10 groups move to stop power line

Delaware Water Gap — A coalition of national, regional and local conservation groups are using the courts to stop a transmission line from slicing through three national parks.

The coalition on Dec. 6 sought a preliminary injunction to stop the 145-mile-long Susquehanna-Roseland transmission line through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, the Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River, and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. They're asking for the stay while the court considers claims that the power line will cause irreversible ecological and scenic damage.

The National Park Service approved the supersized transmission line on Oct. 1, despite the agency’s own conclusion that the project would cause serious and enduring impacts on the parks.

The new line is being built by Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G) in New Jersey and Pennsylvania Power and Light Electric Utilities (PPL) in Pennsylvania. PJM Interconnection, the regional entity responsible for planning the transmission system, determined that the new line was necessary to ensure reliable electric service.

The project includes building towers that would rise more than twice as high as existing towers, clearing trees, and building staging areas and access roads through the parks.

The coalition says the massive 500KV power line will mar the recreational experience for the more than 5.2 million people who visit the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area each year. They say the NPS’s approval of the transmission line contradicts the agency’s governing mandate to protect the National Park System “unimpaired for future generations” as required by the 1916 National Park Service Organic Act.

Work has already started on segments of the transmission line in New Jersey and Pennsylvania (see related article for schedule). Construction in the national parks will occur imminently. In a July 2012 environmental impact study conducted for the NPS, the human use and ecological impacts from the project were estimated to cost $89 million.

“The National Park Service has approved a project that is poised to permanently damage treasured public resources,” said Hannah Chang, attorney with the public interest environmental law firm Earthjustice, representing the conservation groups along with the New Jersey-based non-profit Eastern Environmental Law Center. "Construction-related activities in the Delaware Water Gap could begin at any time, and if a preliminary injunction is not granted, the damage will be done before the court even gets a chance to decide the claims that are before it. The circumstances here demand that construction be put on hold for now, so that the court at least has an opportunity to consider the claims raised.”

Obama speeds up power line progress

In October 2011, President Obama included Susquehanna-Roseland in a pilot project, called the Rapid Response Team for Transmission, to speed up the permitting and construction of power lines. It is one of seven proposed transmission lines in the project.

“Transmission is a vital component of our nation’s energy portfolio, and these seven lines, when completed, will serve as important links across our country to increase our power grid’s capacity and reliability,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, at the time of the project announcement.

Nancy Sutley, federal Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, said at the time, “The President wants to get America working again. He is committed to cutting red tape and making immediate investments to put people to work modernizing our roads, bridges, airports, and energy systems. Building a smarter electric grid will create thousands of American jobs and accelerate the growth of domestic clean energy industries translating into more energy choices and cost savings for American consumers, and a more secure energy future for our country.”

The project is expected to be in service in the spring of 2015. According to the project’s developer, more than 2,000 jobs will be created in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

But the environmental coalition that filed for the injunction says there's more at stake — "nothing less than the Delaware Water Gap’s spellbinding views, pristine environment, and diverse wildlife that include bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and black bears," said a release issued by the group on Dec. 6. "The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area was named a Top 10 most-photogenic national park for fall foliage, and is the eighth most visited national park unit in the country. The Delaware River is one of the cleanest rivers in the nation. The Appalachian Trail, completed 75 years ago, and designated as the nation’s first national scenic trail in 1968, is enjoyed by 2 to 3 million people each year. Together, these national parks offer some of the very best outdoor recreational opportunities for those living in the Mid-Atlantic region."

Mark Zakutansky, Mid-Atlantic Policy Manager for the Appalachian Mountain Club, said, “Countless public dollars and volunteer hours have gone into protecting special places like the Delaware Water Gap. Allowing irreplaceable scenic vistas, trails, and wildlife habitat to be permanently damaged violates the Park Service’s mission and sends the wrong message about the value of our national treasures. We have to halt this construction, at least for now, so the court can review the case.”