By Tricia Pursell
DALMATIA For nearly 60 years, farmer Ron Mace has enjoyed a beautiful view of the Susquehanna River and the valley through which it flows.
In two years, that view will be obstructed by large metal poles and power lines.
"I built up here for the view," the Dalmatia resident said. "A power line was not in that list of things to look at."
PPL plans to string an $11.5 million, 12-mile-long power line from Dalmatia, Northumberland County, to Richfield, Snyder County, by fall 2012.
"I understand if they have to expand for the future," Mace said. "But I don't understand why this power line has to go through the middle of our neighborhood, and across our fields."
Mace was among those who attended and complained at a public open house conducted by PPL in December. The electric utility held the event to answer questions and address concerns residents might have about the 69-kilovolt power line that will cross 69 properties.
PPL officials said they used the comments and suggestions received at the open house to choose the best route for a line. From the concerns raised, there was no clear favorite of the three lines proposed, said Joe Nixon, PPL spokesman.
The utility has also considered combinations of the three, Nixon said.
"They really didn't ask me for permission," Mace protested. "They just said they're going to do it."
PPL said the purpose of the line is to increase reliability in an area that has been plagued with power outages.
But power outages don't often occur, residents said.
"We have had very few problems with power in the last 10 years," said a Dalmatia resident who asked not to be identified. If residents did have a problem, it was not because of poor service, but because of lightning strikes or a motorist hitting a pole.
The line will run through her 5-acre property "” on a corner of pasture for her horses that, she said, may be negatively affected by the large metal poles that will be forced into the ground.
"There is still no guarantee there is not going to be a problem with these animals," she said. "They have never proven high power lines are not a hazard. I just can't believe that this is a benefit to anyone here."
Steel poles are equipped with an overhead ground wire for lightning protection, and there is no increased safety risk, Nixon said.
He also said the line will connect the current Sunbury-Dauphin line and the Sunbury-Richfield line, giving PPL more flexibility and backup when outages occur. Those two lines currently serve more than 25,000 people.
Another Dalmatia farmer, who also wished not to be identified, said PPL will be taking over people's property in a sort of "eminent domain."
"They will pay you for the land," he said, "but a third party will say what it's worth."
He is also concerned about the environmental impact across the Susquehanna River, and the fact that land will be taken away and unable to be farmed.
"My life's work here at the farm could be done in just a short period of time," he said.
Sarah Shaffer and her husband are grain farmers in Dalmatia. They farm approximately 1,200 acres. The landowners from whom they rent are "very upset" about the line, she said.
Production will be down during the time that the lines are being installed, she said, and it will be difficult to farm around them once they're operative.
Farmers, she said, "already work so hard to feed the world."
In addition to the threat of lowering property values, the line may cause health hazards, Shaffer said, and no one in the area is complaining about power outages "” the main problem that PPL says it wants to solve.
"Why should we pay for something that is not really needed?" Shaffer asked.
Paul Reed, who owns property throughout Northumberland County, including three lots at Mahanoy Manor and an additional 28 acres in Dalmatia, said he has been calling various environmental organizations such as the Audubon Society and a water conservation group, for help on how to deal with the issue.
The power line will begin on top of a hill where his neighbor lives, making it easy to stretch cross the Susquehanna River. The land is cleared already, he said, because he and his neighbors cut the fields for hay.
Though easier for PPL, Reed said the poles and line will obstruct the view of residents living in several half-million-dollar homes in the area.
"It's going to be unsightly," he said.
Each day he enjoys watching eagles, hawks, geese and ducks along the Susquehanna River. It's not just his view, but the animals' welfare that concerns him.
Underground wiring is "technically possible" but "impractical," Nixon said. It would cost ten times as much as the overhead lines, and if damaged, they can take weeks to repair.
Reed said he and several neighbors attended the first open house to complain, but they were upset that PPL refused to hold an organized meeting, instead dealing with each individual's concerns separately and quietly.
"We just can't get any answers from PPL," Reed said. "That's what's so upsetting. That's not going to happen this time."
"This time" will be either of two open houses that PPL will host. The first will be from 5 to 8 p.m. March 24 at St. Thomas Independent Brethren in Christ Church, 1170 St. Thomas Road, Mount Pleasant Mills; the second, 5 to 8 p.m. March 25 at Hickory Corners and Community Fire Company, 1124 Hickory Road, Dalmatia.
"We still want to hear what people have to say," Nixon said. "We are sensitive to their concerns. If minor adjustments can be made to satisfy some concerns, we'll do that."
The line does not require permission from the Pennsylvania Utilities Commission because of the voltage level, Nixon said. However, PPL will be required to gain the necessary permits, involving issues such as erosion control and stream crossing.
Construction for the line will begin in summer 2011, and will be completed by fall 2012.
More information on the new line is available by visiting www.richfielddalmatiaproject.com or by calling (888) 266-0146.
n E-mail comments to tpursell@dailyitem.com
