Mountain States Transmission Intertie – Quick Facts

Northwestern Energy, a South Dakota company, submitted an application under the Montana Major Facility Siting Act with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.  The draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected in September 2010. 

The application can be found at www.deq.mt.gov/MFS/MSTIindex.asp

The draft is available

Maps can be found at www.deq.mt.gov - click on the MSTI project and select interactive maps.

Citizen Groups

Move MSTI ~ www.movemsti.com

Save Scenic Jefferson County ~ www.SaveScenicJV.org

Concerned Citizens of Montana ~ www.concernedcitizensMontana.net

Stop the Grid ~ www.stopthegrid.org

Keep It Rural, Southwest Montana ~ www.keepitrural.net

Citizen Concerns:

Lack of notification to landowners and other residents about the project and its proposed routes

Health effects from the Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs)

Loss of property use from physical structures, maintenance roads, right-of-ways

Devaluation of Property Values

Violation of Property Rights, especially related to use of Eminent Domain for this project

Visual impacts

All MT generated electrical power will be shipped out of state to NV and CA

Noxious weeds

Fighting fires under these lines is dangerous and life threatening, fire prevention is hazardous

Emergency communication systems do not work around these lines

Possibility of more high voltage transmission lines through our area

Why is Northwestern Energy’s industry more important than local industry? (ie  Ranching)

Why do NWE’s rights outweigh citizen’s rights?  And private property rights?

Who does the Montana Major Facility Siting Act protect – Montanans or out-of- state interests?

NWE takes an easement through private property (eminent domain) and we still pay the property     taxes.

The siting submitted in NWE application does not include three distinctly different alternative routes.

Alternative routes are sited on hundreds of acres of private property: residential, subdivisions, grazing land, hay ground.

Public projects should use public lands – Federal Energy corridors are placed on public lands to avoid sensitive areas.  There are routes available for MSTI on public lands.

Effects

Physical structures do NOT provide any shielding from magnetic fields

EMF s interfere with pacemakers, defibrillators, radio, television, cordless phones, cell phones

Aviation interference

Apiaries: Electrical fields have been shown to cause bees to leave their hives (NWE required to notify within 1000 feet of the hives – owners would need to move the hives!)

Loud noise generation

Possible bright strobe lights

Health Effects *See EMF’s and Health handout

Chronic fatigue, heart problems, headaches, Immune system suppression, Leukemia, brain tumors, birth defects, miscarriages, prostate and breast cancer 

Negative Effects on Livestock

Reported spontaneous abortion, reduced milk production, low birth rates, death

Operational Impacts

Operation would permanently convert agricultural land to non-agricultural use

-        Impacts to cropland and rangeland would occur due to access roads and structures

-        Permanent loss of agricultural land  i.e. Grazing, hay ground, farm, irrigation systems and irrigated crop lands

Operation would permanently interfere with active agricultural operations

-        Dividing or fragmenting agricultural fields, obstructing access, impeding the delivery and use of water for livestock and irrigation, reducing the efficacy of windbreaks, and disrupting the operation of farm equipment

-        Aerial spraying for noxious weeds, insects and crop diseases becomes hazardous

FHA Rules prohibit the issuance of insured loans for homes located adjacent to transmission power lines.  (12 - 60 kV or greater, as they are considered hazardous)  FHA Rules 1912 4150.2-2J

Right of Ways (ROW)

Range – 220 feet (110 from center) to 409 feet depending on EMF fields

MFSA criteria: EMFs are not to exceed 1000 volts/m at edge of ROW so NWE solution to stay within “safe” levels is to just extend the ROW

EMFs generated within the ROW range from 13,000 to 1,500 volts/m

Tower Info

Guyed V steel lattice, Single Circuits structures: all 125 feet tall.  Double Circuit: 185 feet tall.

Land area permanently disturbed per structure: 22,500 sq. feet (.52 acres)

4 to 6 structures built per mile

Loss of Property

Permanent loss of property due to structures along with acreage within the ROW from unsafe levels of EMFs

Construction of access/maintenance roads – 20 feet wide 

Loss of Property Enjoyment & Value

The economic value of the private lands along the route is associated with 1) agricultural productivity and 2) rural development value: which is closely tied to quiet enjoyment, scenic vistas, wildlife issues and recreational opportunities.

There will be direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of the proposed route on these economic values.

Land Use

Ground is one of the most important resources we have in Southwest Montana.  Turning private property into a “Crop of Towers, substations and Access Roads” make for a lousy return on investment to private property owners.

Tax Revenue

Regardless if MSTI is built on Public or Private land ~ Counties will still receive the tax revenue

NWE is simply a “pass through agent” that transfers taxes it collects from ratepayers to state and local governments. So customers will actually be paying these TAXES

Who Benefits? (Pro-project)

Provide a transmission route for wind, coal and natural gas generated energy in Montana to Nevada and California

Additional property tax revenue to the counties (MT and ID) where the line is built

And who doesn’t?

All electrical power will be shipped out of state; this line will not be used to provide power to MT – it is an EXPORT line.

The people of Montana and Idaho will ultimately pay for this through adverse health effects, decreased property values, loss of property use and enjoyment, impacts on ranching & farming operations, spread of noxious weeds.

Consider the REAL costs of the MSTI proposed routes:

-        Loss of grazing land and farm ground

-        Loss of aesthetic values, scenic vistas, and Open Space

-        Loss of property value

-        Fire hazards

-        Hardship to private landowners who are the stewards of the land

-        Stress and worry of associated risks to children, grandchildren and livestock

What can YOU do?

Write to these elected state officials and your local officials to voice your concerns:

Governor Schweitzer