Bannock and
Oneida Counties. We have all not been notified and only realized the project was going on
AFTER surveyors trespassed on our properties. RMP i S conduct has been disgusting and this
testimony is NOT accurate. i will be sending a more formal letter to address these issues.
The form submited on http://www . puc. idaho. gOY /forms/ipuc1/ipuc. html
IP address is 164.165.217.253
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